The Prescott daily news., 1918-04-15

q satisfaction. which you may or may not be able to understand. that this cabin and everything in it Is the work of my hands-or stuff I've packed in here with all sorts of effort from the outside Maybe I'm freak. But I'm proud of this place. Barring the h. evitable lonesomeness that comes now and then. I can be happier here than any place I've ever struck yet. This country grows on one."
 "Yes-on ones nerves" Hazel re- torted.
 Bill smiled, and, rising, began to clear away the dishes. Hazel resisted an i'm pulse to help. She would not work she would not lift her finger to any task, she reminded herself. He had put her in her present position, and he could wait on her. So she rested an elbow on the table and watched him. In the midst of his work he stopped suddenly.
 "There's oceans of time to do this" he observed. "Tm just a wee bit tired, if anybody should ask you. Let's camp in the other room. It's a heap more comfy"
 He put more wood on the kitchen fire, and set a pot of water to heat. Out in the living room Hazel drew her chair to one side of the hearth. Bill sprawled on the bearskin robe with an other cigarette in his fingers.
 "No," he began. after long silence. "this country doesn't get on ones nerves-not if one is a normal human being. You'll ind that. When I first came up here thought so, too; 1t seemed so big and empty and forbid ding. But the more see of 1t the bet ter 1t compares with the outer world, where the extremes of luxury and want are always in evidence. It began to seem like home to me when l first looked down into this little basin. had a partner then. said to him: Here's dandy. fine place to winter So we wintersd-in log shack sixteen foot square that silk and Satin and Niger have for a stable now. When summer came my partner wanted to move on. SO stayed-stayed and be- gan to build for the next winter. And I've been working at 1t ever since. making little things like chairs and tables and shelves, and ffxing up game heads whenever I got an extra rood one. And maybe two or three times . year I'd go out. Got restless. you know. I'm not really . hermit by na- ture. Lord, the things I've packed in here from the outsidel Books-I hired a whole pack train at Ashcroft once to bring in just books; they thought I was crazy. guess. I've quit this place once or twice. but I always come back. It's got that home feeling that can't find anywhere else. Only 1t has always lacked one important home oualifica- tion," he finished softly. Do you ever build air castles?"
 "No." Hazel answered untruthfully. uneasy at the trend of his talk. She was learning that Bill Wagstaff. for all his gentleness and patience with her, was persistent mortal.
 Well. do." he continued, unper- turbed. Lots of 'em. But mostly around one thing-a woman-a dream woman-because I never saw one that seemed to fit in until ran across you"
 MT. Wagstaff." Hazel pleaded, wont you please stop talking like thatf It isn't-it isn't"
 Isn't proper. I suppose" Bill SUD- piled dryly. "Now. that's merely an error. and fundamental error on your part. little person. Our emotion and instincts are perfectly proper when you get down to fundamentals. You've got an artificial standard to judge by. that's all. And I don't suppose you nave the least Idea how many lives are spoiled one way and another by the operation of those same artificial stand ards In this little old world Now, l may seem to you a lawless. unprin- cipied individual indeed, because I've acted contrary to your Idea of the ac- cepted order of things. But here's my slde or 1t: I'm in search of happiness. We all are. have a few ideals-and very few illusions. don't quite believe m this thing called love at first sight. mat presupposes volatility of emo t,on that people of any strength of character are not likely to indulge in. but-for instance, man can have a very definite ideal of the kind of wom- an ne would like for a mate. the kind or woman he could be happy with and couiu make happy. And whenever he nnds woman who corresponds to that ideal he's apt to make a strenuous at- tempt to get her. That's pretty much how felt about you"
 You had no right to kidnap me-" Hazel began.