The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-04-18

bored to death at Katma and she viii
come back docile.'
Her scarlet lips, the long, unbrOken
lines of the sinuous, opulent body, the
challenge of the smoldering eyes, the
warmth of her laughter, all invited him
TO forget the charms of other women.
The faint feminine perfume of her was
waited to his brain. He felt besieg-
Ing of the blood.
Stepping behind the chair in which
she sat, he tilted back the head of lus-
trous bronze, and very deliberately
kissed her on the lips.
For a moment she gave herself TO
his embrace, then pushed him back,
rose, and walked across the room to a
little table. With fingers that trembled
slightly she lit Il cigarette. Sheathed
in her clOse-fitting gown, she made a
strong carnal appeal to him, but there
was between them, too, q close bond
of the spirit. He made no apologies,
no explanation.
Presently she turned and looked at
him. Only the deeper color beneath
her eyes betrayed any excitement.
UNLESS I'm a bad prophet you'll get
the answer you want when Sheba
comes back, Colby"
He thought her reply to his fndis-
erection superb. It admitted COM
plicity, reprOached, warned and at the
same time ignored. Never before had
she called him by his given name. He
took it as a token of forgiveness and
remuneration.
Why was it not Genevieve Mallory
that he wanted to marry? The mine
| owner carried with him back to his
office a sense of the futile irony of
life. A score of men would have liked
to marry Mrs. Mallory. She had all
the sophisticated graces of life and
much of the natural charm of an IN
usually attractive personality He had
| only to speak the word to win her, and
his fancy had flown in pursuit of a lit
| tie Puritan with no knowledge of the
world.
In front of the Seattle & Kusiak En-
| pOrium the Scotsman stopped. A lit
tie man who Lad his back TO him was
bargaining for a team of huskies. The
man turned, and Macdonald recognized
him.
Hello, Gid Aren't you off your
usual beat blt?" he asked.
The little miner looked him over i'm
pudently. "WeIl-well! IF it amt the
big mogul himself-and wantin' to
know if I've got permission to travel
off the reservation
81 reckon you travel where you want
to, Gid-same as do
"Maybeso. 1 shouldn't wonder If
you'd find out quite soon enough what
I'm doing here. You never can tell
the old man retorted with a manner
that concealed volumes.
Those who were present remembered
the words and in the light of what took
place later thought them significant.
Anyhow, it is quite a social event
for Kusiak," Macdonald suggested
with smile Of irony.
Without more words Holt turned
back to his bargaining. The big Scots
man went on his way, remembered
that he wanted to see the cashier OF
the bank which he controlled, and
promptly forgot that old Gid existed.
The old man concluded his purchase
and drove up to the hotel behind one
of the best dog teams in Alaska.
Gideon asked a question of the por
ter.
Second floor That's his room VI
there" the man answered, pointing tt
a window.
ooh, you, seven-eighteen-
nine," the little miner shouted up.
Elliott appeared at the window
''Well, I'll be hangedI What are yol
doing here, Old-TimerP
'Onct I knew a man lived to be
grandpa minding his own business,
grinned the little man. "COme dow
. and I'll tell you all about 1t, boy"
In half a minute Gordon was besid
him. After the first greetings tn
, young man nodded toward the do
, team.