to hli surprise—eald graciously. In
English, with sb accent, "Monsieur,
you «to veree welcoma.” was not at
all what Steele had expected to find
at Ogoke Inka. Instead of belonging
to a type more or leas common to the
frontier railroad towns, the girl posing
as the sister of Laflamme was unde 1
nlably handsome, with a mass of'
straight, black hair, and the brilliant :
olive skin which so often character
Ises the quarter or eighth blood. For
that she was a breed, he had no doubt.
Extending a rpund arm. she gave
“1 would rather own and drive a
Steele her hand with something more
than the pressure demanded by hos $*X' car in a state with giHKl roads,
pitality, aa her white teeth flaahed in and pay $4<x> a year to the good-road
fund, than to have a $10.01)0 sedan In
a smile.
"It Is kind of you. mademoiselle, to a state that had uo road system.”
take me in tonight," he said, and the said a caller at the Minnesota high
thought shaped Itself swiftly, as her way department recently. "With a
thick-lashed eyes made a bold ap low-price car and good roads 1 would
praisal of the stranger at Ogoke, that got somewhere, and get a lot more of
thia girl, of whom l.aflamme had tired. comfort and enjoyment than the man
flamme tonight. If I knew what you might have knowledge Invaluable- with the big limousine and no road.
CHAPTER IX—Continued
"Of course.” he added. “It is not
might even, by the adroit use of her
and Michel had In your heads?”
—14
David shook bia head. “Uflimm« evident vanity, betray the plane of necessary to go to either extreme.
“Tou met that akunk, did yout” bo
But I think we should always try to
reaped, bis control gone. Then, get ees smart man. He tell you nodlng.” the lord of Ogoke lake. For that she
maintain the right ratio between road
“
Nothing
about
what?
”
demanded
should
be
In
Ignorance
of
the
Infatua
ting himself in hand. be went on:
expenditures and car expenditures.
Steele.
tion
of
the
latter
for
Denise
St.
Onge
“And the people at Wailing River
We are spending about $80,000,000 for
“Nodlng 'bout eendin' Pierre to was unlikely.
—did you stop there?"
“Ob. la. la! Eet ees to ourselves roads In Minnesota this year, and about
Could the free-trader have read the scare de InJun—"bout Mealin' de fur
a billion In the I'ntted Stales aa a
we are kind. Ee» eet not so, Louie?”
thoughts of the man who faced htm. trade from St. Onge, wfd whisky.”
“Well, possibly he won't talk, but
“Yee, monsieur.” replied Laflamme whole, including state, county, town
as he asked for news of the doomed
with a leer. “Judging from the toilet and municipal road work. That is a
post, he would have started as one Til give him a good opening.”
The living room In the comfortable of mademoiselle, one should say it la lot of money.
starts at the warning of a rattler. For
“But the people of the United
the mention of Walling River atirred quarters of Louis Laflamme was a to Rose that you are kind. You have
States spent about $4,000,000,000 for
a fierce desire In Steele to mangle revelation to the man who anticipated not worn that thing in months. Rose."
“No? I had reason. I do not waste now cars sud trucks In 1924, $059,-
with his bare hands the man who finding the rude furnishings typical of
000,000 for parts, $679,000,000 for re
myself
on the blind."
northern
fur
posts.
The
shelves
of
thought to obtain Denise St. Onge
"Ah 1 But monsieur is not blind, placement tires, $2,1*M).0<)0,000 for fuel
by bribery. But the bronzed face of books, the furniture—much of It
and lubricants and 891O.UUO.OOO for
the American masked his turbulent brought from the railroad by canoe— •h?"
"No man ees blind who has been service lebor. Add garage storage
thoughts as he Intentionally drawled, the large graphophone, the pictures,
were Indicative of tastes which hard months een the north with no one costa. Insurance, registration and gas
watching Laflamme's eyes:
"Well, It's a long story. Queer case. ly squared with the reputation of the but the squaws to see. eh. Monsieur taxes and other Incidentals, and you
Steele?" And she smiled suggestive soon have $10,000,000,000, so that our
Walling River, very Interesting to an trader.
