Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1920-09-10

4
he would always take a few drinks
with the men around payday. but after
mother died. he began taking his
drinks between pay-days. Then he
TOOK to going down to Sequoia on
saturday nights and coming back on
me mad-train, the maddest of the lot
! suppose he was lonely, too. He
didn't get real bad. however. till
about two years ago"
Wen, we have to get logs TO the
mil, and we can't get them with old
John Rarieycorn for woods-boss.
Mora. So we're going TO change
woods-bosSeS, and the new woods-boss
viii not be d.-ivel of the job, because
I'm going to stay up here couple Of
Weeks and break him in myself But
now do you manage to get money to
elothe yourself? Sinclair tells me
Mac needs every cent sof his two hum
dred and fifty dollars month to enjoy
| himself"
4 used to steal from him. the gi.4
admitted. .sThen / grew ashamed of
that, and for the past six months I'VE
been earning my own living. Mr.. Sin
clair was very kind. He gave. me
| job waiting on table in the camp din
ing room. You see, / had to have
something here. / couldn't leave my
father. He had to have somebody to
take care of him. Don't you see, Mr..
Bryce"
sinclair is fuzzy old fool" Bryce
declared with emphasis. "The idea of
our woods-boss's daughter Singing
hash to lunberjacls. Poor Moirar'
He took one of her hands in his,
noting the callous spots on the plump
palm, the thick inger-ioints that hint
ed so of toll the nails that had never
1 been manicured save by AIoira herself
DO you remember when | was a boy
Mora, how | used to come up to the
logging to hunt and fish? / al
ways lived with the McTavishes then
! And in September, when the buckle.
berries were ripe. we used 10 go out
/ and pick them together. Poor MORA
Why, we're old pals. and I'll be shot
if I'm going TO see you suffer. Listen,
MORA. I'm going to fire your father,
| as I've said, because he's working for
| old j. b. now, not the Cardigan Red.
wood Lumber company. | really ought
! to pension him after his long years in
the Cardigan service. but I'll be
! hanged If we can afford pensions any
more-particularly TO keep a man in
| booze; so the best our old wOods-bosS
| gets from me is this shanty, or another
| like it when we move to new cuttings.
| and a perpetual meal-ticket for our
camp dining room while the Cartli-
gans remain in business. I'd finance
him for a trip to some state institu-
| ton where they sometimes reclaim
such wreckage, If I didn't think he's
too old dog to be taught new tricks"
"Perhaps," she suggested sadly
eyou had better talk the matter over
with him."
| ssNo, I'd rather not. I'm fond Of your
| father, Mora. He was a man when
| saw him last-such a man as these
woods will never see again--and !
| don't want to see him again until he's
cold sober I'll write him letter. As
for you, Mora, you're fired. too. I'll
not have you waiting on table in my
| ogging-camp-no by jugful You're
| TO come down TO Sequoia and go to
work in our office. We can use you on
| the books, helping Sinclair, and re-
lieve him Of the task of billing, check
ing taIlies, and looking after the pay
roll. I'll pay you a hundred dollars
month, SIoira. Can you get along
on that?"
Fer hard hand CLOSED over his
| tightly, but she did not speak.
"Au right. MORA. It's a go, then.
There. there, girl, don't cry. We
! Car,ligans haG twenty-five years of
faithful service from Donald McTav-
ish before he commenced slipping;
after all, we owe Him something,
! think"
I She drew his hand suddenly TO her
lips and kissed it; her hot tears of
| ioy fen on 1t, but her heart was too
1 full for mere words.
"Fiddle-de-dee, Moral Buck up"
no protested. hugely pleased, but en-
harrassed uithal. 1.-THE way you take
this. one would think you had expect
ed me to go back on an old pal and
had been pleasantly surprised when |
didn't Cheer up. Moiral I'll tell you
what I'm do. I'll advance you two
months salary for-weII, you'll need
| lot Of clothes and things In Sequoia
that Won don't need here. And In
glad I've managed to settle the NC
lavish hash without kicking up row
and hurting your feelings. Poor oio
Mac! In, sorry / can't bear with him.
but we simply have to hGee the logs
you know"
He rose. stopped. and pinched her
ear. for had he not known her since
childhood. and had they not gathered
huckleberries together in the long
agoa She was sister to him-just an
other one Of his problems-and n'in-
tho ,nor,. "Report on the Job as soon
as noss,hle. MORA" he called to her