Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1937-01-29

over something IL is no reason why
he should vent his spleen on me.
never saw such a mannerless clod.
And as far as telling him l was
someone else besides my true self
I wouldn't think Of it. I'll al
NIT it looks like my last chance to
get north, but l won't lie, even for
that"
Pat sucked on his malodorous,
black briar for a time in silence.
Lets get u heads together,
lass" he said at last. Il have a wee
idea that may be of Value
At first Ellen shook her head in
flat denial as Pat unfolded his
scheme to her. But the more she
thought it over the more the wild
daring of the thing intrigued her.
In addition, when she had told Pat,
on arriving at Athabasca Landing,
that it was imperative that she 60
north Immediately to join her faith
er, she had meant every word of it.
Old Angus Mackay was a proud
and naughty man and, knowing
him as she did, Ellen knew that
only the direst necessity could have
caused him to write as he had in
the letter she had received from
him on the day she graduated
from college. Her father needed
her. Just why, she could only
guess at. But he needed her, and
the blood of the Mackays had al
ways been thick and clannish. And
that was why Ellen put aside her
own feelings in the matter and fin
ally agreed to Pats plan.
"I'll do it," she said thoughfully.
"Ill do tiff you can make the
arrangements as you suggest
There was little in the way of
packing for Ellen to do. During
her years at college she had not
forgotten that the north country
was a country of essentials, not
frills. A suitcase and a small trunk
was all the baggage she had
brought, and if it became neces-
sary, she was ready to discard the
trunk. So she soon had things in
shape, then stretched out for a lit
tie rest on the blankets of her
bunk.
At first the tumult of her
thoughts made even a hint of sleep
impossible. She heard old Pat
dumping about in the store, and
after a bit came the rumble Of his
voice as he talked for a time with
someone. Ellen's thoughts soon
came back to John Benham. Her
mini V as made up to the fact that
she disliked him thoroughly. But
when she endeavoured to isolate the
reason for this she failed to get
very far. In spite of the unreason-
able rancour she felt, she had to
admit, in all fairness, that her
charge of rudeness on his part was
not correct. She had asked him a
question and he had given her a
straightforward answer. That it
had not been the answer she had
desired and expected did not con-
stitute rudeness. His words and
manner had been respectful, but
none the less adamant. And it was
this latter fact, though Ellen hard
ly realized it, which had aroused
her.
A masterful man. Ugh! How
she loathed masterful men. With
a little throb of conformation she
remembered that simply by glanc-
ing at her he had shattered her
self-aplomb in a most disturbing
manner.
And so John Benham and her
father were at loggerheads. Very
we'll, if Angus Mackay hated this
free trader, then Angus Mackay's
daughter would hate him also. She
settled this fact in her mind with
a clack of her little white teeth.
She felt she could trust her fathers
Judgment in such a matter. She
wondered again just what the issue
was between her father and John
Benham. She unused over this to
doze and soon fell asleep.
1t was dark when she awoke. Pat
McC latchney was shaking her
gently by the shoulder.
Come, lass" the old fellow
murmured. "Pierre Buschard i,
here. He would talk with you"
Ellen followed Pat into the
store, now dimly lit by the yellow
beams of a lamp. Standing just a,
the edge of the glow was a huge