The Mena weekly star., 1918-01-03

hate myself" she whispered when the ceaseless turning of her mind had be- come almost uncomfortable. "I was a silly. weak fool ever to let Walter Mon- chan know cared. And I'll hate him, too, if he makes me a bone of conten. lion. I elected to play the game the only decent way there K to play lt
 did he. Why can't he abide by thatT''
 Noon of the next day saw the Water bug heave to quarter mile abeam of Cougar point to let off lone figure in her dinghy and then bore on, driving straight and fast for Roaring Springs. Stella flew to the landing. Mother Howe came pufiing at her heels.
 Lands sake, been worried to death," the older woman breathed. When men git to quarrelin' about tim. Der you never can tell where they'll stop, Mrs Jack. I've knowed some wild times in the woods in the past"
 The man in the dink was Lefty Howe He pulled in beside the float. When he stepped up on the blanks he limped perceptibly.
 Land alive, what happened yuh. LeftyT" his wife cred
 "Got rap on the leg with peevy." he said. "Nothin' much.r
 Why did the Waterbug go down the lake| Stella asked breathlessly. The mans face was serious What hap pened m therer'
 There was . fuss,' he answered nuipflV fThrous ~R st beat up so they need patchln'. Jacks takin' 'em down to the hospital. Blast that yeller headed Monohan !" his voice lifted suddenly in uncomfortable anger. Billy Daie was killed this morniIi. mother"
 Stella felt herself grow sick. Death Is small matter when it strikes afar, among strangers-when it comes to ones door Billy Dale had piloted the Waterbug for year, chubby, round laced boy of twenty, a foster son of Mother Howe's before she had children or her own. Stella had asked Jack to put him on the Waterbug because he was such loyal, cheery sort of soul, and Billy had been part of every ex- petition they had taken around the lake. She could not think of him as rigid, lifeless lump of clay. Why, only the day before he had been laughing and chattering aboard the cruiser, go- ing up and down the cabin floor on his hands and knees, Jack junior perched triumphantly astride his back.
 What happened?" she cried wildly. Tell me, quickw
 Its quick told Howe said grimly. We were ready at daylight. Mono mans got hard crew, and they jump us as soon as we started to clear the channel So we cleared them first. It didn't take so long. Three of our men was used bad, and there's plenty of sore heads on both sides. but we did The job. After we got them on the run we blowed up their swifters and piles With giant; then we begun to put the cedar through. Billy was on the bank when somebody shot him from across the river. One mercy. he never knew what hit him. And you'll never come so close bein' widow again, Mrs. fyfe, and not be. That bullet was ] meant for Jack. figure. He was sit tin' down. Billy was standin' right be- | hind him watchin' the logs go through. | whoever he was, he shot high; that's l all There. mother, don't cry. That f oont help none. Whats done's done."
 Stella turned and walked up to the house, stunned. She could not credit | oioodshed, death. Always in her life both had been things remote. And as The real significance of Lefty Howe's e,ory grew on her she shuddered. It lay at her door, equally with her and Monohan. even If neither of their hands nad sped the bullet-an indirect re- sponsibility. but grewsomely real to her.