The Adair County news., 1921-02-23

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palm, the thick finger-joints that hint.
ed so Of toll. the nails that had never
been manicured save by M0ira herself
do you remember when I was boy,
MORA, how used to come mp to the
logging camps to hunt and f1shi / al
ways lived with the McTavishes then
And in September, when the buckle
berries were ripe, we used to go out
and pick them together. Poor Moira
Why, we're old pals, and I'll be shot
If I'm going to see you suffer. Listen,
Moira. Pm 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 Cardi-
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,
you had better talk the matter over
with him."
mo, I'd rather not. I'm fond of your
father, Moira. He was a man when
l 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. TIL write him letter. AS
for you, Moira, you're fired, too. I'll
not have you waiting on table in my
logging g-camp-not 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 tallies, and looking after the pay
roll. I'll pay you hundred dollars
a month, Moira. Can you get along
on that?"
Her hard hand closed over his
tightly, but she did not speak.
"All right. Moira. It's a go, then.
There. there, girl, don't cry. We
Cardigans had twenty-five years of
faithful service from Donald McTav-
ish before he commenced slipping :;
after all, we owe him something,
think"
She drew his hand suddenly to her
lips. and kissed It; her hot tears of
joy fell on it, but her heart was too
full for mere words.
"Fiddle-de-dee, Moral Buck up"
he protested, hugely pleased, but en-
barrassed withal. 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 iyou
what I'll do. I'll advance you two
months salary for-well, you'll need
a lot of clothes and things in Sequoia
that you don't need here. And Pm
glad I've managed to settle the Nc
lavish hash without kicking up row
and hurting your feelings. Poor old
Mac! I'm sorry can't bear with him,
but we simply have to have 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
ago? She was sister to him-just an
other one of his problems moth
ing more. Report on the job as soon
as possible. Moira," he called to her
from the gate.
Presently, when Moira lifted her
Madonna glance to the frieze Of tim
Der on the skyline. there was new
glory in her eyes; and 10, it was au-
tumn in the woods. for over that hill
Prince Charming had come to her. and
life was all crimson and gold
When the train loaded with Cardi-
gan logs crawled in on the main track
and stopped at the log-landing in Pen
nington's camp, the locomotive un-
coupled and backed in on the siding
for the purpose Of kicking the caboose,
in which Shirley and Colonel Penning-
ton had ridden to the woods, out onto
the main line again-where, owing to
a slight downhill grade, the caboose
controlled by the brakeman could
coast gently forward and be hooked
onto the end Of the log train for the
return journey to Sequoia.
Throughout the afternoon Shirley,
following the battle royal between
Bryce and the Pennington retainers,
had sat disInally in the caboose. She
, was prey to many conflicting emo
tions; but having had what her sex
term "a good cry" she had to great
extent recovered her customary poise
-and was busily speculating on the
rapidity with which she could leave
Sequoia and forget she had ever met
Bryce Cardigan-when the log train
rumbled into the landing and the last
of the long string Of trucks came to a
stop directly opposite the caboose.
Shirley happened to be looking
through the grimy caboose window at
that moment. On the top log Of the
| load the object Of her unhappy specu-