The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-07-10

filled from the creek and tho wood
box supplied, in addition to washing
dishes and carrying food to the table.
Katy sighted these various tasks 90
casionally. She needed oversight.
continual admonltion. to get any Job
done In time. She was slow TO the
point of evaporation. Nevertheless,
she lightened the days labor. and
stella put up with her slowness since
she needs must or assume the entire
burden herself. This time Katy
thoughtlessly left with both water
pals empty.
Stella was just picking them up
off the bench when shadow dark
ened the door, and she looked around
to see Jack Fyfe.
How a. do" he greeted.
He had seemed n short man. Now.
standing within four feet OF her. she
perceived that this was an Illusion
created by the proportion and thick
ness Of his body. He was, In fact.
half head taller than she. and Stel.
Ia stood five fcet five. His gray eyes
met hers squarely. with cool. i'm
personal quality OF gaze. There was
neither smirk nor embarrassment In
his straightforward glance. He was,
In effect Sizing her up" just as he
would have looked casually over a
logger asking him for a job. Stella
sensed that, and. rcsenting II momen-
tarily. failed to match his manner.
She flushed Fyfe smiled. n broad.
friendly grin. in which n wide mouth
opened TO show strong. even teeth.
I'm after drink" he said quite
impersonally. and cooliy taking the
pals out of her hands. walked thru
the kitchen and down to tho creek.
He was back in n minute. set the
filled buckets In their place, and
helped himself with n dippcr.
Say" he asked easily. how do
you like life In a logging camp by
this time? This ts sure one hot Job
you've got"
Literally or sfangify7- she asked
In a flippant tone. Fyfc's rcputa-
ton. rather wildly coiored. had
reached her from various sources.
She was not quito sure whether she
cared TO countenance him or not.
There was disturbing quality In his
glance. subtle suggestion of force
about him that she felt without be-
ing able TO define in understandable
terms. In any case she felt more
than equal to tho task of squelch-
ing any effort at familiarity, even
II Jack Fyfe were. in a sense. the
convenient god in her brothers ma
chine. Fyfe chuckled at her answer.
Both" he replied shortly and
went out
She saw him a fittie later out on
the bay in the Panther's dink, stand
ing up In the little boat, making
long. graceful casts with a plant rod.
she perceived that this manner OF
fishing was highly successful. inso-
much as at every fourth or fifth cast
n trout struck his ny. breaking water
with vigorous splash. Then tho
bamboo would arch as the fish strug
gled- making sundry leaps clear OF
the water. cleaning like silver each
time he broke the surface. but com.
ing at last tameiy TO Jack F'yfe.s
landing net OF outdoor sports she
knew most about angling, for her
father had been an ardent f1yca,ter.
And she had observed with a true
anglers scorn the efforts of her
brothers loggers to catch the lake
trout with n baited hook, at which
they had scant success. Charlie new.
er fished. He had neither time nor
inclination for such fooiing. as he
termed it Fyfe stopped fishing when
the donkeys whistled six. 1t hap.
pened that when no drew IN to his
cookhouse float. Stella was standing
In her kitchen door. F'yfe looked up
at her and held aloft dozen trout
strung by the giIls on a stick. CLEAN.
ing In the sun.
| Vanity" she commented In
audibly. II wonder n he thinks I've
been admiring his skin as a fisher.
man?'
Nevertheless she paid tribute TO
his skin when ten minutes later he
sent logger with the entire catch
to her kitchen. They hooked tooth
some, those lakers, and they were.
She cooked one for her own supper
and relished II as a change from the
everlasting bacon and ham. In the
face of that million feet of timber.
Benton hunted no deer. True, the
Siwashes had once or twice brought
In some venison- That. with n roast
or two OF beef from town, was all
the fresh meat she had tasted in two
months. There were enough trout
to make breakfast for the crew.
She ate hers and mentally thanked
Jack Fyfe.
Lying in her bed that night, in the
short interval that came between
undressing and wearied sleep, she
found herself wondering with good
deal more interest about Jack Fyfe
than she had ever bestowed upon
well. Paul Abbey, for instance.
She was quite positive that she
was going to dislike Jack F'yfe IL he
were thrown much in her way. There
was something about him that she
resented. The difference between
him and the rest OF the rude crew
among which she must perforce live
was question of degree. not Of kind.
There was certainly some compelling
magnetism about the man. But
along with II went what she con.
sidered an almost brutal directness
OF speech and action. Part OF this
conclusion came from hearsay, part
from observation, limited tho her
opportunities had been for the lat
ter. Miss Stella Benton, for all her
poise, was not above jumping at con-
illusions. There was something
about Jack Fyfe that she resented.
She irritably dismissed 1t as a fool
ish impression, but the fact remained
that the mere physical nearness of
him seemed to put her on the de.
fensive. as II he were in reality a
| hunter and she tho hunted.
| INxyfa {otpaa Ch.xito t,o,.o,. oba,4