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

and pondered this. She could not see
how it was TO be avoided. She was
there. and. perforce. she must stay
there. She had no friends to go 10 else
where. or training in the harsh bust
ness OF gaining a livelihood II she
did go. For the first time she began
duly to resent the manner OF her
upbringing. once she had desired
to enter hospital training had been
properly enthusiastic for a period of
months over a career in this field of
mercy. Then. as now. marriage.
while accepted as the ultimate state.
was only 10 be considered thru haze
of idealism and romanticism. She
cherished certain ideals of a possible
lover and husband, but always with
a false sense Of shame. The really
serious business of woman's life
no attempt TO apply practical con
sideration. But her parents had had
positive ideas on that subject. even
II they were not openly expressed.
Her warnings after a useful Ca.
reer" were skilfully discouraged
her mother because that worthy lady
thought ii was scarcely the thing.
Stella. dear. and so unnecessary" by
her father, because, as he biuntly put
IL. II would only be a waste of time
and money, since the chances were
she would get married before she was
half thru training. and anyway. a
girls place was at home till she did
get married. That was his only ref
erence TO the subject of her ultimate
1t was plain enough. as far as 1t
went.
Ii was too late to mourn over lost
opportunities now. but she did wish
there was some one thing she could
do, and do well. some service of
value that would guarantee self.sup-
port. II she could pound type
writer or keep a set of books. or even
make a passable attempt at sewing.
she would have felt vastly more at
ease in this rude logging camp.
knowing that she could leave it IL
she desired.
So far as she could see things.
she looked at them with measurable
clearness. without any vain illusions
concerning her ability TO march tri-
umphant over unknown fields of en-
deavor. Along practical lines she
had everything to learn. Culture
furnishes an excellent pair of wings
wherewith TO soar in skies of alb
straction. but Is poor vehicle to
carry one over rough roads. She
might have remained in Philadelphia.
n guest among friends. Pride for
bade that incidentally, such an ar
rangement would have enabled her to
stalk a husband, a moneyed husband,
which did not occur to her at all.
There remained only TO join Charlie.
IL his fortunes mended well and
good. Perhaps she could even help
in minor ways.
But II was all so radically different
brother and all-from what she
had pictured, that she was filled with
dismay and not n little foreboding of
the future. Sufficient. however. I'M
to the day was the evil thereof. she
told herself at last. and tried to make
that assurance work a change of
heart. She was very lonely and de.
pressed and full of a futile wish that
she were a man.
over across the bay some one was
playing an ACCORDION, and to its
strains stoutlunged lumberjack
was roaring out a song. with all his
fellows joining strong in the chorus:
"Oh, the Saginaw Kid was a cook
in a camp. way up on the
Ocon-to-o-o.
And the cook in a camp in them
old days had "A damn hard row
to hoe.i-oh.
Had a damn hard row TO hoe"
There was fine. rollicking air to
IT, The careless note in their voices,
the jovial lit of their song. made
her envious. They at least had their
destiny, limited as II might be. and
cast along rude ways, largely under
their own control.
Her wandering gaze at length
came to rest on a tent top showing
in the brush northward from the
camp. She saw two canoes drawn
up on the beach above the lash of
the waves. two small figures playing
on the gravel. and sundry dogs prowl-
ing alongshore Smoke went eddying
away In the wind. The Siwash camp
where Katy John hailed from, Miss
Benton sllpDosed
She had an impulse TO skirt the
bay and view the Indian camp at
closer range. a notion born of curl
osity. She debated this casually, and
just as she was about to rise. her
movement was arrested by faint
craclile in the woods behind. She
looked away thru the deepening
shadow among the trees and saw
nothing at first. But the sound was
repeated at odd intervals. She sat
still. Thoughts of forest animals
slipped into her mind. without max
ing her afraid. At last she caught
sight Of man striding thru the
timber. soundlessly on the thick
moss, coming almost straight toward
her.