Evening star., 1934-09-16


sembte disheveled and dlst-streaked,
stalked arrogantly into the grassy clear
ing.
~ RY fire weather in the big timber had
shut down the Luster Mountain log
ging camp. There would be no more
work in the woods until the wind
shifted to the west and lifted
humidity in from Puget Sound. Bob
Clarity, timber -faller, drifted his open fiivver
down the steep mountain road, heading for
the relaxation of a week end in Seattle.
A mile down from the camp the logger saw
dust ballooning up beyond sharp curve in the
road He braked down and jerked the wheel,
the rugged little lurching to the outside
edge Of the grade. big blue roadster loomed
around the bend, plunged at him, skdded past.
The logger had one clear glimpse of girl at the
wheel, red-headed girl whose face was white
and set with pain. The big blue car roared
on. Dust boiled up in the hot wind
For moment Garrity's black eyes blazed
and his hatless coaly hair bristled with wrath.
Then curiosity cooled him down.
The road led to the camp and the ranger
station. There was q branch between the two
points of destination, but it was o tail-road to
o stump ranch that had been deserted for three
years and more. Why girl in a car that
looked like million dollars should be driving
90 fast in this wild neck Of the woods was
something to wonder about. Then memory
awake d.
Ga rity's dark-brown face grew rockhke. He
unooad the brake and let the battered old
car coast into a speed that took the curves on
two wheels. The haunting image Of girls
white face under a blown tangle of red hair
was reviving all that Bob Garrity had fought
grlmly to forget in the deep, dark woods.
THE university years. The grinding struggle
for the schooling that would launch him in
an engineering career. The high hopes the
clean aspirations, the dreams like far drums
beating. Then a world crashing into the chaos
OF the depression. Four years Of study SEEM
ing waste. Only Garrity's superabundance Of
muscle had a market. Three years logger,
Just another axman with big shoulders and
hreless arms in the woods.
But it was luck to have q Job at all these
times, and it wasn't so bad for Bob Garrity
when he could forget. Lately the past had
ceased to be torment. Even in his innermost
thoughts Bob Garrity was q logger who felt
the big woods as his true home. On his trips
to Seattle he kept to the skidroad district And
life was not so bad
Two miles down Garrity spotted a wisp of
smoke curling up from a huckleberry thicket.
In the instant the dry-season terror of the
woods, fire, caught Garrity in its grip.
Braking the flivver to q jolting STOP the
logger was out from the wheel and into the
creeping smolder in the ground covering his
gaze was caught by cigarette end
1t was still alight, and he carefully squeezed
out the last spark as he picked it up. The end
was ivory tipped, touched family with lip
rouge. ladys cigarette, and monogrammed
The letters N. w. were yet clear gold lines
between the tip and the ash.
GarrtyS knotty and calloused fingers closed
over the monogram. He stood like q rock
staring bleakly into the heat blaze The past
was alive again, in q vivid vision.
fraternity dance. Nancy Wilmot, q
slender fame Of a girl-a Spring moon shin
tng-a slipaway ride through the lakeshore
woods
Garrity scowled down at his pitch-streaked
shirt. staged overalls and heavy calked boots
And there was once o night" Bob Gar
rtty said. There a time when I
parked with Nancy Wilmot and watched the
moon set in the lake. And tonight it's me and
. biscuit shooter out for q two-bit whirl in q
/, skidroad hot spot" He snarled Three rous-
ing cheers for the higher education"
He Enclosed his fist, to toss She dead cigarette
end away. "Firefy," he said. Souvenir"
Then with a shrug Of his axman's shoulders
Clarity dropped the tip into q shirt pocket and
swung back to the divver.
It was five-mile coast on to the valley saw.
mill town. When he got there, Garrity drove
straight ahead to Paddy Kane's. Paddy was q
retired logger. Garrity always gassed up at
the old mans pumps.
~ he stopped at the air hose Clarity saw