Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1918-04-06

fell from her lips casually and care
lessly She was full of spicy littl,
anecdotes about German royalty anC
the British aristocracy. 1t was no won
der, Gordon Elliot thought, that sh,
had rather stunned the little social Sc
of Kusiak.
Through Northrup and Trelawney s
new slant on Macdonald was given tx
Gordon. He had fallen into easua
talk with them after dinner on the
fore deck. To his surprise the youne
man discovered that they bore him nc
grudge at all for his interference the
night before.
"But we amt through with Colby
Macdonald yet" Trelawney explained
Mind, / don't say we're going to gel
him. Nothing like that. Here's the
point. We stand for Labor. He stands
for Capital. See? Things amt what
they used to be in Alaska, and it's be-
cause of Colby Macdonald and his
friends. They're grabbers that's
what they are. They want the whole
works. Understand? It's up to us
to fight, amt it?"
Later Elliot put this viewpoint be-
fore Strong.
| There's something in It," the miner
agreed. wages have gone down, and
It's partly because the big fellows are
consolidating interests. Alaska amt
poor mans country the way it was.
But Mac amt to blame for that. He
has to play the game the way the
cards are dealt out"
The sky was clear again when the
Hannah drewin to the wharf at Moose
Head to unload freight, but the mud
IN the unpaved streets leading to the
business section of the little frontier
town was instep deep. Many of the
passengers hurried ashore to make the
most of the five-hour stop. Elliot put
ON pair of heavy boots and started
| uptown.
At the end of the wharf he passed
Miss O'Neill. She wore no rubbers and
she had come to halt at the begin
ming of the mud. After a momentary
indecision she returned slowly to the
boat.
The young man walked up into the
town, but ten minutes later he crossed
the gangplank of the Hannah again
with package under his arm. Miss
O'Neill was sitting on the forward
deck. making a pretense to herself
of reading.
He moved over to where she sat and
lifted his hat. 81 hope you won't
think 1t liberty, Miss ONeill, but
I've brought you some rubbers from
store uptown. l noticed you couldn't
get ashore without Them"
The girl was visibly embarrassed.
She was not at all certain of the right
thing to do. Where she had been
brought up young men did not offer
courtesies of this sort so informally.
FL think won't need them, thank
you. I've decided not to leave the
boat" she answered shyly.
Elliot had never been accused of be-
ing gutter. Having begun this, he
proposed to see 1t out. He caught
sight of the purser experimenting the
discharge of cargo and called to him
by name. The officer joined them, a
pad of paper and a pencil in his hand
"Im trying to persuade Miss O'Neill
that she ought to go ashore while
we're lying here. What was it you told
me about the waterfall back of the
town."
"Finest thing of its kind in Alaska.
Everyone takes it in. We won't get |
away till night. You've plenty of time
If you want to see it."
"Now, will you please introduce me
to Miss O'Neill formally?"
The purser went through the usual
formula Of presentation, adding that |
Elliot was n government official on
his way to Kusiak. Having done his
duty by the young man, the busy SUI
pereargo retired.
I'm sure 1t would do you good to
walk up to the waterfall with me, Miss
O'Neill," urged Elliot.
She met little obviously the smile
that would not stay quite extingulshed
on his good-looking, boyish face. Why
shouldn't she so with him, since 1t was
the American way for unchaperoned
youth to enjoy itself naturally?
'If they'll fit" the girl answered,
eying the rubbers.
Gordon dropped to his knees and
that they would.
As they walked along the muddy
street she gave him a friendly little
nod of thanks. "Good of you to take
the trouble to look out for me-"
He laughed. SIT was myself was
looking out for. / am a stranger in
the country and was awfully lone
some"
rs 1t that this is your first time
IN, too?" she asked shyly.
You're going to Kusiak, aren't
you? Do you know anybody there?"
replied Elliot.
MY cousin lives there, but I haven't
seen her since l was ten. She's an
American. Eleven years ago she Wis
ted us In Ireland"
I'm glad you know someone" he
said. "You'll not be so lonesome with
some of your people living there" !
Are you going to live at E-Nsiakf"
"No: I'll he stationed In the terri