Middletown transcript., 1922-07-15

tia'el aloHe. your men may be faith
tul enough, but 1t Is my right to go
ana you'll never get to the meeting
without some one to take care of yol
on the way. That's my condition
Promise me-or else I'll lock the store
door, VIII, and I've got a paddock thai
even you couldn't force"
Molly seemed to be animated by 9
resolution as feverish as his own
Jules Halfhead had not fulfilled his
intention of absenting himself, prob
ably on account Of the storm, which
had made the security of the store
seem preferable to life in the forests
lie was faithful to the factor, and
mad never deserted him in need He
could take care of him during the four
or hve days of her absence.
Wilton was forced to yield.
But you must make sure that Jules
VIII stay" he said.
Hell understand. He'll stay" an.
swered the girl. Hes never run
away when l was gone to Moose
Lake or Winnipeg"
Molly went up to the factors room
with the faint hope Of reaching some
understanding-of plumbing her ia
Tiers feeling against Wilton and over
coming it.
"Mr. Carruthers is getting ready to
co. she said. HE is very i'll. He is
too weak to travel alone, but he must
take Joe Bostock's body back to Clay
ton"
"Oh, aye!" said the factor, sneering.
He needs care and attention during
the journey. So l am going with him."
The factor sat up in bed, transfixing
her with a look of fury. "You, lass
you will so with Wilton Carruthers to
ClaytOn" he cried. "Ye Wilma come
hame, then Mark me, now, I've done
with you for aye! Molly, lass We Wilma
go" he pleaded, with a sudden change
OF tone. Think of your good name in
Clayton! l havena reared ye to have
ye desert me in my old age and sick
ness, Molly"
She turned quickly away to keep
her tears from falling. Jules can
take care of you for few days, fa-
ther," she said. ITS not as If you
We're helpless. And his life Is a.
stake"
"And mebbe he'll die If you don't
stay with him when ye get to Clayton,
eh, lass?" rasped out the factC. in
withering scorn.
That scorn nerved her; to his weak
ness she had almost yielded. She went
down and dressed herself for the Jour-
ney. She helped Wilton on with
macklnaw, and put caribou robe In
the sleigh. Then, while Il men were
harnessing the dogs, struck by q sud
den thought, she stopped and began
to examine the tracks of the snow
shoes about the edge of the portage.
They ran confusedly in all directions,
for the marks had been made by seven
different pairs-those of Bowyer and
Chambers and their Indian; those of
Wilton and his two half-breeds; those
of the deaf-mute.
OF these Witon's were blurred and
almost indistinguishablc made by his
dragging feet as she pulled him up
from the swamp. But even had the
vague purpose in Molly's mind been
clear to her, there would have been
no need to examine those. The rest
were all similar in one respect-none
had a broken string.
Wilton and Molly had arranged that
he was to travel in the sleigh, to which
q second had been attached, bearing
Joe's body in roughly made coffin
constructed by the men. The dogs
were harnessed, and they started.
1t was little more than fifty miles
to Clayton. Travelling along the
cleared road, the distance could be
covered easily in two days. The
dogs ran well, the weather was
clear and fine, and Wilton felt well
enough to walk a good deal Their
dinner was almost like a picnic. BY
evening the railhead had come into
sight in the distance, the empty camp,
the long sheds with the miscellany of
supplies, the locomotive shops and the
great ballast pits beside the line.
AS the dogs climbed the last hill
there came yelping from the cleared
way behind them. Looking back, they
perceived sled approaching. Two
men walked beside it, and the dogs,
Wilton's, yelped in challenge,
which was taken up in an outburst of
answering growls.
The sled drew in toward them. and
al i,,to
sergeant and a constable of the mount
ed police. Wilton had stopped his
dogs, but the newcomers did not halt,
and went on, with curt greetings,
toward the cache.
A little surprised at their abruptness,
Wilton let the sled precede his sleigh.
AS the dogs we're eager for their meal,
he sent Papillon ahead with them, and
followed more leisurely with Molly.
They arrived at the cache q few min
utes after the half-breeds, to find the
two policemen waiting for them, while
the two men were embarrassing the
dogs. Andersen, the old Swedish care
taker, was standing beside Joes coffin
with stunned look on his face. The
policemen were not of prepossessing
appearance. The elder man, the SER
geant, was about forty years of age.
He had fair hair, dropping mustache,
n slight cast in one eye, and an ex-
preston of sullen insolence. His COM
panion, a short, stocky young fellow,
looked hardly less surly and evidently
i'll at ease.
"Evening, Mr.. Carruthers," said the
sergeant bruskly. I'm sergeant Pc
ters, and this is Constable Myers.
That's Joe Bostock's body you're bring
ing in, guess"