“Tou are extremely comfortable ly Into Steele's amused eyes. Then road cost is only 10 per cent of our
ethnologist—like myself. They’ve had
here,” he said, as Laflamme led him her face darkened. “Oh, I forgot, total motor bill.
a hard summer.”
“Ten per cent for road and 90 per
Steele knew from the quick Interest Into the room. “Tou're fond of mu monsieur has come from Walling
River." she said tn a low tone, husky cent for rolling stock and operation
In the other’s face that he had won— sic r
would make a railroad man laugh out
“Ah! There’s where this life Is with emotion.
that however deep was Laflamme's
Good, thought Steele, she knows, loud. The roads reporting to the Min
distrust of his motives In taking the barren, monsieur,” Impulsively re
nesota railroad coinmlsaton spent $4X.-
Ogoke trail, the desire for news of the plied the Frenchman. “Why, I've and will talk.
Then he gambled with: “One can 237,147 for road betterments and
girl at Waning River, for an Inkling hitched my dogs and traveled clear to
of the nature of St. Onge's answer to the railroad in the middle of winter never see too many beautiful women, $125,193,097 for equipment In NM>
In 1023, ChOff 'pent $do.ii7'),332 for
his offer, would result in an Invita to hear some music. It's the thing I mademoiselle."
“Oh. you think her beautiful, eh?” road and $108.17N,031 for equipment.
tion to spend the night at the post. miss, and the phonograph Is cold; I
And he smiled Inwardly as the man tire of it. If I played myself, but I replied Rose Laflamme, tapping the In 1922 they spent $82,000,010 for road
don’t” Then Laflimme turned a tense floor with the toe of her slipper. and $37,425,854 for equipment. In
ner of Laflamme swiftly changed.
other words. 35 per cent of the money
•'Mademoiselle St. Onge—was she face on Steele. “Did she play while "Louis say she ees not.”
“Come, monsieur," Interrupted the they spent for betterments went Into
you were at the post?"
well?"
For an Instant the muscles of trader, with a scowl at the shaker, the roadbed and 05 per cent Into
"Why, as to that, I hardly know
what to say,” Steele answered. "Las Steele's body stiffened. To speak, as as an OJibway woman stood In the rolling stock and other equipment.
“Or take the operating expenses.
celles showed up there Just as I left.” a stranger, of Denise St Onge with doorway, announcing dinner.
As they seated themselves at the The large railroads spent In Minne
“What? Lascelles at Walling Riv the man who had plotted ruthlessly to
table, Steele was highly optimistic of sota in 1024. $IH,377,201 for main
er?" exploded
Laflamme, patently
what bls stay at the poet might dis tenance of way and structures. $26,-
knocked off his feet at the news.
close. Whether Laflamme had decided 390,963 for maintenance of equipment
“What—what has happened?
He’s
to take him at his word, or still sus and $32,8(13,454 for trnnsiHirtatlon.
not going to marry her this fall?”
pected his presence at Ogoke. David Here the part spent for maintenance
“No, he's not going to marry her—
bad more chance of learning that of the road was 1N.H per cent.
this fall.” So emphatic was Steele’s
night than be. but that the outraged
"But if you go back to the original
tone—so final the statement that It
pride of Rose Laflamme would lead investment, the proportion spent for
drew from Laflamme a sidelong glance
her to talk. If the opportunity offered, road Is much greater. Ten of the
of curiosity, in the course of his rest
ho waa now sure. Her reference to large roads on which tentative valu
less pacing of the landing.
Walling River had cleared any doubt ation has been completed by the In
“What brought him up river then?”
on that score. The canker of Jealousy terstate Commerce commission have
"Why. this Windigo trouble.” lied
and the flouted woman's Instinct for an Investment of $41(1,940,(168 In rond
Steele, anxious to learn If Pierre had
revenge would play havoc with the an! permanent structures In Minne
brought the news to Ogoke.
half-breed in Rose Laflamme.
sota and $123,334,373 In equipment, or
The eyebrows of the Frenchman
“You are from New York, Monsieur 23.14 per cent for equipment and 70.80
lifted in surprise.
Steele, that wonderful city I have per cent for road.
