The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-01-16
Confined Erem rarr @


10 bring her lost lover back 20 her
the fact that he was no longer this
man she had known could be only
a sueterfuge 10 quiet his own con
science. Besides. the last sentence
uta,t tho man had spoken had been
slngulariy portentous. For the in
slant he had fallen into hts own ma.
tive speech. and the fact offered tire.
mendous possibilities Could II bs
that the old days were not entirely
forgotten. that some OF thc virtues
that Virginia had loved In him still
dwelt IN his degenerate hulk. ready
10 be wakcned Again. lie had heard
Of men being redeemed. And all AT
once he knew his course.
SO intent was he upon his thoughts
that he scarcely heard the sound of
| stepx In the snow outside the cabin
door. and then the noise Of some one
on the threshold in the act OF re.
moving snowshoe-.
The task that confronted him row
was that. no more and no less. 20
which he had ccnsecratcd his lifc--to
bring happiness 60 the girl he loved.
Thsrc was work to DO with this man.
hut even yet he might be redeemed
4lsh Biil's odd hts manhood might re.
turn 20 him. Hts own love for the
girl tore at His heart. the image OF
his life stretched lonely and drear
before him. yet he could not turn
aside.
Il didn't come TO see you about
tapping. I came-about Virginia
fremont
Hts eyes were on Harcid's face.
and he saw the man start. lie bad
not forgotten the name. Just for an
instant his face was stark pale and
devoid OF expression. Virginia. he
cried. My God. what do you know
about herr
But he didn't walt the answer. All
az once he looked. with an annoy
ance and anxiety that az first Bill
could not understand. toward the
door OF the cabin. The door knob
slightly turned.
rili wheeled with \ sense OF vast
and impending drama. Harold sworc.
a single brutal oath. then laughed
nervously. An Indian sauaw--for
an her Nth and untidiness a fair
representative % her breed--pushed
thru the door and came stolidiy in
side she walked 20 IN. back % the
cabin and began upon some honse-
hold task
Rifi's face was stern as the gray
cliffs Of the seIkirk~ when he turned
again TO Harold. -Is that your wom-
an he asked simply.
Harold did not reply. He had not
s<lkfed this man. emis~ary from his
ose acqualntances Of his native city.
10 know about ssndy. lie retained
that much pride. AZ least Hut the
answer 10 Bins question was too
s-lsevfdcnt for him TO attempt de-
nLai. lie nodded. Struggling his shoul-
dars
BIN waited an instant: and his
voice when he spoke again was singu.
larry low and fiat did you marry
herr
Harold shrugged again. -One
doesn't marry--sqssws." he replied.
Once more the silence was poier-
10 find Harold LounShury. n gentle
man. Bill went on In the same
strange. fiat voice. 'and I find--a
squaw man.
Bin realized at once that this new
development did not Ia the least az.
feet his own duty. His job had been
to find Harold and return him TO
yirgirla's arms. II was not for him
to settle the girls destiny. For all
he had spent his days in the great
sollfudes OF nature he knew enough
OF life 70 know that women do not
give their love 10 angels. Rather
they love their men ss much for
their weaknesses as for their virtues.
Thls smirch In Haroid's life was a
vkstion for the two 10 settle be-
psn them.
IL did. however, complicate the
work of regeneration. Bill had known
equaw men before. and few OF them
had ever regenerated. Usually they
were men that could not stand the
t9Tt OF existence by their own toll:
either from failure or weakness they
took this sordid line OF least resist
ance. From thence on they did not
struggle down the trap line in the
bitter winter days They lay com
fortably In their cabins and their
sauaws tended to such small matters.
II vas true that the squaws wore out
quickly: sometimes they needed beat.
ing, and at about forty they with
cred and died, or else ~the blizzard
caught them unprotected in the for
est--and then IL became necessary TO
~
ance. but not a tragedy. One was
usually az faithful and as industrious
an another.
II was perfectly evident that sindy
had been at work setting out traps
Riu stared at the woman. and for
the moment he did not see the little
sparks growing to a flame in Har.
6ld's eyes.
! "what did you say he asked.
sncnacing. He had caught a word
at has come 10 be an epithet in
mnS>North.
But by taking II up Harold made
q severe strategical error. Bill had
never hcsitated. by light OF an an
Gent idiom. 10 call a spade n spade.
Also he always had good reasons
before he took back his words. II
sald." he repeated clearly, that I'd
found--a squaw man"
+ Haroldis muscles set but imrnedi.
ateiy relaxed again. He shrugged
once. "And is II anybody's business
but my own" he asked.
at hadn't ought to be, but II Is"
was the answer. TITS my business.
1 nd somebody else's too" lie turned
e. the woman. Listen, Sindy. and
tive me a polite answer. You're Joe
S,oblnson's sister. aren't YOU"
The Indian looked up. nodded, then
,ent back 70 her work.
"Then you left Buckshot Dan--to
me here and live with this white
fsn?"
Harold turned 70 her with a snari.
ont answer him. slndy. It's none
4 fit.ta btfafnees" Then his amoifer.