The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1937-08-12


thickened throat; the hands re-
manned impotent. A long time
passed. The girl was silent. as il
lighting for the strength to go on.
At last the selfish look again came
into her eyes, mingling queerly with
compassion. She pressed her lips
close to the bandages about his
ears.
Jack said they were recorded.
We're they?"
His eyes moved in the affirma-
tive. Again she leaned back. silent
in thought.
| The big room echoed with activi-
ty. From far at the end came the
ceaseless groaning of a sufferer.
unable to suppress his agony. The
man on the next cot breathed heav-
lily in fevered sleep. Kay Joyces
well-formed hands began to knit,
finger weaving within finger.
Bruce! she begged. Bruce
dear-you always said you'd take
care of me-
| The eyes assured her.
Tiff anything should happen to
you"
Again he LET her know, by the only
means that he possessed. that he I'M
derstood. A break came into her
voice.
II just can't face life," she said
brokenly, WITHOUT somethingl" Her
tongue ran over lips pale from lack
Of carmine. The hands knit more
rapidly. IF you married me,
Bruce"
The eyes moved swiftly. The girl
turned, only to stiffen.
Here comes Jack Hammond"
said a frontier nurse at the window.
THAT ought to cheer up that Tow
ers girl"
''She needs something" Another
member OF the Frontier corps had
joined her. God knows, she's had
little else, the way she's been work
ing
Kay sank back in her chair,
queerly frightened. She kept telling
herself over and over again that
she must wait-Hammond must not
know about this-he'd guess why
she was doing it
But Jack Hammond had no idea
of what was going on at Bruce
Kenning's bedside.
Somewhat rested after long la
bors, he stood on the steps Of the
pavilion, looking back over the val
ley
The fire was dead-buried under
eight inches of snow from beneath
which it still steamed impotently.
What trees remained were beauti-
full in filagreed silver. The slopes
OF the giant hills were serrations
of reddish earth and smooth white,
calm expanse which looked down
upon the gaunt place which once
had been Sapphire. But even now
hammers were sounding. Fires
burned in front of tents. There
were huge ruts in the snow, where
man power and the dogs which had
escaped the forest fire dragged logs
to the building of new cabins. Here
and there placer claim was being
worked. Internationally, an airplane
roared out Of a leaden ceiling and
dropped down to the lake, heavy
with new supplies. The snowfall
had ceased, but the clouds which
had brought it still fingered, form
ing again for another downfall.
Hammond went up the steps and
into the pavilion. Sergeant Terry
was there, a match to his black
pipe.
How goes the battle7" the pros
pector asked.
Partly good. Partly bad. A cou-
pie OF new pneumonia cases. And
it looks like Kenning's going to save
us the cost of trial"
HAS he talked YETI"
Cant. Won't. Tongue too swol-
lem"
A girl passed, heavily laden with .
dishes from the kitchen. Hammond
leaped to aid her. 1t was Jeanne
Towers.
Thanks" she said with smile.
I'm not much of hasher."
"You had enough there for two
men to carry" the man said.
did I? I didn't notice"
AS he walked beside her, Jack
remembered that she had said
many things like this during the
long hours. That she didn't notice
she was alone, when another nurse
should have been helping her to
turn suffering patient in his bed:
that she didn't notice that she was
carrying double armful of wood
for the big stove, now set up in
the middle of the gambling hall:
that she didn't notice she had
worked hours past the time when
others had sought rest.
Somehow she seemed to shame
him. Yet Jack was proud OF her.
Now that he thought OF it, he al
ways had been proud of Jeanne Tow
ers-proud of her that night when
she had borrowed her dogs, in the
raw, new camp of Fourcross; proud
OF her when she gathered the wood