Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1917-09-08

"You're homo, anyway" no said.
"1hats something"
bench covered with oilcloth. Chairs
there were none. \ narrow movable
bench on each side OF the fixed table
furnished seating capacity for twenty
men, provided none objected to an oc-
caSional nudging from his neighbours
elbow. The dishes, different from any
she had over eaten from, were Of cnor-
mouSly thick porcelain, dead white
variouSly Clipped and cracked with fine
seams. But the food, if plain, was OF
excellent quality, Hastily cooked. She
discovered herself with an annette
wholly independent OF silver and cut
glass and linen. The Tin spoons and
steel knives and forks narrowed her
aesthetic sense without impairing lcr
ability To satisfy hunger.
They had the dining room TO them
selves. Through single Shiplap parti-
ton rose II rumble Of masculine talk.
where the logging crew loafcd in their
bunkhouSc. The cook served them with
out any ceremony, putting everything
on the table ut oncc--Soup, meat, vcuc-
tables. Il bread pudding for dessert, COT
fee In tail lin pot. Benton intro.
duccd him Ia his sister He withdrew
hastily to the Kitchen, and they saw
10 more of him.
"Charlir," the girl said plantivcly,
when the man had closed the door be-
hind him, II don't quite fathom your
social customs ont here. Is one sup
posed to know everybody that one en-
countcrS:"
Just about" he grilucd "l.oggrrS.
SiwaShcS and the natives in general
Can't very we'll help it, sis There's SO
few people III this neck of the woods
that nobody can afford to be exclusive
lit least, nobody who lives here any
length of time. You can't tell when
YOU may have TO cali on your ncighbor
or tho fellow working for you in II mat
ter oi life and DEAN almost. Il man
couldn't possibly maintain the same Mt
! tltudc toward Il bunch of loSycrS work
ing under him that would he considered
proper back where we came from
Take me, for instance, and my case is
no different from any man operating on
moderate scale out here. I'd get The
they'd put me in the hole at every turn.
They wouldn't care what they did or
how it was done Ten to one couldn't
keep capable working crow three
weeks on end. On the other hand, take
bunch OF lo@.rrS on Il payroll work
ing for II man That mccts them on an
equal footing-why. they'll go to IL
ana back again for him. They're as
loyal rs soldiers TO the flag. They're
mighty self sufficient independent lot,
these lumhrriackS, ana that goes for
most everybody knocking about in this
sountry-loggcrS. prospcctorS, miners,
settlers and all. If you're what they
term all right you can do ANYTHING
and they'll back you up If you go to
putting on airs and trying to assert
yourself rs superior being thcyll go
out OF their way to hand you packages
OF trouble"
Il see" she observed thoughtfully.
zones compelled by circumstances to
practice democracy"
Something like that" he responded
carelcssly and went Oh eating his sup
per.
Il should have been man," Miss Es-
tclla Benton pcnsivcly remarked. "Then
l could put on oycralls and make my
SELF useful instead Of being a drone.
There doesn't seem to be anything here
1 can do. l could keep house-only
yon haven't any house to keep, there
fore no need of housckceper."
Say, Stcll, can you cooll?" asked her
brother.
"A little" Stella rcjoincd guardedly.
why do you aSk?'
"Why, your wall about being man
and putting on ovcralIs and digging In
| reminded me that il YOU liked you may
have chance to get on your apron and
show us what You can do" he laughed.
"NlattS about due to go on q tear. He's
Dcon on the water wagon now about his
limit. The first man that comes along
with bottle OF whisky Matt will get
1t and Quit ana head for town. | was
wondering if YOU could keep the gang
from starving to death if that happen
cd. The last time I had to get in and
cook for two weeks myself. And l
| can't run logging crew from the cook
shanty very we'll"
Il dare say | could manage" Stella
returned dubiouSly "1his seems to be
a terrible place for drinking. Is 1t the
accepted thing to get drunk ut all times
and in public?"
IT'S about the only excitement there
Isl Benton smiled tolerantly. 81 guess
there IS no more drinking out here than
any other part OF this North American
continent. Only man here gets drunk
openly and rotously without any effort
TO hide 1t and without 1t being consd-
cred anything but natural lapse.
That's one thing you'll have to get used
to out here, Stcll-I mean that what
vices men have are all on the surface