The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-07-15
BIG TIMBER
BY BERTRAND w. SINCLAIR
o "

one SHOOK nef mead. ana ne went
out quietly, without another word.
He neither pleaded nor urged, and
perhaps that was wisest. for In spite
of herself. Stella thought OF him con-
unualiy. He doomed always before
her, "a persistent, compelling factor.
She knew at last. beyond any gain.
saying, that the venture tempted.
largely. perhaps. because Il contained
so great an element of the unknown.
To get away from this soul-dwarfing
round meant much. She felt herself
reasoning desperately that the frying
pan could not be worse than the fire,
and held at least the merit OF greater
dignity and freedom from the twin
evils OF poverty and thankiess do
nestle slavery.
While she considered this. pro and
con, shrinking from such n step one
hour. considering IL soberly the next.
the days dragged past I'm wearisome
sequence. The great depth OF snow
endured. was added TO by spasmodic
flurries. The frosts held. The camp
seethed with the restlessness OF the
men. In default OF the daily work
that consumed their supcrfluous en-
ergy. the loggers argued and fought.
drank and gambled. made trough
house" In their sleeping quarters I'LL
sometimes Stella's cheeks blanched
and she expected murder to be done.
Twice the Chickamin came back
from Roaring Springs with whisky
aboard. and protracted debauch en-
sued. Once a drunken logger shout.
dered his way into the kitchen to
ieer unpicasantly at Stella. and. him
self infiamed by liquor and the a1-
front. Charlie Benton beat the man
until his face was a mass OF bloody
bruises. That was only one OF a
dozen brutal incidents. All the rou-
tine discipline of the woods seemed
to have slipped out OF Benton's
hands. When the second whisky
consignment struck camp. stella
stayed In her room. refusing to cook
until order reigned again. Benton
grumblingiy took UP the burden him
self. With Katy's help and that OF
sundry loggers. he fed the roistering
crew. but for his sister IL was n
two-day period OF protesting disgust
That mood, like so many Of her
moods. relapsed into logged endur.
ance. She took up the work again
when Charlie promised that no more
whisky should be allowed In the
camp.
"Tho it's ten TO one I won't have n
corporals guard left when want to
start work again." he grumbled.
I'm well within my rights IL l put
my foot down hard on any Jinks
when there's work. but i have no
license TO set myself up as guardian
OF logger's morals and pocketbook
when | have nothing for him to do.
These fellows are paying their board.
So long as they don't make them.
selves obnoxious to you. ] don't see
that it's our funeral whether they're
drunk or sober. They'd tell me SO
quick enough"
To this pronouncemcnt OF expedi.
ency Stella made no reJoinder. She
no longer expected anything much
OF Charlie. IN the way Of considera-
ton. SO far as she could see. she.
his sister. was little more to him
than ono OF his loggers; a little less
important than. say. his donkey en-
gineer. In so far as she conduced
TO the weILbeing OF the camp and
effected saving to his credit In
the matter Of preparing food. he
valued her and was willing to con
cedc "A minor point TO satisfy her.
Beyond that Stella felt that he did
not go. Five years in totally diff
ferent environments had dug great
gulf between them. He felt an arbi.
trary sense OF duty toward her. she
knew. but In its manifestations II