Judsonia weekly advance., 1918-04-03
CHAPTER TX.
An Ending and a Beginning.

sorbed more woodcraft than she real ized in her over-winter stay in the high attitudes. Bill Wagstaff had once told her that few people know just what they can do until th"v are com pelled to try, and upon this, her second journey northward, the truth of that statement grew more patent with each passing day.
 So trailing north with old Limping George, his fat klootch, and two half grown Siwash youths, Hazel bore steadily across country, driving as straight as the rolling land allowed, for the cabin that snuggled in a woodsy basin close up to the peaks that guard Pine River pass.
 There came a day when brief uncer- tainty became sure knowledge at sight of L-shaped body of water glimmer- ing through the fire-thinned spruce. Her heart fluttered for minute. Like a homing bird, by grace of the rude map and Limping George, she had come to the lake where the Indians had camped in the winter, and she could have gone blindfolded from the lake to Roaring Bills cabin.
 She urged her pony through the light timber growth and across the little meadows where the rank grass and strange varicolored flowers were springing up under the urge of the warm spring sun. Twenty minutes brought her to the clearing. silk and Satin and Nigger, loafing at the sunny end of the stable, pricked up their ears at her approach, and she knew that Roaring Bill was home again. She tied her horse to sapling and drew nearer. The cabin door stood wide.
 A brief panic seized her. She felt a sudden shrinking, wild desire for headlong flight. But 1t passed. She knew that for good or i'll she would never turn back.
 On the soft turf her footsteps gave fortf uo sound. She gained the door way ns silently as shadow. Roaring Bill faced the end of the long room, but he did not see her, for he was slumped in the big chair before the fireplace. his chin sunk on his breast, staring straight ahead Sith absent eyes.
 Tn all the days she had been with him she had never seen him look like that. That weary, hopeless expression, the wry twist of his lips, wrung her heart and drew from her a yearning little whisper.
 "Bill!"
 He came out of his chair like pan ther. And when his eyes beheld her in the doorway he stiffened in his tracks, staring, seeing, yet reluctant to believe the evidence of his vision. His brows wrinkled. He put up one hand and absently ran 1t over his cheek.
 q wonder if I've got to the point of seeing things" he said slowly. Say, little person, is 1t your astral body. or is 1t really you?"
 "Of course it's me-" she cried tremu- lously, and with fine disregard for her habitual preciseness of speech.
 He came up close to her and pinched her arm with a gentle pressure, as if he had to feel the material substance of her before he could believe. And then he put his hands on her shOul- ders, as he had done on the steamer that day at Bella Coola, and looked long and earnestly at her-looked till a crimson wave rose from her neck to the roots of her dark, glossy hair. And with that Roaring Bill took her in his arms, cuddled her up close to him, and kissed her. not once but many times.
 You really and truly came back, little person." he murmured. 'Iord, Lord-and yet they say the day .of miracles is past"
 "You didn't think would, did you?" she asked, with her blushing face snug gled against his sturdy breast. "Still, you gave me map so that I could find the place."
 'That was just taking a desperate chance. No, never expected to see you again, unless by accident" he said honestly. "And I've been crying the hurt of it to the stars all the way back from the coast. I only got here yes- terday. I pretty near passed up com ing back at all. I didn't see how I could stay. with everything to remind me of you. Say, but 1t looked like lonesome hole. I used to love this place-but didn't love 1t last night. It seemed about the most cheerless and depressing spot could have picked. think I should have ended up by touching a match to the whole business and hitting the trail to some new country. I don't know. I'm not weak. But I don't think could have stayed here long,"
 They stood silent in the doorway for long interval, Bill holding her close to him, and she blissfully contented, careless and minimizing of the future, so filled was she with joy of the pres- ent.