The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-07-15

And so. when she Numbered upon
knowledge OF q state OF affairs which
must have existed under her very
nose for some time. there were few
remnants of sisterly affection to bid
her seek extenuating circumstances.
Katy John proved the final straw.
Just by what means Stella grew to
suspect any such moral lapse on Ben.
tons part Is wholly irrelevant once
the unpleasant likelihood came to her
notice. she took measures to verify
her suspicion. and when convinced
she taxed her brother with IL. TO his
utter confusion.
What kind OF a man are your
she cried at last. in shamed anger.
lis there nothing too low for you TO
dabble in7 Haven't you any respect
for anything or anybody, yourself In.
cluded?''
"oh. don't talk like damned
Puritan" Benton growled. tho his
tanned face was burning. This is
what comes OF having women around
the camp. I'll send the girl away"
''You--you BEAST she fiared--and
ran out OF the kitchen TO seek refuge
In her own room and cry into her
pillow Some OF the dumb protest that
surged up within her. For her
knowledge OF passion and the work
ings of passion as they bore upon the
relations OF u man and a woman we're
at once vague and unctured with in
flexible tenets OF morality. the steel
hard conception OF virtue which is
the bulwark OF middle-class theory
for its wives and daughters and sis
ters-with an eye consistently blind
TO the concealed iapses OF Its men.
Stella Benton passed that morning
thru successive stages Of shocked
amazement. OF pity. and disgust. As
between her brother and the Siwash
girl. she saw little TO choose. From
her virtuous pinnacle she sbhorred
both. II she had TO continue in.
innate living with them. she felt that
she would be utterly defiled. degrad-
ed to their level. That was her first
definite conclusion.
After a time she heard Benton
come into their living room and light
fire In the heater. She dried her
eyes and went out 10 face him.
Charlie" she declared desperately.
Il can't stay here any longer. It's
simply impossible"
Don't start that song again.
We've had II often enough" he an
swered stubbornly. You're not go
ing-not Till spring. I'm not going
TO let you go in the frame OF mind
you're in right now. anyhow. You'll
get over that. Hang IL. I'm not the
first man whose foot slipped. II
isn't your funeral. anyway. Forget
IT,"
The grumbling coarseness OF this
retort left her speechless. Benton
got the fire going and went out. She
saw him cross to the kitchen, and
later she 0w Katy John leave the
camp with all her belongings in a
bundle over her shoulder. trudging
away to the camp of her people
around the point
kipiing's pregnant line shot across
her mind:
For the colonel's lady and Judy
O'Crady are sisters under their
skins"
Il wonder she unused II won
der IL we are? wonder IL that poor.
little brown.skinned fool isn't after
all as much a victim as l am. She
doesn't know better. maybe; but
Charlie does. and ne doesn't seem TO
care. II merely embarrasscs him to
be found out. that's all. II isn't
right. II isn't fair. or decent. or any.
thing. We're just for him Toto
use.''
She looked out along the shores
piled high with broken ice and SNOW.
thru q misty air to distant mountains
that lifted themselves imperiously
aloof. white spires against the sky
over a forest all draped in winter
robes. shore. mountains. and forest
alike were chill and hushed and DESC
late. The lake spread its forty-odd
miles in a boomerang curve from
Roaring Springs to Fort Douglas. a
cold, ifeless gray. She sat . long
time looking at that. and . dead
weight seemed to settle upon her
heart For the second time that day
she broke down. Not the shamed.
indignant weeping an hour earlier.
but with the essence Of all things for
iorn and dcsolate in her choked sobs.
She did not hear Jack F'yfe come
in. She did not dream he was there.
until she felt his hand gently on her
shoulder and looked up. And so deep
was her dependency. so keen the
unassuaged craving for some human
sympathy. some measure of under.
standing, that she made no effort 10
remove his hard. She was in too
deep a spiritual quagmire to refuse
any sort of aid. too deeply moved TO
indulge In analytical selffathoming.
She had "A dim sense of being oddly
comforted by his presence. as II she,
afloat on uncharted seas. saw sud.
denly near at hand safe anchorage
and welcoming hands. Afterward she
recalled that. AS IL was, she looked
up at Fyfe and hid her wet face in
her hands again. He stood silent a
few seconds. When he did speak
there was peculiar hesitation in his
voice.
what is it?" he said softly.
whats the trouble now?"
Briefly she told him, the barriers
OF her habitual reserve swept aside
before the essentially human need 10
share a burden that has grown too
great to bear alone.
ooh, hell" F'yfe grunted, when
she had finished. This isn't any
place for you at ALL"
He slid his arm across her shout
ders and tilted her face with his
other hand so that her eyes met his.
And she felt no desire 10 draw away
or any OF that old instinct to be on
her guard against him. For all she
knew--indeed. by all she had been