The Arvada enterprise., 1918-08-01
CHAPTER xI.
Four Walls and q Roof.

-Four Walls and Roof.
Brought to 1t by a kindlier road,
Hazel would have found that nook in
the Klappan range a pleasant enough
place. She could not deny Its beauty.
But she was far too trail weary to ap-
prec"'e the grandeur Of the Klappan
range. She desired nothing 30 much
as rest and comfort and the solemn
mountains were neither restful nor
soothing. They stood too grim and
aloof in a lonely land.
There was 80 much to be done, work
Of the hands; a cabin to build, and a
stable; hay to be cut and stacked 30
that their horses might live through
the long winter-which already her
aided his approach with sharp. sting
Ing frosts at night, and hurries Of
snow alonk the higher ridges.
Bill staked the tent beside tie
spring. fashioned a rude fork out
q pronged willow, and fitted a hand
to the scythe he had brought for IT,
purpose. From dawn to dark he swung
the keen blade In the heavy graz
which carpeted the bottom. Behi1
him Hazel piled It In little mound5
with fork. She insisted on this,
though It blistered her hands and
brought furious pains to her back. II
her man must strain every nerve she
would tighten the burden with what
strength she had. And with two pair
Of hands to the task. the piles Of hay
gathered thick on the meadow. When
Bill judged that the supply reached
twenty tons, he built q rude sled with
rack on It, and hauled In the hay
With saddle horse.
"Amen I" said Bill, when he had emp
tied the rack for the last time. and
the hay rose In q neat stack. 'Thats
another load of my mind. I can build
cabin and . stable in six fest Of
snow II I have to. but there would
have been Q slim chance Of haying once
storm hit m. We wouldn't 20 hun
gry--there's moose enough to feed an
army ranging in that low ground to the
SOUTH"
There's everything that one needs,
almost. in the wilderness, isn't theref"
Hazel observed rehectively. "But still
the law Of life Is awfully harsh. don't
you think. Bill. Isolation Ii a terrible
thing when It IL 20 absolutely COM
plete. Suppose something went wrong ;
There's no help. and no mercy-abso-
lutely none. Nature. when you get
close to her. IL 10 inexorable." e
Bill eyed her second Then he but
bis arms around her, and patted her
hair tenderly.
rs 1t getting on your nerves already,
little personf" he asked. "NothipR's
going to 90 wrong. I've been in wild
country too often to make mistakes or
get careless. Life isn't a bit harsher
here than In the human ant heaps,
What does the old. settled country do
to you when you have neither money
nor Job! II treats you worse than the
worat the North can do; for, lacking
the price. II denies you access to the
abundance that mocks you In every
shop window. and bars you out Of the
houses that line the streets. Here,
everything aeedful IL yours for the TAX
ing. No. little person. I don't think
the law Of life IL nearly 10 harsh here
a. II 10 where the mob struggles for itx
daily bread. It's more open and
abOvehOard here: more up to the indi.
vidual. But it's lonely sometimes. I
guess that's what ails you"
"Oh. pOuf!" she denied. I'm not
lonely. 30 long as I've got you. But
sometimes I think Of something han
pening to you-sickness and accidents.
and all that"
"Forget III" Bill exhorted. THAT'S
the worst Of living In this big, still
country-it makes one retrospective.
and 30 confoundcdly conscious Of what
puny atoms We human beings are.
after all. but there's less chance OF
sickness here than any place. Wait
tiii get that cabin built. with q big
fireplace nj one end. We'll be more
comfortable. and things will look n
little roster. This thing Of everlasting
hurry and hard work gets on every.
body's nerves."
The best OF the afternoon was still
unsJ,ent when the hayxtacking termi.
mated. and Bill declared . holiday.
When the fire hnd sunk TO dull en-.
hers. and the stars were peeping shyly
10 the open finp Of their tent. she Wits.
pereti In his ear:
"You mustn't think I'm complaining
or lonesome or anything. Billy.boy,
when ! make remarks like did TODAY.
I love you n heap. and I'd b. happy
anywhere with you. And I'm really
and truly at home In the wilderness,
Oniy-only sometimes have Q funny
feeling: a. n were afraid. I look IN
as these big mountains. and they aeem
10 be scowlinE-aa n We were tree.
passers Of something"
II know Bill drew her ciose 10
him. "But that's Just mood. I've fel,
that sams sensation up hcre-A foolish.
indennabie forebodis6. All the out.
os.the-wry places of the earth produe,
that effect. n one In at all lima mn tive.
IT'S the hignrsa Of everything. and the
eternal stiffness. II would be hard on
the nerves To live here always. Rut
we're only after stake-then all the
pleasant places of the Earth are oncn