The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-06-26
Hytl. LOUIS RAYsoLo:
Copyright, 1920, by the Mcclure

tightly the two hands she helo out 70
him. MacFirth cursed inwardly.
JEANNE crying over that worthless
scamp Ola Brandon!
@Jeannle, I've come to say goodbye.
The CHIEF"
Il know" interrupted the, girl.
You're out after Jim Brandon, and ]
know what you have been told. |
know the chief. He always says,
Get him, dead or alive Oh, Alan, for
my sake" she lifted beseeching
eyes. '.For my sake, Alan, bring him
back alive!"
So the rumor Of the post was true.
! Jean cared. MacFlrth swallowed
lard. Does It mean as much 10 you
y as all that?" he asked gently.
1T means-more than you know,
she returned so sincerely and earn.
estly that Alan choked back the
words Of love struggling for utter
ance. =,
ssIIl do my best, JEAN" he said
simply, and presently after a phrase
Of conventional farewell set out on
bis long and lonely mission. i
Had he known that, despite his Ell.
forts at concealment, the girl had
read In his eyes his love for her, he
might have found In the fact a trifle
Of consolation. He had heard the
words she murmured when he had
left her standing, wistful, on the
threshold, Heaven send that Margot
Is rightg he would have had cause
for wondering.
Many weeks later, in an odorous
igloo not very far from the frozen
,farctic rim, MacFirth found Brandon,
recognizable In spite OF his Eskimo
clothes, his growth Of beard and the
\ rayages Of sickness. And Brandon.
who mad seen from the opening OF the
siigl0o the plodding train OF sledge
a0gs, knew that his day Of reckoning
had come.
For in that vast country, with its
frozen wastes and Snow.bound hori.
zon, white mon respect two things
!, famine and the Northwest Mounted
Police.
IN the monotonous days which fol.
lowed temptation lay heavy on Mac
Firth to let Brandon die. In the lone.
~ nights In camp on the way to the
Init he fought Zen thousand little
Zsfils which urged him on to mega.
z tive course OF action-merely not to
fight the fever, not TO give the med!.
cine, not To prepare the nourishins
broth.
But he did not yield. The chic:
might be satisfied with Brandon dead
Jean would not.
Z Meanwhile, at the post, JEANNE
pondefed the whereabouts Of the
Two men. one Of whom she knew
l0Sed her. She worried also concern.
INF her father. John Bruce was los.
ingS furs for the company. For sew.
eral seasons the value Of the pelts
had been decreasing. Yet the indie
pendent traders were doing better
Than ever. Some one had been way.
n,ayirg the Indians on their return
rom their winters trapping and Brio
~ them to turn over the most val,
ale Sshns. For his thievery-and
was little else-her father would
q held responsible.
Came mild day when JEANNE
&ced up her walking boots and took
Z her troubles into the open air. After
. lengthy tramp she decided, like 3
stfie daughter OF the wilderness, on a
short cut home, and thereby made
her discovery.
While forcing her way through On
almost impenetrable growth Of under.
brush bordering . muskeg swamp, she
stumbled over s, plank. Surprised,
she stopped to investigate, and found
that the plank was part Of flooring
which concealed a dugout OF some
sort.
Curiously, she pried at board IN.
81 It loosened, and kneeling, she gazed
into the gloomy depths within. A
cache OF turs! Evidently cured and
hastily hidden away. Wait! Some.
thing glinted in tho corner. She thrust
in her hand and brought out u partly
furnished watch fob, evidently dropped
sA{ the wearer stopped over his buried
loot Now who had she seen wearing
that fob?
It was late when Jeanpie returned
home. Tired and perplexed she do
not notice the subtle air Of excite
naent which lowered about the Post
but went straight to the office Of the
chief 10 make known her discovery.
Unawares, she opened the door,
then gave a little cry. There STOOD
MacFlrth and, quite unlike his former
iauntyl self, Jim Brandon. Jean leaned
weakly against the door as all eyes
foct,ged upon her. Then, Strengthened
sud eenly, she held out her hand with
th1 lob.
y! see what ! have kept OF yours"
Ashe cried ambiguously, her eyes dart
Ing rom one man to the other
Macs1rth's eyes held only a deSper.
ate year.liug. But, "Mine!!" said Bran.
a don, win an attempt TO rsGdpti.::a his
former debOnair manner. 4.,ad he
cTinged suddenly, for sean tataed
upon him, her eyes blazing.
Then II was you who have been
Cu9AtAu6 MY koLuSls 1Ou WIKI GIAJSA
Msfgots half.wit husband 70 seal
and hand over to you all the black
and silver fox pelts! You who hid
them away-the furs the Indians owed
my father for supplies already charg.
ed against them at the company
store! Margot is afraid OF her hus-
band, but the very day Alan wen; att
OF you, she came to me and said,
Brandon know all about skins!'
That was why prayed that you might
come back Then today, quite by acct.
dent, I found your cache-and this"
She threw the fob at his feet and
: slipped out Of the door.
Over Brandon's sullen head, the
chisf gave Alan the permission bis
Dyes were mutely begging.
= cure excused, MacEirth." he said
bfis1y.
"a the darkness Alan oyertocl
nniA With the al Of one who viii
IN