The Dolores star., 1921-01-14

trucks now. and on the first of each
month. when l present my pay roll,
the bank will advance me the money
to meet it"
Bruce. am amazed"
81 am not-slnce you tell me Colo
mel Pennington controls that bank.
That the bank should accommodate
us is the most natural procedure I'M
aginable. Pennington Is only playing
safe-which is why the bank declined
to give me the money in lump sum.
II we run a night shift, Pennington
knows that we can't dispose OF our
excess output under present market
conditions. It's safe bet our lum-
ber Is going to pile up on the mill
dock hence. when the smash comes
and the Sequoia Bank OF Commerce
calls our loan and we cannot possibly
meet it. the lumber on hand will prove
security for the loan, will 1t not7 In
fact, II will be worth two or three dol
lars per thousand more then than It
is now, because 1t will be air-dried."
But what idea have you got back
of such a procedure, Bryce"
Merely forlorn hope. dad. Some
thing might turn up. The market may
take a sudden squirt and go up three
or four dollars. And whether the mar
ket goes up or comes down, 1t costs US
nothing to make the experiment.
Quite true" his father agreed.
"Then, II you'll come down to the
office tomorrow morning. dad. well
hold a meeting of our board of direc-
tors and authorize me as president Of
the company to sign the note to the
bank. We're borrowing this without
collateral. you know"
John Cardigan entered no further
objection. md the following day the
agreement was entered into with the
bank. Bryce closed by wire for the
extra logging equipment and imme-
diately set about rounding up crew
for the woods and for the night shift
In the mill.
For month Bryce was az busy as
the proverbial one-armed paper-hanger
with the Itch and during all that time
he did not see Shirley Sumner or hear
OF her. directly or indirectly.
MORA McTavsh. In the meantime.
had come down from the woods and
entered upon her duties in the mill Of
fee. The change from her dull. drab
life. giving her. us 1t did. an opportun-
ity for companionship with people Of
greater mentality and refinement than
she had been used to. quickly brought
oh fron In h., rirl'
nature. With the passing OF the
coarse shoes and calico dresses and
the substitution OF the kind of cloth
ing all women Of Moira's instructive
refinement and natural beauty long
for. the girl became cheerful, animat-
ed. and imbued with the optimism Of
her years.
Moira worked In the general Office.
and except upon occasions when
Bryce desired to look at the books or
Moira brought some document into the
private Office for his perusal. there
were days during which his pleasant
Good morning. Moira." constituted
the extent OF their conversation.
Bryce had been absent In San Fran
cisco for ten days. He had planned to
stay three weeks. but finding his bust.
ness consulnmated In less time, he re-
turned to SeQuoia Unexpectedly. Moira
was standing at the tall bookkeeping
desk. her beautiful dark head bent
over the ledger. when he entered the
office and set his suitcase In the
corner.
"Is that you. Mr.. Bryce?" she
queried.
"The Identical Individual, Molra.
How did you guess 1t was I?'
She looked up at him then. and her
wonderful dark eyes lighted with a
flame Bryce had not seen in them
heretofore. 81 knew you were com
ing" she replied simply.
You had hunch. Moira. Do you
get those telepathic messages very
oftent" He was crossing the office
to shake her hand.
I've never noticed particularly
that Is, until l came to work here. But
l always know when you are return
Ing after considerable absence"
She gave him her hand. I'm so glad
you're back"
"Why?" he demanded bIuntly.
She flushed. IL really don't
know. Mr.. Bryce"
well. then" he persisted. what do
you think makes you giad?"
Il had been thinking how nice II
would be to have you back, Mr.. Bryce.
When you enter the office. It's like n
breeze rustllng the tops of the red
woods. And your father misses Won
so; he talks to me great deal about
you Why Of course, we miss you:
anybody would"
AS he held her hand, he glanced
down at 1t and noted how greatly II
had changed during the past few
months. From her hand his glance
roved over the girl. noting the i'm
provements In her dress. and tho ,voy