The daily independent., 1937-08-04

]
broke from the spectators assem-
bled outside the compound. "A
parting salute of three blasts from
the Maids whistle drew Denny S
oaze momentarily to the river boat
WING a short distance down river
Cantain Bourne was standing III
fyont of his pilot house, his blond
head shining in the early sum-
hoth hands aloft shaking tare-
well to the adventurers. All the
riders turned in their saddles 10
wave their hats in response.
, After the departure of the hunt
ers Tarnigan drowSed through
the sweet monotony OF Indian
summer days.
River House. empty of guests,
fell under the spell of the sunny,
autumnal quiet. Denny formed
the habit of spending several
hours each morning in the office
off the card room. going over the
recorGs of the enterprise her ia
ther had built up in tins remote
wilderness.
She was amazed at its wide
spread ramifications. From all
parts of the world came men OF
wealth and rank, each of whom
maid thousands of dollars, not prl-
mari!y to hunt. as she had at 1lrSt
supposed. but to rest from the
mad. commercial scramble OF cl-
viization.
Further investigation revealed
now beneficently her fathers en-
terprisc influenced the lives ana
well-being of all the natives and
white settlers within the radius OF
his outpost empire. In all but
name. the House of Keith was a
fcudaI demeSne.
/ She began to have a respect tor
this business which her mother
had always derided and deSplSed;
Z pride in the name and heritage
that were hers through the man
whose wise administration OF pow
er had earned the loving loyalty
of his free-Spirited subjects.
She had moments Of regret that
the name of Keith would soon be
no more than a legend on the
S.ikine. She was selling her herl-
t5re- for whar? Money to gratl-
/ fv her mothers vanity and her
own. Money TO make a display OF
/ the ceremony which modern youth
considered more or less of q sac
rament. The thought was not
pleasant one.
Another problem was constant
" in her mind. Within a month
she mus. decide who was to be
the new master of River House
. Reve!ry Bourne or Jack Page?
Wi-hou: admitting it to herself.
/ she had from the first favored
/ Bourne But Denise had in
/ tended 20 sell to him only after
+ forcing him to vie with Page for
! her favor. Events. however, had
not turned out as she had plan
ned.
/ Page was always at hand. plead
/ ing his cause. flattering her by his
/ difference and attendance. Bourne,
on the contrary, had made not
the slightest effort to gain her
| favor. Even when the Maid was IN,
she might have forgotten his
presence in Tarnigan had it not
been for his single weekly call OF
few minutes. and the fact that
his dos. TongaSS. chose to spend
much of his time ashore with her.
It had happened that every
time Bourne called, Page also was
present. Yet the master of the
Stikine Maid invariably greeted
the other river captain with a
careless cordially free from any
hint that he considered him a
competitor. Likewise Bourne ap-
peared to be unaware that Page
was the constant companion OF
the mistress of River House.
Bourne's behavior eXaSperated
Denny. She insisted to herself
thai there was nothing personal
in her resentment; she was mere
ly disappointed because her ia
ther'S friend was so weakly sub
mitting TO an invasion which
threatened the business his family
had pioneered. Yet. despite her
arguments with herself, she was
becoming more and more con-
celned. And of late a spirit Of re-
taliation had caused her to toy
with the thought of letting Page
buy River House.
The dreamy, uneventful fort
night following the departure of
the hunters came to an end on
the first cloudy day Denny had
known in Tarnigan. The mail
was due that day. All morning
she had watched for the first
glimpse Of the Maid rounding
LoneWater Point. At lunch time
Honey-jo had volunteered the in