Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1933-04-05
"Tm fired, then?"
"Right now 1"

sand out of Kampfes:. tool"
STEADY. neighbor Johns rage
was passing he was noting the anx
iety in the others tone now, as of
one who presses rashly into a vel
come opening. Little too far. that
I'm staying in town, Gorbel. Things
have been quiet In Shoestring since
| came here. That was my princi-
pal reason In coming. I'll be
in Kampfest, watching my step. II
you try me again In person,
please"
He went out without another
word, closing the door firmly. and
Paul Gorbel. standing there. eyes
on the door. let a hand lift slowly
to his chin. fingers fumbllng with
the flesh there.
He stood so for a long interval
Then swiftly. a bit unsteadily, he
crossed the room and locked the
door.
Fear was riding the man now,
fear and desperation. Not fear of
the possibility that John Belknap
might be able to prove a case
against him through either Baxter
or DeForest.
Another fear gnawed at him, had
been grinding him for days, and
something about John Belknap's at
titude made him feel that the lad
was not thinking wholly of his own
safety. He had had the manner Of
one who knows more than he tells
of one who is waiting, with all con
idence, for q tremendous mo
ment.
For years Paul Gorbel's con.
science had not troubled him: he
had taken what he could take, by
fair means or foul, escaping detec.
ton but plling up In his own heart
a cumulative burden of fear. He
had not admitted that fear even to
himself until lately, and then. like
a fostering wound, IT had com
menced to swell and throb. II would
not let him keep his mind on
his affairs during daylight 1t would
not let him sleep.
Other nights he had thought that
pounding in his ears was the heavy
beating of his heart; last night 1t
had been like the fall of collective
feet . thudding In awkward
measure as men marched In lock
step; Last night and
young Belknap knew more than be
had said.
He halted In mid-room and looked
about like n trapped. Then he
went TO his desk, opened a locked
drawer. and slipped the pistol that
lay there into his pocket. After a
time he unlocked the door and went
through the motions of functioning
rs a managing partner.
o Q o . o
And over in Shoestring Ellen
Richards was going through the
motions Of performing her daily
tasks.
Evidence Of strain was heavy
upon her, a different sort Of strain
than that which had racked her
when the man she now knew to be
John Belknap came to her employ.
Matters had eased In the woods /;
the Belknap & Gorbel operation on
her railroad had slowed down on
log production; her transportation
facilities had been able to take
care of both jobs handily a reserve
Of logs was growing In her yard
the dark clouds which had lowered
owe her business affairs were
seeming to lift.
But things had happened to her
which robbed this turn Of events
Of any Joy; things which Weakened
her from sound sleep with heart
racing, with a feeling Of having
called out In her dreams appealing.
ly to the nan who had come into
her life and gone out of 1t again,
leaving the job In order but life In
chaos.
During waking hours she knew
that she thought of John Belknap
only with contempt, but at night
as she slept, he came to her In
dreams. laughter mingling with the
determination In his eyes, and she
lived again those moments In the
office at camp when she yielded Inn
p%ulsively to his arms, when she
raised her face hungrily for bis
lips.
Sweet, the dreams wereI But she
shuddered on Weakening. To sur.
render her heart to a mar who had
deceived her, who had sworn al
legiance only TO undermine her
worldly possessions, was unthInk.
able. And yet that heart remained
untractable. Her mind persuaded
argued, badgered, even stormed, In
certain moments, but when the
mind dropped into deep rest that
heart went Its forbidden way.
Yesterday the woman who kept
her house had declared her III.
This morning the old bookkeeper
had eyed her over the rims of bis
spectacles and said one word
peaked"
"Ellen, you're comm down with
so%methingP" he declared. "Sakes
but you do look peakedt You bet
ter 60 home an rest"