The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-07-30
BIG TIMBER
BY BERTRAND W. SINCLAIR
VTHOR OF NORTH OF FiFTY-ThREE

his own. do anything TO satisfy a
grudge. That's one OF the things that
worries me. Charlie will be into any
thing that Fyfe is, for Fyfe's HIS
friend. / admire the spirit OF the
thing, but / don't want our little ap-
plecart upset In the sort OF struggle
Fyfe and Monohan may stage.
don't even know what form IL will III.
timately take. except that from GER
tain indications he'll try to make
F'yfe spead money faster than he can
make IL. perhaps In litigation over
timber. over anything that offers. by
making trouble in his camps. har-
assing him at every turn. He can.
you know. He has immense re-
sources. oh, well, I'm satisfied. Stel-
Ia, that you're much wiser girl than
l thought when l knew you'd left
Jack Fyfe. I'm quite sure now you
aren't the sort OF woman Monohan
could wind around his little finger.
But I'm sure he'll try. You'll see,
and remember what tell you. There,
I think I'd better run along. You're
not angry. are you. Stellar"
"You mean well enough. i sup
pose" Stella answered. But as n
matter OF fact. you've made me feel
rather nasty, Linda. l don't want TO
talk or even think OF these things.
The best thing you and Charlie and
Jack Fyfe could do is 10 forget such
disconnected pendulum as I ever
existed"
ooh, boshr' Linda exclaimed. as
she drew on her gloves. THAT'S sheer
nonsense. You're going TO be my big
sister in three months. Things VIII
work out. II you felt you had to
take this step for your own good no
one can blame you. II needn't make
any difference in our friendship
on the threshold she turned on her
heel. Don't forget what I've said,
she repeated. Don't trust Monohan.
Not an inch"
Stella flung herself angrily into a
chair when the door closed on Linda
Abbey. Her eyes snapped. She re-
scented being warned and cautioned.
as II she were some moral weakhng
who could not be trusted 10 make the
most obvious distinctions. Particu'
larly did she resent having Monohan
flung in her teeth, when she was In
a way to forget him. to thrust the
strange charm OF the man forever
out Of her thoughts. Why, she asked
bitterly. couldn't other people do as
Jack Fyfe had done: cut the Gordian
knot at one stroke and let II rest at
that?
So Monohan was in Seattle? Would
he try to see her?
Stella had not minced matters with
herself when she left Roaring Lake.
Dazed and shaken by suffering, new
ertheless she knew that she would
not always suffer. that In time she
would get back TO that normal state
In which the human ego diligently
pursues happiness. In time the legal
tie between herself and Jack Fyfe
would cease TO exist II Monohan
cared for her as she thought he
cared. year or two more or less
mattered little. They had all their
lives before them. In the long run.
the errors and mistakes OF that up
hcaval would grow dim. be as moth
ing. Jack Fyfe would shrug his
shoulders and forget. and In due time
he would find filter mate. one as
loyal as he deserved. And why might
not she, who had never loved him.
whose marriage to him had been only
a climbing out Of the fire into the
frying-pan
SO that with all her determination
to make the most of her gift OF song,
so that she would never again be
buffeted by material urgencies In a
material world. Stella had neverthe-
less been listening with the ear OF
her mind. so to speak. for a word
from Monohan to say that he under
stood. and that all was well.
Paradoxically. she had not expect
ed to hear that word. Once In Seat
tie. away from II all. there slowly
grew upon her the conviction that in
Monohan's fine avowal and renuncia.