Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1934-05-18
CODE Of the NORTH

trated the success of that scheme. His
hope of sending Jim Flynn toboggan-
ing into ruin so his holdings might go
to add to that growing empire of tim
berlands which Franz's principals de-
sired was quickly cooled by the new
signs of life about the job which fol-
lowed the arrival of an outstanding
leader.
This was bad enough but, added to
these other failures which could be
laid only at the feet of the one who
posed as Flynn, was the item of his
hold over Mary Wolf. When Steve
Drake aided the girl in her departure
from the squalid little farm home
where she had been SO conveniently
located, Franz was shaken by an urge
for vengeance which knew no bounds.
He tried to kill, in towards way,
and failed. He tried blackmail, cow
ards weapon, and failed again. At
MacDonald's, because Of his regard
for the old Scots nature, he was forced
to stand by and see the last plan he
had laid for personal gain go crashing
down.
But he was no gutter, this Franz |!
And when he read those kilograms, at
Shoestring, hope came to life again.
Money was coming into the country {;
money In quantity which was in
itself disturbing to consider. But that
money meant more than the posses.
sion Of so many thousands. 1t re-
newed his faith that some day he
would be the agent for a transaction
involving the transfer Of the much
coveted Macdonald property. F
He had unmasked Steve Drake for
the Laird at the proper moment If
that option could be caused to lapse
he felt certain that the eccentric old
Scot would refuse to renew deal
with one who had hoodwinked him or
with a corporation which had had
such a one in it's service. So, the
option must lapse.
Steve was in the store when Nc
Nally drove into the clearing. Mac
had planned to spend the night at the
last farmhouse between headquarters
and town and Drake, after breakfast.
had busted himself there to be pres
ent at the arrival.
But his mind was not wholly on that
event, important though it was 1t
persisted in going back to an earlier
incident of the day.
He had awakened as usual when the
chorus Of bird songs commenced to
swell, dressed and stepped outside
with an ejaculation of surprise, be-
cause Mary Wolf was seated on log
beside his threshold, elbows on knees,
waiting with stolid patience, apparent
ly for his appearance
"Hullo, Mary! When and where'd
you drop from?"
Camp JUS now" she said.
"Something wrong? Has Franz
been after you again? ! haven't seen
him in days and I'd wondered about
you"
Nothing wrong. Franz don't come
by our camp"
swell, If nothing's wrong What
brings you here again, Mary?"
"You want me?" she asked so sim
ply and directly that it quite took his
breath.
want you? Why What :.
That is, 1 don't know what you're driv-
ing at" he evaded lamely.
The girl stirred slowly on the log.
my father, he die bye-'n'-bye, size
said. "Not long, now. He gets worse.
He breathes fast &c." She
painted. II should not go before he is
dead. He is old; sick. At school they
top us we should stay by old people.
Take care of 'em. That is right. 1 do.
"But he die pretty soon. I can go.
Yong JIM" she said, you treat mo
good. You are the only yong man
who ever treats me good. You say
to me, you do to me like your men
say and do by white women. You
are you are :" She hest
tated, seeming to search for the proper
word. Then, successful, spoke it with
as much emphasis, it is likely as she
had ever placed on an utterance.
"You are kind"
Steve laughed, deeply embarrassed.
II say what is so: you are kind.
You live alone. 1 can cook good.
They toI me at school can cook
good. I not like some. Some girls
dom work. Me, l work My father
die. I come here and cook for you.
l do it all. Sweep, Wash. Sew.
be your girl"
Red swept into Steve's cheeks. She
searched his face with a probing gaze,
almost as faithful dog might, expect
ing largess.
when Old Jim come, l 60 away.
When white girls come, go away.
When you go to town, me l stay by
camp. think everything when l got
bark and split cedar. What you say,
Jim?"
Now, what did a man say to a pro-
posal such as this?
Steve Drake said nothing at all. He
had not word at his command for
that interval. In Mary's plan was
nothing unclean, nothing offensive. It
was childishly natural. He had been
kind to her. probably the first man of
his race and years whom she had