The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1924-10-03
By JACKSON GREGORY
Copyright by Charlie. soribner's Sons

brandy from which Trevors drank
deep.
And then came Judith.
] They stared at her as they might
, have done had the heavens opened
: and an angel come down, or the earth
split and devil sprung up. She looked
in upon them with quick; keen eyes
which sought to take every mans
measure. They returned her regard
with variety of amazed expressions
Never since these men had come to
work for Bayne Trevors had a woman
so much as ridden by the door. And
to have her stand there, composed
utterly at her ease, her air vaguely
authoritative, vitality vivid being
who might, suddenly, have taken
tangible form from the dawn, bewil-
dered them.
II am Judith Sanford" she said in
her abrupt fashion, quite as she had
made the announcement to Lee and
Trevors. This outfit belongs to me.
have fired Trevors. You take your
orders straight from me from now on.
Cookie, give me some coffee"
She came in without ceremony and
sat down at the head of the table. Benny
hastily brought the coffee. From some
emotion certainly not clear to him he
went a violent red. Perha; the emo
ton was just sheer embarrassment.
He brought hot cakes with one hand
while with the other he buttoned his
gaping shirt-collar over bullying,
hairy chest.
Men who had finished their break
fasts rose hastily with "a marked awk-
wardness and ill-concealed haste and
went outside, whence their low voices
came back in a confused consultation.
Men who had not finished followed
them. In an amazingly short time
there were but the girl, Lee, Trevors
and the cook in the room. Bud Lee,
moving with his usual leisureliEess,
was following when Judith's cool
voice said quietly:
you, Lee, wait moment. I want
to talk with you"
Lee hesitated. Then he came back
WdIlSu
The men outside naturally grouped
about the general manager. His angry
voice, lifted clearly, reached the two
in the room.
"Im fred" said Trevors harshly.
GAS soon as can get going am Ieav-
ing for the Western Lumber camp.
Every one of you boys holds his job
here because / gave 1t to him. Do
you want to hold it now, with a fool
girl telling you what to do? Do you
want men up and down the state to
laugh at you and jeer at you for a
pack Of softies and imbeciles? Or do
you want to roll your blankets and
quit? To every man that jumps the
job here and follows me today I prom
Use a job with the Western. You fell
lows know the sort of boss I've been
to YOU You can guess the sort of
boss that chicken in there would be.
Now I'm going. It's up to you. Stick
to white man or fuss around for a
woman?'
He had said what he had to say
and, cursing when his shoulder struck
a form near him, made his way down
to the stables. Burkitt was ahead
of him, going for the team.
"Well, Lee" said Judith sharply,
"where do you get off? Do you want
to stick? Or shall count you out?"
81 guess" said Bud very gently,
you'd better count me out"
you're going with that crool1?"
mo. I'm going on my own"
why? You're getting good money
here. If you're square I'll keep you
at the same figure"
But Bud shook his head.
'Tm game to play square," he said
slowly. "I'll stick week, giving you
chance to get a man in my place.
That's ALL"
whats the matter with your she
cried hotly. "Why won't you stay
with your job? Is it because you don't
want to take orders from me?"
Then Lee lifted his grave eyes to
hers and answered simply: THAT'S
it. I'm not saying you're not all right
But I got it figured out, there's just
two kinds of ladies. If you want to
know, 1 don't see that you've got any
call to tie into a mans job"
"Oh, scat !" cried the girl angrily
"You men make me tired. Two kinds
of ladies. And ten thousand kinds OF
men. You want me to dress like 6
doll, 1 suppose, and keep my hands
soft and white and go around like 6
brainless, simpering fool! There are
1.-TWO kinds of ladies, my fine friend
the kind that can and the kind tina
tcan't! Thank God I'm none of you
precious, signing, dollhouse little
fools!''
Gulping down a last mouthful Of
coffee, she was on her feet and passed
swiftly out among the men.
"You men," she cried, and the.
turned sober eyes upon her, ''listen t.
me! You've heard that big stiff rant
now hear mel I'm here because be
long here. My dad was Luke Sanford
and he made this ranch. / was raised
here. It's two-thirds mine right now
Trevors there is crook and told hin
so. He's been trying to sell me out
to make such failure of the outfi
{ that I'd have to let 1t go for comic
) song. He got gay and fired him
He tried TO manhandle me and
= plugged him. And now Pm going t.