Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1917-09-15
CHAPTER VI.
One Way Out.

TNlAT was n winter of big snow.
November opened with rain. Day
after day the sun hid his face
behind maSscd, splitting clouds Morn
ing, noon and night the caves Of tho
shacks drippcd steadily, the gaunt
limbs of hnrdwools were line of
. coursing drops, and through all the vast
reaches OF fir ana cedar the pnt,rr OF
-aiA kept up II drcary monotone. When
ever the mist that blow like rolling
smoke along the mountains lifted for
Drlef hour there. creeping steadily
downward, lay the banked white.
Before the snow put Il stop to log
ging Jack Fyfc dropped in once q week
or SO. When work shut down he came
oftencr, but he never singled Stella
out for any particular attention. Once
lie surprised her sitting with her ell
bows on the kitchen table, her face bur-
led In her palms. She looked up Mt his
quiet entrance, and her face must have
given him his cue. He leaned n little
toward her.
GLOW long do YOU think you can
stand it ~ he asked gently.
"G0d Knows she answered, surprised
into speaking the thought that lay up-
pcrmoSt IN her mind, surprised beyond
measure that he should read that
thought.
lie stood looking down ut her for
second or two. His lips parted but he
closed them again over whatever rose
to his tongue and passed silently
through the dining room and into the
clubhouse. where Benton bad preceded
him II matter of ten minutes
It lacked Il week of Christmas. That
day three OF Bcnton'S men had gone in
the Chickamin to Roaring Springs for
supplies. They had returned In mid
afternoon, and Stella guessed by the
new note of hilarity in the clubhouse
that part of the supplies had been
liquid This had happened more than
once since the big snow closed in. She
remembered Charities fury at the log
ger who started Matt the cook on his
spree, and she wondered Mt this re-
Taxation, but it was not in her province,
and she made no comment.
Jack Fyfc stayed to supper that even
ing. Neither he nor Charlie came back
to Bcnton's quarters when the meal
was finished. While she stacked up
the dishes Katy John observed:
Goodness SakcS, Miss Benton, them
fellcrs was fresh mt supper. They was
half drunk, some OF them. bet they'll
be half II dozen fights before mornin'."
Later there rose Il brief clamOr. In
the dead silence that followed she heard
q tmd and the climbing smash Of break
ing glass, painted oath, sounds of
struggle.
Stella slipped on n pair Of her broth
crs gum boots and IN overcoat and ran
out on the path beaten from their cabin
to the shor" 1t led past the bunk
house, and on that side opened two un-
curtaincd windows, yellow squares that
struck cleaning on the snow. The
pancs Of one were broken now, sharp
fragments standing like saw teeth In
the wooden sash.
She stole warily near and looked In.
Two men were being held apart, one by
three Of his fellows, the other by Jack
Fyfc alone. Fyfe grinIthd mildly, talk
ing to the men in q quiet, pacific tone.
"Now you know that was nothing to
scrap about" she heard him say.
you're both full Of fighting whisky
but clubhouse isn't any place to
fight. Wait TIL morning. If you've
still got 1t In your systems go outside
and have 1t out. But you shouldn't
disturb our game and break up the fur.
nitnrc. BE gentlemen, drunk or sober
Better shake hands and call 1t square,
saw, let 'cm go to it, If they want to-
Charles voice, drink thickened