The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-07-09

NtTt llffltN WITCH iIdl cpAttt F''ifi'h
scarcely to weigh against her grow
ing detest for tho endless routine OF
her task, the cxaspernting physical
WEAKNESS and irritations It brought
upon her.
For to prepare three times daily
food for a dozen hungry men Is no
mean undertaking. ono can not have
in a logging camp tho convenicnccs
of hotel kitchen. The water must
be carried in buckets from the creek
near by. and wood brought In arm.
fuls from the pile OF sawn blocks
outside. The low-roofcd X I c h n
shanty was always like an oven. As
the men sweated with axe and saw In
the woods. so she sweated In the
kitchen. And her work began tw o
hours before their days labor, and
continued two hours after they were
done. She slept like one exhausted
and rose full OF sleep.hcaviness. fun
OF bodily soreness and spiritual pro
test when the alarm clock raised it's
din In the cool morning.
"You don't like thees work. do you.
Mees Benton7" Katy John said TO her
one day. in TO soft. slurring accent
that coiored her English. you
wasn't cut out for n cook"
This isn't work." Stella rctorted.
irritably. TITS simply drudgery. l
don't wonder that men cooks take TO
drink"
Katy laughed.
why don't you be nice to Mr.. Alb
bey?" she suggested. archly. He'd
like TO give you n better job than
thees-for life. My, but II must be
nice TO have lots OF money like that
mans got. and never have TO work.?
you'll get those potatoes peeled
ooner II you don't talk quite so
much, Katy" Miss Benton made re.
ply.
There was that way out. as the 81
wash girl broadly indicated. Paul Alb
hey had grown into the habit OF com
ing there rather moro often til an
mere neighborlincss called for. and IL
was paipable that he did not come
to hold converse with Benton or Benz
tons gang. altho he was hail rel
low" with all woodsmen. AZ first his
coming might have been laid to any
whi-n. Iattcriy Stella herself was un
mistakabi the attraction. lie
brought his sister once. fair haired
girl about Stella's age. She proved an
exceedingly self-contained young per
son, whose speech during the hour
of her stay amounted 10 dozen or
so drawing sentences. With no hint
of condescension or supercil,ousness.
she still managed to arouse In Stella
mild degree OF resentment. She
wore an impeccable pongee silk. sim
pie and costly, and her hands had cv-
identity never known the roughening
of work. In one way and another
Miss Benton straightway conceived
an active dislike for Linda Abbey.
As her reception OF Paul's sister was
not conducive to chumminess. Paul
did not bring Linda again.
But he came oftener than Stella de-
sired to be bothered with him. Char
lie was beginning to indulge in some
rather broad joking. which offended
and irritated her. She was not In
, the least attracted to Paul Abbey.
He was a nice enough young man;
for all she knew. he might be n
concentration of all the manly vir-
tues, but he gave no filiip 10 either
her Imagination or her emotions. He
was too much like a certain type OF
young fellow she had known in other
cmbodiments. Her instinct warned
her that stripped OF his worldly goods
he would be wholly commonplace.
She could be friends with the Paul
Abbey kind OF men, but when she
tried to consider him as possible
lover, she found herself unrespon-
sive. even amused. She was forced
to consider II. because Abbey was
fast approaching that stage. II was
heralded in the look OF dumb appeal
that she frequently surprised In his
gaze. by various signs and tokens.
that Stella Benton was too sophisti.
Gated TO mistake. One OF these days
he would lay his heart and hand at
her feet
Sometimes she considered what her
life might be II she should marry
him. Abbey was wealthy in his own
right and heir to more wealth. But
she could not forbear a wry grimace
at the idea Some Hateful hour. love
would fash across her horizon. liv.
ing fame. She could visualize the
tragedy IL II should be too late. II
II found her already bound-sold for
a mess Of pottage at her ease. She
did not -nince words 10 herself when
she reflected on this matter. She
knew herself as creature OF pas
sionate impulses. consciously resent
ing all restraint. She knew that men
and women did mad things under the
spur of emotion. She wanted no
shackles, she wanted to be free to
face the great adventure when 1t
came.
Yet there were times during the
weeks that fitted past when II