The Mena weekly star., 1917-10-04
CHAPTER w. The Dignity (7l of Foil.

nY such imperceptible degrees that ID she was scarce aware of it. Stella
 took her place as cog in her brothers logging machine, unit in the human mechanism which he oper- ated skillfully and relentlessly at top speed to achieve his desired end-1 ,000.- 900 feet of timber in boomsticks by Sept 1.
 From the evening that she stepped into the breach created by a drunken cook the kitchen burden settled stead fly upon her shoulders. For a week Benton daily expected and spoke of the arrival of new cook. Fyfe had wired Vancouver employment agency to send one the day he took Jim Renfrew down. But either cooks were scarce or the order went astray, for no rough and ready kitchen mechanic arrived. Ben ton in the meantime ceased to look for one He worked like a horse, unspar- ing of himself, unsparing of others. He rose at half past 4, lighted the kitchen ire, reused Stella and helped her pre- pare breakfast, preliminary to his day lIt WuOuH. tAutCt tlc LII Dl CocN7t AAHAf John, half breed Slwash girl. into service to wait on the table and wash dishes He labored patiently to teach Stella certain simple tricks of cooking that she did not know.
 Quick of perception, as thorough as her brother in whatsoever she set her hand to do. Stella was soon equal to the job. And as the Mys passed and no camp cook came to their relief Ben ton left the job to her as a matter of course.
 You can handle that kitchen with Katy as well as a man." he said to her at last And 1t will give you some thing to occupy your time. I'd have to pay cook $70 month. Katy draws $25. You can credit yourself with the balance and I'll pay off when the con tract money comes in. We might as we'll keep the coin in the family. I'll feel easier, because you won get ri,.... and jump the job in pinch. What do you say"
 She said the only possible thing to say under the circumstances. But she did not say 1t with pleasure nor with any feeling of gratitude. It was hard work, and she and hard work were ut ter strangers. Her feet ached from continual standing on them. The heat and the smell of stewing meat and veg etables sickened her. Her hands were growing rough and red from dabbling in water, punching bread dough, han ding the varied articles of food that go to make up a meal. Upon hands anG forearms there stung continually cer. tain small cuts and burns that lack of experience over 4 hot range inevitably inflicted upon her. Whereas time had promised to hang heavy on her hands, now an hour of idleness in the day be- came a precious boon.
 Yet in her own way she was as fi'li of determination as her brother. She saw plainly enough that she must leave the drone stage behind. She perceived that to be fed and clothed and housed and to have her wishes readily gratified was not an inherent right; that some one must foot the bill; that now for all she received she must return equita- able value At home she had never thought of it in that light; in fact, she had never thought of it at all. Now that she was beginning to get glim- mering of her true economic relation to the world at large she had no wish to emulate the clinging vine, even if there by she could have secured contin- nance of that silk lined existence which had been her fortunate lot Her pride revolted against parasitism. It was therefore a certain personal satisfac- ton to have achieved self support at q stroke, in so far as that in the sweat of her brow-aIl too literally--she earn ed her bread and compensation be sides. But there were times when that solace seemed scarcely to weigh against her growing detest for the endless rou- tine of her task, the exasperating phys teal weariness and irritations that 1t brought upon her.
 For to prepare three times daily food for dozen hungry men is no mean un- dertaking. One cannot have in log- ging camp the conveniences of hotel kitchen. The water must be carried in buckets from the creek near by and wood brought in armfuls from the pile of sawn blocks outside. The low roof- ed kitchen shanty was always like an oven. The flies swarmed in their tens of thousands. AS the men sweated with ax and saw in the woods, so she sweat ed in the kitchen. And her work began two hours before their days labcr and continued two hours after they were done. She slept like one exhausted ana rose full of sleep hea avlness, full Of bod