The Lamar register., 1918-03-20

al Hate You and the North and Every
thing In It."
"Uo you mean tnatI honest inJu"I'
he asked incredulously.
81 dol dor she cried vehemently.
Haven't / told you often enough?
didn't come here willingly. and l won't
stay. 1 will noti ] have right to
live my life In my own wny, and it's
not this way"
"springtlme with you only means get
ting back to work. You want to get
back Into the muddled rush OF peopled
places. do your You want to he where
you can associate with fuffy-ruffie.
pompadoured girls. and be properly in
troduced to equally proper young men.
Lord. but seem to have made u mis-
take! And, by the same token. I'll
probably pay for lt-in a way you
wouldn't understand II you lived n
thousand years. Well. set your mind
ut rest. I'll take you out. Ye gods and
little fishes, but l have sure been a
fooll''
He sat down on the edge of the table.
and Hazel biinked at him. half scared.
and full of wonder. She had grown
so used to seeing him calm. imperturb-
able. smiling cheerfully no matter what
she said or did, that his passionate out
break amazed her. She could only sit
and look at him.
He got out his cigarette materials.
But his fingers trembled, spilling the
tobacco. And when he tore the paper
In his efforts to roll 1t. he dashed pa
per and all Into the fireplace with
something that sounded like an oath.
and walked out Of the house. Nor did
he return till the sun was well down
toward the tree-rimmed horizon. When
he came back he brought In an arm
full OF wood and kIndllng. and began to
build a fire. Hazel came out of her
room. Bill greeted her serenely.
swell. little person." he said, II
hope you'll perk up now"
"I'll try" she returned. "Are you
really going to take me outT
Bill paused with match blazing In
his fingers.
I'm not In the habit Of saying things
don't menn." he answered dryly.
''weli start in the morning."
The dark closed In on them, and
they cooked and ate supper In silence.
Bill remained thoughtful and abstract
ed. Then from some place among his
books he unearthed a map. and. spread
ing II on the table, studied II a while.
After that he dragged In his kyaks
from outside. and busted himself pack
Ing them with supplies for a journey
nd nd oh
things done up In small canvas sacks.
And when these preparations were
complete he got n sheet of paper and a
pencil. and fell to copying something
from the map. He was still at that,
sketching and marking, when Hazel
went to bed.
BY all the signs and tokens, Roaring
Bill Wagstaff slept none that night.
Hazel herself tossed wakefully. and
during her wakeful moments she could
hear him stir In the outer room. And
full hour before daylight he called her
to breakfast.
This time last spring" Bill said to
her, 81 was plking away north Of those
mountains, bound for the head Of the
Mas to prospect for gold"
They were cnmped In n notch on the
uptop of long divid" thousand feet
above the general level. A wide valley
rolled below. and from the height they
overlooked two great, sinuous lakes
and a multitude of smaller ones.
1--WE been wondering" Hazel said.
This country somehow seems differ
ent. You're not going back to Cariboo
Meadows, are your"
Bill bestowed look Of surprise on
her.
81 should say noti" he drawled. "Not
that 1t would make any difference to
me. But I'm very sure you don't want
IN turn I'M thsro in NV company"