Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1937-08-06
CHAPTER 2

truancy.
"Hello, Barstow," he said, as cas-
ually as possible, and eased into a
chair. The attorney looked up. He
was a man of middle age, with kindly
eyes, which, this morning seemed
strangely troubled.
ooh, it's you, jack" came quietly.
est down a minute, will you?"
"No hurry" Hammond picked up a
copy of the Prince Rupert paper-and
tossed it aside. It was not the edition
he sought. The attorney shuffled a
mass of legal documents into a con-
tainer envelope.
"Well?" he asked quietly-almost
unhappily.
Hammond eyed him. Barstow was
usually good for a joke.
Stomach out of order?"
mo" He shrugged his shoulders.
"Sore at me?"
"Why?"
"For letting this thing get out 2"
The attorney smiled.
"That's between you and Mckenzie
joe"
"Oh, Joe's taking it all right. A
little caustic, but"
"Joe's natural state"
eyes," Hammond laughed. There
was an awkward silence. The attor-
ney wiped his glasses, then sat crimp-
ing the edge of sheet of legal paper.
mot quite myself this morning"
ne apologized. Then, abruptly, 'I'm
not much good at telling people things
that hurt"
"Bad news"
Nothing that concerns Joe or you.
Some one who was in here just before
you came. I had to be pretty frank
and the truth in this case is fairly
rotten"
THAT'S always tough"
Yes, to cut the foundations out
from under somebody-destroy illu-
slons, paint things exactly as they
are. Especially with woman"
"A young woman, wasn't she, Rath-
er good looking-poorly dressed?"
"Oh, you saw herr"
1--WE passed on the stairs. She look
ed pretty well cut up. Client of
yours ?"
well" the attorney hesitated.
mot exactly-sort of a volunteer
,cllent-that is"-With an effort, he
assumed an attitude of brusque inter-
=" est. What are you in here about
so early in the morning?"
Joe left note for me. Gone north
guess you know that. He's travelling
light, without many supplies. Afraid
somebody will jump our claims. Wants
me to follow as soon as can with
a couple of dog teams and a complete
outfit. That newspaper stuff"
Barstow smiled.
Get it all out of your system down
there in Seattle, did you, Jack?"
Hammond stirred uneasily.
swell, that depends on how you
look at it. Personally, I feel great
about it. But someone else might
just think had been on an ordinary
drunk"
"The newspapers gave you quite a
play"
i've been hearing about that ever
since l landed. It's rotten in a way
if l started a lot of tenderfeet into
that district"
"Oh," Barstow, elbows on his desk,
steepled his fingers, 81 don't think it's
done so much damage. Just began the
rush little earlier-it would have
come anyway. What happened in
Scatter"
II met a girl was in love with
"One of those first-sight affairs ~
"No," Hammond put out his hand
holding it a few feet above the floor
"I've been crazy about her since was
that high. Kay Joyce. Her father
used to be president of the Sunatchee
Bank and Trust. He died about a
year ago. We used to live down the
street from each other. Rather, at an
ANGLE lived by the alley"
Childhood playmates ?"
"No." A serious expression had
come into the young prospector's eyes
"She'd never have anything to do with
me-"
IT don't quite understand"
"Her father was the big banker. My
father was switchman, out of work
most of the time. My mother took
in washing"
1o011aI thu h