“Windigo trouble? What do you
never seen?” the hostess was saying.
“With a liberal allowance for de
mean, Mr. Steele?"
"Yes, It Is my home, but I seldom preciation, the 563,719 motor vehicles
Steele was confident that Laflamme
see IL"
In Minnesota have n present value of
was dissembling.
“Seldom see It? And all the life at least $300,000,000. If we hud in
“Why, haven't you beard that the
there to enjoy—the theaters, the vested $3.33 in 'track' for each dollar
Walling valley is overrun by man-eat
beautiful women?"
invested In 'rolling stock,’ us the rail
ing Wlndigoes?” he laughed, closely
“But there are beautiful women roads have, we should have n billion
watching Laflamme's dark face. But
elsewhere, mademoiselle; Ogoke lake, Invested in Minnesota roads. Thut
though, a moment before, the trader
for instance,” Steele hazarded, lifting would pave every mile of trunk high
had made no effort to conceal his emo
his glass to the girl as he glanced way and 26,<XX> miles of other roads.
tion at the mention of Denise St Onge,
furtively at Laflamme.
“I am ahead of time, I know. But
Steele now looked into cryptic eyes.
“Mon Dleu, but you are the flat I am just trying to show thut our roud
"Mon Dieu, no! Tou mean to say
terer! Tou are a man of thee ladles, expenditures, which seem large at first
that the Indians are frightened?”
monsieur, even eef you desert them glance, are small in (»roportlon to
"Tea, you might call it that," said
to travel een this wilderness"
what we spend for vehicles.”
Steele, facetiously, “although I think
“It Is only that my inspiration Is
that I would make it a bit stronger.
great this evening," he returned.
Tou don't believe In the Windigo, Mon
Ijiflamm» laughed unpleasantly In
sieur Laflamme?"
win over her father—to buy her, sick
An elevated highway for automo
the girl’s face, kindling with pleasure
Laflamme smiled. "Tou are a Joker. ened him. Yet menace though he was at the remark. In a flash, she turned biles. twenty feet above the street
Mr. Steele. We will discuss the Indian to the post at Wailing River, his with what was near a snarl, her dark lavel, is to be built along the west
superstition tonight over some—a—ex hatred and Jealousy of Lascelles might eyes flaming. “Tou see, from others ern boundary of lower Manhattan Is
cellent whisky. If you like. Tou will be put to good use If the opportunity there Is appreciation!" Then, light land at a cost of $11,000,000. The road
do me the honor to dine with me—and offered, and Steele Intended to play ing a cigarette, she rested her round way will e slxty-flve feet In width
my—sister, Mademoiselle Rose La upon those passions of his host this eltows on the table, and leaning to and a speed of thirty miles an hour
very night
flamme."
ward Steele with a challenging look, or better will be permitted. The high
"Mademoiselle St. Onge seemed to startled htm with: “Say more pretty way Is planned as part of a compre
"Thank you 1” And Steele, accom
panied by Antoine, of the scarred face, be greatly depressed and played little words to me, you big American!"
hensive scheme for relieving traffic
returned to the canoe, delighted that the few days I was there—then Las
Steele threw a sidelong glance at congestion.
bls Interview, which had started so In- celles appeared,” he said.
Laflamme, to And only amused toler
“She despises the dog, and yet he ance. He was In doubt whether the
auspiciously, had closed with an invi
tation to pass at least one night at the has openly boasted at Albany he girl was making a forlorn attempt to
For the construct!* n of federal-aid
would marry her," sneered Laflamme. arouse the trader’s Jealousy or merely
post.
ads, a total of $73,125,000 will be
While he shaved and changed his
"I don’t think he ever will,” threw set on bls own conquest. Since his
clothes In the shack assigned to him, out Steele, lighting the cigarette ready answers to a few well-chosen distributed among the states for use
and whither Laflamme, with marked passed him and watching the play of questions of Laflamme’s regarding during the fiscal year beginning July
hospitality, had sent hot water from emotion on the handsome face of the New York, Steele believed that the 1, 1926 Texas will receive 84.428,917,
his kitchen. Steele held a council of other.
latter's suspicions had faded.
