Cleveland County herald., 1920-07-08

from IIc ulSdSleI iiC idO pfAAHeS0 - his minds eye ever since the knowi edge had come to him that he was doomed to battle to knockout Wlth Colonel Pennington, and that one ol the earliest fruits of hostilities would doubtless be the loss of Shirley sum- ners prized friendship. Well. he had lost her friendship, but still smah voice whispered to him that the loss was not eparable-whereat De swung his axe as a bandmaster swings his baton; be was glad that he had started the war and was now free to fight it out unhampered.
 Up hill and down dale he went Within two hours his long, tiretess stride brought him out into clearing in the valley where his own logging camp stood. He went directly to the loe-landing. where in a listless and Lalf-hearted manner the loading crew were piling logs on Penningtons log ging trucks.
 Bryce looked at his watch. It was two o'clock; at two fifteen Penning- IOIl S IOCOlDOllNt NOulN SiDpCtA' NC D'N~'~ in and couple to the long line or trucks. And the train was only half loaded.
 "Where's McTavish?" Bryce de- manded of the donkey-driver.
 The man mouthed his quid, spat copiously wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and pointed. "UP at his shanty," he made answer and grinned at Bryce knowingly.
 Up through the camps single short street, flanked on each side with the woodsmens shanties, Bryce went. At the most pretentious shanty on the street Bryce turned in. He had never seen it before but he knew it to be the woOds-boss'S home, for unlike it's neighborS the house was painted with the coarse red paint that is used ca box-carS, while a fence, made of fancy pointed pickets painted white, inclosed tiny garden in front of the house. AS Bryce came through the gate, young girl rose from where she knelt in a bed of freshly transplanted panses.
 Bryce lifted his hat. 'Is MT. Me Tavish at hSme?' he asked
 She nodded. "He cannot see any body" she hastened to add Hes sick"
 T think hell see me. And I wonds, if you're Moira McTavish.''
 "Yes, Pm Moira,"
 I'm Bryce Cardigan"
 A look of fright crept into the girls eyes. Are you-Bryce Cardigan7" she faltered, and looked at him more closely. "Yes, you're Mir. Bryce. You've changed-but then it's six years since we saw you last, MT. Bryce"
 He came toward her with outstretch- ed hand And you were little girl when l saw you last. Now-you're woman" She grasped his hand with the frank heartiness of man.
 I'm twenty years old,' she informed him.
 Stand right where you are until have looked at you" he commanded, and backed off a few feet, the better to contemplate her.
 He saw girl slightly above medium height, tanned, robust. simply gowned in a gingham dress. Her hands were soiled from her recent labors in the pansy-bed and her shoes were heavy and coarse yet neither hands nor feet were large or ungraceful. Her head was well formed; her hair, jet black and of unusual lustre and abundance was parted in the middle and held in an old-fashioned coil at the nape of a neck the beauty of which was re- vealed by the low cut of her simple frock. Her nose was patrician, her face oval her lips, full and red, were slightly parted in the adorable Cupid's bow which is the inevitable heritage of a short upTer lip; her teeth were white as Parian marble; and her full breast was rising and falling swiftly, as if she labored under suppressed ex- citement
 So delightful a picture did Moira McTavish make that Bryce forgot all his troubles in her sweet presence 'By the gods, Moira," he declared earnestly. you're a peach When I saw you last, you were awkward and leggy, like a colt. I'm sure you weren't a bit good looking. And now you're the most ravishing young lady in sev enteen counties. By jingo, Moira you're sumner and no mistake. Are you married?"
 She shook her head, blushing pleas urably at his unpublished but sincere compliments.
 What? Not married. Why, wha the deuce can be the matter with the eligible young fellows he%eabouts?"
 There aren't any eligible young fe- lows hereabouts, Mir. Bryce. And I've lived in these woods all my life"
 Are you lonely, Moira?' She nodded.
 Poor Moira '" he murmured ab- Sently.