The Adair County news., 1922-05-23

have woman factor. The cOmDany'S
conservative. And the old stOre1l
taSf out my days and yours, in spite
Of Joe BOstock's folly. That's what
Mr. Bewyer called it when he was
her sor the moose in October. Joe
BosS0ck'n never cross Big Muskeg
And if he could, where'd he get his
freight and passengers?
III ever this country's opened up
Tenn BOwyer will put his own line
thrwugh. He was telling me So
But there's naething here but the
mGgse and caribou and the Indians
MS always been that way; it always
viii be sO.'
He caught her by the sleeve. "Yen
no see Will Carruthers again" he
shauted.
I'm not likely to, unless he comes
this way" she answered in a con-
strained voice dreading the outbreak
OF violence which she knew would fol-
low
Aye, but he'll be here. l ken the
hfc2 and his kind. The sight of
pretty face is meat and drink to him.
ne q De mere, ana me lying helpless
HlSSt tell you | ken the mon. Mr..
BeE-yer was telling me about him. His
ha1Ses by-wOrd among decent folks"
We'll, Mr.. BOwyer's own reputation
tsnr 1he best" she retOrted, nettled
mar she was forced to champion Will
tor You know Mr.. Carruthers has
an Interest in Joe BoStOckS line. OF
eauESe, Tom BOwyer would try to set
you against themw
The factors face grew purple with
rage he chOked for utterance.
se1 the whole scheme weelI" he
ShazzTed. when you went to Winni-
Reg you got In thick with Kitty Bos-
toc&s and never a mail comes in but
there's a letter from her. She and
Toe are going to get you there, to leave
me here alone. Aye, l read that letter
The woman wrote you. telling you that
yGur Ette SVas wasted here. ken what
The warld is; / learned il one night
IN Toronto, years ago. And, mark me,
Fd E2ther see We lying dead at my
feet Than the plaything of a man like
WEI Carruthers !"
That had been the burden of his re-
Rrostches ever since Tom BOwyer's
visit tine autumn before
BsspCyer had poisoned his mind
against WiltOn-MOlly was sure of
thaE- She suspected that BOwyer had
so8z<e hold over her father. She knew
that. years before, he had secured him
his position with the company AS it
haFgganod, the company needed men
for Zraining-SeOtS: for the service
had become tradition in North
Britain since the days of Mckenzie.
AMI Hhe company does not pick its
eragEgyees out of the highways and
agu&yS-
%loiIy had known Tom BOwyer since
childhood, although his visits to
the grading post had occurred not
aftSIIer Knan once in two or three
Seaz,S. She had heard much to his dis
eygsaIt in Winnipeg, and had verified it
WHEN he spent a day or two at the
EssGTtage in October. BOwyer saw big
Esr game in prospect than the moose,
0IBa- as a beginning, resolved TO rid
h{E9sef of a possible rival-WiltOn.
3tGyIy had spoken well of him, and
SsGaysE was keen reader of mind.
EYhen the storm of her fathers rage
mad passed. the girl went down and
stood miSerably in the doorway. His
Insane outbursts We're driving her to
tAHa very course he feared. Only his
Jsness kept her from going away. She
booked out, her mind I'm a turmoil of
ri91aet.
Big Muskeg was at its lOneliest. The
Hstle was driving the snow before ii In
clouds like spray, and the wind hOwled
through the gap in the bluffs. AS the
girl stood there she fancied that she
heard a cry come across the frozen
swamp.
She slipped on the hooded coat
which she had left in the store, and
went slowly toward the portage, lis
Gening intently. The driving wind Lad
swept a portion Of the trOdden road
clear Of the fallen snow. In this, near
fine edge of the muskeg, she saw the
Imprint of a mans snOwshOe coming
from the swamp. Her eyes, trained to
observation, detected instantly that
there had been loose string under
the ball of the foot, which had trailed,
aeaving an eblique blur across the
suppression.
There was the one imprint, and no
more. And, as she looked at it, gust
af wind drove a cloud Of snow over 1t,
sabditerating it. Molly stood up. The
discovery, which seemed of no impor-
aance, passed from her mind. Again
she listened.
Then, with the uncomfortable feel
ing that she was being watched, she
started and peered into the under
brush. A pair Of beady eyes watched
her. They were those OF Jules, the
haIf-witted deaf-mute: For the mo-