But the largest share for any state. New
"Why?”
war with David, who had made a
It was too early to hazard sn attempt York with $3,647,10*1, Pennsylvania
hasty reconnoissance of the post.
"Because she would kill herself to learn anything. He waa dealing with $3,340.920. and Illinois with 83.-
“Did you see Pierre?”
first.”
with a man both ruthless and power- 175.010, follow with the next largest
"No, but I smell plenty whisky on
“Nonsense!
Women don’t do It, ! fuL So Steele was discreet, but he shares.
de Injun.”
monsieur,” scoffed the trader, but ths saw that little more whisky was need
“How many hunters are there here fleeting look of approval which Steele ed to loose the tongue of the girl be OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOt
still?”
caught belled the words. Laflamme's yond control. For that he waited.
“Seex—seven—tipi
here.
Queer nature was elemental.- To him, her
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
t'lng. w'en I ask why dey are not on death was preferable to having her
>00000000000000000
de trap lines, one of dem say dey not the wife of Lascelles.
Nothing but Juitice
Roadways Into the northern Michi
hunt dees long snows."
Steele writhed in his chair as the
In this God's world, with Its wild
“How many post servants has he other paced back and forth, but the whirling eddies and mad foam oceans, gan peninsula have undergone recent
Improvement.
got—there are eight cabins?”
welfare of the girl at Walling River where men and nations perish as If
• • *
"Good manee."
demanded that he smother all out without law and Judgment for an un
One
hundred
and
twenty million dol
“Did they speak of Walling River or ward reflection of his thoughts, so he just thing sternly delayed, dost thou
lars every year la being spent on
the Windigo?”
fought himself slowly into a state of think therefore that there Is no Jus
new roads *n Britain.
“No.”
callousness at the mention of her tice? It Is what the fool had said In
• • *
“Why do you suppose he is feeding name, necessary, If he were to draw his heart. It Is what the wise In all
The
Custer
Battlefield
highway Is
all these bush Indians—what Is he out his host.
times were wise because they desired
listed as one of the six best-marked
using them for?”
“Monsieur,” Laflamme stopped his and knew forever not to be. I tell
States.
David’s dark features stiffened as pacing and glared down at the man thee again there Is nothing else but highways In the • United
• •
ids eyes sought a crack In the floor. smoking In the chair, “you are right I” justice; one strong thing I find here
The National Dixie Highway auxil
Steele paused in his shaving to glance Then, as he walked to the end of the below—the Just thing, the true thing.
iary Is planning to use the United
quizzically at his friend.
•
•
•
If
the
thing
ts
unjust,
thou
room, added: "She will never marry
“Oh. well,” he laughed, “I suppose that rat of-the Revillon people—she hast not succeeded, though bonfires States shield In marking the historic
you’ve promised Mlche! not to tell will marry—me.”
blazed from north to south, and bells Southern highway In memory of thoee
who died in the service In the World
me what you think of anything you
"You seem hard hit,” said Steele. rang, and editors wrote lending arti
war.
'
see here. I must wait- until Novem "Although she spent but one evening cles, and the Just thing lay trampled
* * •
ber.”
with her father and myself, I found out of sight to all mortal eyes—an
Highway officials In Louisiana an
The OJibway rose, rested a hand on her charming, and I congratulate abolished and annihilated thing.—
nounce that a majority of the 200
Thomas Carlyle.
the shoulder of his chief. “Eet ees you.”
curves In the road between New Or
tot so, boss: but I promise Michel
"She Is the— Shiah! Rose!” And
leans and Baton Rouge will be elimi
Unique September
tomet'ing. Sometam you know.”
both men looked up to see a woman
nated In the near future. The high
“That's all right, David ; I want you enter the room. Steele got to his feet.
During all the variations in the cal way, which Is nt present 110 tnlles
“Rose, this is Monsieur Steele.”
to keep your promise, but don’t you
endar, September has always had SO In length, will be reduced to HO miles
The woman who Joined them and— days.
tee that I might get more out of La
whep the work is coinnleted.
