Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1919-01-16
I'll drop down to the club"

SN~S w A~SoAN ~ASN AAo SSNkb SAS
had an impulse to throw her arms
around his neck and declare, in all
sincerity, that she would go to the
Klappan or to the north pole or any
place on earth with him, if he wanted
her. But by some peculiar feminine
reasoning she reflected in the same in
slant that If Bill were away from her
in a few weeks he would be all the
more glad to get back. That closed
her mouth. 1t was not wise to be too
meek or obedient where a husband
was concerned. That was another mite
| Of wisdom she had garnered from the
wives of her circle.
So she kissed Bill good-by at the
station next day with perfect good hui
NOR and no parting emotion Of any
particular keenness. And If he were
a trife sober he showed no sign of
resentment, nor uttered any futile
wishes that she could accompany him.
$50 long," he said from the car
steps. "Ill keep in touch-all l cam
Then he was gone.
Somehow, his absence made less diff
ference than Hazel had anticipated.
She had secretly expected to be very
lonely al first. And she was not. Even
when in her hand she held q telegram
dated at a point five hundred or q
thousand miles OF double that distance
away she did not experience the feel
ing of complete bodily absence. She
always felt as if he were near. Only
at night, when there was no long arm
to pillow her head, no goodnight kiss
as she dozed into slumber, she missed
him, realized that he was far away.
Early in June came a brief wire
from Station Six. Three weeks later
the Free Gold Mining company set
up a mild ripple of excitement along
Broad street by exhibiting in their
Office window a forty-pound heap Of
coarse gold raw, yellow gold, just as
it had come from the sluice. Every
day knots of men stood gazing at the
treasure. Bill had forwarded the first
cleanup.
And close on the heels of thiS-ten
days later, to be exact-he came home.
"You great BEAR" Hazel laughed, in
the shelter of his encircling arms.
my, it's good to see you again."
She pushed herself back a little and
surveyed him admiringly, with a graft
fed sense of proprietorship. The
cheeks of him were tanned to a healthy
brown, his eyes clear and shining. The
offending flesh had fallen away on the
strenuous paths of the Klappan. He
radiated %boundless vitality, strength,
alertness, that perfect coordination OF
mind and body that is bred Of faring
resourcefully along rude ways. She
thrilled at the touch of his hand, was
content to lay her head on his shout
Ger and forget everything in the JOY
of his phy...-.l nearness.
They elected to spend the evening
quietly at home, as they used to do.
To Eazel it seemed quite like old
times. Bill told her of the Klappan
country, and their prospects at the
mine.
cts going to be a mighty big thing
-Ge declared.
Tn SO glad" said Hazel.
We've got a group Of ten claims
Whitley Lewis and the original stakers
hold an interest in their ci.nims. l.
acting as agent for these other fel'
lows in the company, staked FIVE more
l took in eight more men-and, be
lieve me, things were humming when
l left. And. say, I went in by the
1,nnRh Ola TnIvn hoe n S~n rO mr. IN
He's still pegging away with the mule
'und Gretchen, Ger cow I offered him
a chance to make a fat little stake al
the mine, but he didn't want to leave
the ranch. Great old Teller, Jake
Something of a philosopher In his way
Pretty wise old head. He'll make
good, all right"
In the morning. Bill ate his break
fast and started downtown.
"That's the dickens Of being Il bust
ness man." he complained to Hazel
in the hallway. 1T rides a man. once
it gets hold of him. Adios, little per
son. I'll get out for lunch, bushes:
or no business"
Eleven-thirty brought him home
preoccupied and frowning. And he
carried his frown and his preoccupa
ton to the table.
"Whatever is the matter, Bill?' Ha
eel a%nxiously inquired.
ooh, I've got a nasty hunch tina
there's d niger in the woodpilc," h
!. replied.
And that was all he vouchsafed
He finished his luncheon and left thu
!, house. He was scarcely out of sigh
/, when Jimmie Brooks runabout drew
: up ut the curb. A half minute late
t he was ushered into the living room.
"Bill in?" was his first query.
mo. he left just a few minutes
ago." Hazel told him.
Mr.. Brooks, a short, heavy-set, neat
ly dressed gentleman. whose rathe
weak blue eyes doomed preternaturall.
large and p%rotuberant behind pince
: lez that straddled an insignificant snu'
nose, took off his glasses and twiddlet
, them I'm his white. Well-kept fingers.