Connecticut western news., 1918-03-28

too-they'd already dipped their hn-
GERS in where they couldn't stand lid-
CATION. I'm sure of that--or they
would never have come through; which
they did.
"But I'm sorry ever got mixed up
with them. I'm going to sell my stock'
and advise Lewis and the others to DO
the same while we can get full value
for it. Lorimer and that bunch Will |
manipulate the outfit to death, no mat
ter how the mine produces.
That's all of that. don't care two !
whoops about the money. There Is !
still gold in the Klappan Range ana
other corners of the North, whenever
| need it. But it nauseated me.
can't stand that cut-throat game. And
Granville, like most other cities of its
kind, lives by and for that sort OF
thring. The pressure of modern lie
makes it inevitable. Anyway, town
is no place for me. l can stomach 1t
about so long, and no longer. It's 700
cramped, too girded about with petty
larceny conventions. If once you slip
and get down, every one walks on you.
Everythings restricted, priced, tin
kered with. There is no real freedom
of body or spirit. l wouldn't trade
comfy log cabin in the woods with
big fireplace and Il shelf of books 1or
the finest home on Maple drive-not III
I had to stay there and stifle in the
dust and smoke and smells. That
would be q sordid and impoverished
existence. I cannot live by the dog
eat-dog code that seems to prevail
wherever folk get damned together In
an unwieldy social mass. l have SAID
the like to you before.
s'By nature and training I'm united
to live in these crowded places. love
you, little person, l don't think you
realize how much, but I can't make
you happy by making myself utterly
miserable. That would only produce
the inevitable reaction. But / still
think you are essentially enough like
me to meet me on common ground.
J You loved me and you found content
ment and Joy at our little cabin once.
Don't you think 1t might be waiting
; there again?
eff YOU really care, If and the old
4 North still mean anything to you' a
-
separation won't matter. An atteclon
, that can't survive six months Is TOO
fragile to go through life on. l dom
Y ask YOU to Jump the next train ana
: follow me. don't ask you to wire me,
b Come back, BILL Though l would
d. come quick enough if you called me.
merely want you to think 1T over So
:. berly and let your heart decide. You
r know where I stand, don't you, Hazel
e dear? / haven't changed-not bit
s I'm the same old Bill. But I'd rather
2. hit the trail alone than with an un
y willing partner. Don't founder abou
a In any quicksand of duty. There Il
d no L ought to- between us.
g $50 1t Is up to you once more, httl
$ person. If my way is not your way
IL will abide by your decision withou
III whining. And whenever you want [
reach me, q message to Felix Coul
ly voiseur, Fort George, will eventual
e. find me. I'll fix it that way.
1t $50 long, little person. l like you
Ks heap, for all your eantankerons way !;
he She laid aside the letter, with
she was minded to telegraph the Woi
Do that would bring him hurrying bac
se But-some of the truths he had S
down in cold black and white cut h
:; deep. OF a surety she had drawn h
weapon on the wrong side in the mi
M ing trouble Overhasty?-yes. Al
IN shamefully disloyal. Perhaps there W
va something in it, after all; that Is
gN say, 1t might be they had made m
sui take. She saw plainly enough tn
eN unless she could get back some of
m old enthusiasm for that wilderness Ii
iHI unless the fascination of magnitict
fF distances, of silent, breathless flores
. of contented, quiet days on trail a
stream, could lay fast hold of
- again, they would only defer the d
-, OF reckoning, as Bill had said.
No, she would not attempt to c
him back. She doubted If he wo1
come. And she would not go-not J
She must have time to think.
Altogether, as the first impression
Bill's letter grew less vivid to her :
considered her grievances more. A
she was minded to act as she had
out to do-to live her life as seen
best to her, rather than pocket
pride and rejoin Bill. The femin
instinct to compel the man to CAPT
i late asserted itself more and m
mid strongly.
and 10 ne cont i"'en''
our