The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-07-14

matter that she did. in "A measure,
harden 60 her work. grow callously
accustomed TO rising early and work
ing late. Always her feet were sore
at night. aching intolerably Hot
food. sharp knives. and a glowing
stove played havoc with her hands.
Always she rose in the morning
heavy-eyed and stlffmuscled. Youth
and natural vigor alone kept hor
from breaking down. and to cap the
strain OF toll. she was soul-sick with
the isolation. For she was isolated;
there was not "a human being In the
camp. Katy John included. with
whom she exchanged two dozen
words a day.
Before the snow put n stop TO
logging. Jack Fyfe dropped in once
a week or so. when work shut
down. he came oftener, but he never
singled Stella out for any particular
attention. once he surprised her
sitting with her elbows ON the
kitchen table, her face buried in her
palms. She looked up Mt his quiet
entrance. and her face must have
given him his cue. lie leaned lit
tie toward her
How long do you think you can
stand ~" he asked gently.
God knows" she answered. sur.
prised into speaking the thought that
lay uppermost In her mind. surprised
beyond measure that he should read
that thought
lie stood looking down at her for
second or two. His lips parted. but
he closed them again over whatever
rose to his tongue. and passed silent.
~ thru the dining room and into the
clubhouse. where Benton had pre-
coded him a matter OF ten minutes.
IL lacked a week OF Christmas.
That day three OF Bcnton's men had
gone in the Chickamin TO Roaring
Spring for supplies. They had re
turned In mid-afternoon. and Stella
guessed by the new note OF hilarity
in the clubhouse that part OF the
supplies had been liquid. This had
happened more than once since the
big snow closed In. She remembered
Charles fury at the logger who
started Matt the cook on his spree,
and she wondered at this relaxation. |
but II was not In her province. and |
she made no comment
Jack Fyfe stayed to supper that |
evening. Neither he nor Charlie /
came back to Benton's quarters when /
the meal was finished. While she |
stacked up the dishes. Katy John |
observed:
Goodness sakes. Miss Benton. |
them feliers was fresh at supper. |
They was half drunk. some of them. |
] bet they'll be half a dozen fights |
before mornin'."
Stella passed that over in silence,
with a mental turning up OF her /
nose. IL was something she could |
neither defend nor excuse. II was |
disgusting state OF affairs. but
nothing she could change. She kept |
barking back to IL. tho, when she |
was in her own quarters. and Katy |
John had vanished Tor the night into |
her little room off the kitchen. Tired |
as she was. she remained wakeful,
uneasy. over In the bunkhouse dis |
turbing sounds weiied now and then |
INTO the cotd' sun niSht-incoherent
snatches OF song. voices uproariousiy |
raised bursts OF laughter once, as
she looked out the door. thinking she |
heard Footsteps crunching In the |
snow, some one raped out a coarse
oath that drove her back with burn |
ing race.
AS the evening wore late. she be-
gan 70 grow uneasily curious to know
In what manner Charlie and Jack
Eye were lending countenance to
this minor riot, II they were even
participating In IT, Eleven o'clock
passed and still there rose IN the
punkhouse that undated hum of
voices.
Suddenly there rose brief clamor.
In the dead silence that followed.
she heard a thud and the clinldng
smash OF breaking glass, painted
oath, sounds of struggle.
Stella slipped on a pair OF her
brothers gum boots and an overcoat.
and ran out on the path beaten from
their cabin to the shore. II led past
the clubhouse, and on that side
opened two uncurtained windows
yellow squares that struck cleaning
on the snow. The panes of one were
broken now, sharp framents stand.
ing like saw teeth in the wooden
sash.
She stole warily near and looked
in. Two men were being held apart;
one by three of his fellows. the other
by Jack Fyfe alone. Fyfe grinned
mildly. talking to the men in a quiet.
pacific tone.
Now you know that was nothing
to scrap about" she heard him say.
You're both fun OF fighting whig ".
but "A clubhouse isn't any place to
fight Wait till morning. IL you've