BIG CAR USELESS
WITHOUT HIGHWAY
Motorists to Ride High
Federal-Aid Roads
Good Roads Notes
5andtnan.
Story [ Martha Martin
INDIAN PIPE FLOWERS
4«z”HULDREN lovs us," said one of
Lu the members of the ludlan Pips
I'smlly to Fairy Ybsb.
Fairy Tbah had gone Out Into the
woods to prsctlcs some new music
which sho was going to leach to the
members of th» Fairies' orchestra. She
had been singing the tune» to heraelf
aa she made them up, trying them
Stopped to Speak to the Group of In-
dian Pipoa.
over and over again to »ee where she
could moke Improvements. Then ahe
hail stopped to w|>eak to the group of
Indian Pipes which ahe had aeon.
"Yea," the Indian Pipe continued,
“we are 00 different, so unusual, and
children like ua and they like our In
teresting name.
"We are fond of the family name
It'» n nice name for a .
ourselvra.
group of plants, we think. It hna al
ways been the family name. too. Wo ।
have lived tn these woods many years.
And when I say that, you know, I
mean our family has lived here. Oh.
yes. my grout great great grandmother
and grandfather uaed to oco Indiana
coming quietly through the woods. Oh.
how quietly they could walk, scarcely
rustling the leaves aa they moved
along.
“We children have been told of all
Ihst. And auch excitement aa there
uaed to tie In thoee old days. Such
excitement ► You aee, we're all brave
plante or flowers, or whotever you
would coll us, Ob. yes I Wo don’t
hong onto each other. We don't cling
aa Bines do. Vines hsveu't half tho
atrength of character we have, though
vlnee have their own sweet, lovely
way«.
"I don't went to say anything
agalnet vlnee. Vlnee are ao good
about giving ahade and they make
porch»» eo pretty, and they do a great
deal to aid in making the world love
lier than ever. Anything or any num
ber of thing» doing that should uever
be tonicized. Hut you eee how wo
uro! We're different, that's all.
"Wo are all aolltary, single, Slone.
Each one of uae fliAver» la by Itaolf.
You know how aome flowera are due-
tored together--many little flowera In
one group. But each of ua ha a Juat
one flower, atsuding all by Itaolf.
"Tou aee. too. how wo haven't even
any leavea with which to ahleld our
selves. You eon always tell us when
you aee ua, for we are ao unlike any
other planta or ferns. Usually a num
ber of ua moke our home around a
certain part of tho woods We dearly
love the wood», and In the wood» you
ahould look If you want tn find ua.
“Tea, each one la by Itself, Each
one haa Ita own stem, and each one
baa juat one white flower hanging over
ita stem.
"Many other flowera grow together
on a single stem lota of them to one
atom. And wo'co all white! You'll
And no green leavea abourua, nor any
green or brown atom. *>ur flowers
have little black »pot» about them,
and when the bud of a flower Is closed
It looks dark at the top. We'ro brit
tle. aomethlng like aome kinds of
candy, eaay to break off.
"But we're not good to eat. I sup-
¡Mwe people thought we looked like an
Indlan'a pipe and ao that wii why we
wore named hie name. Wo do look
something like a white pipe. It Is true.
“Of course we re white, and Indiana
are alwaye called red men. But If we
were Juat like Indiana we wouldn't be
called anything else but Indiana.
Were flowera with many of fhe oh mo
waya aa those thrilling red mrn. And
we look like plpea. Oh. we're very
proud of the family name!"
<Cot>rri«M. I
CTHE WHY of
SUPERSTITIONS
By H. IRVINQ KlNQ
SHOE ON, SHOE OFF
TN SOME sections of the country
* they say that It la “bad luck" when
putting on your shoes and »lockings
to completely dreaa one foot before
tieginnlug on the other. But In moat
places the superstition Is thst bad
luck Is brought on by hsvlng the left
foot shod nnd the right foot bare;
though there Is a feeling among the
superetltlous that having one foot
shod and one not. should, wit Bout ref
erence to right or left, be evolded on
geaersl principles, even though right
bere end left shod is the most ortho
dox form of the superstition.
The custom of hsvlng one foot bere
end one shod st solemn or critical
times existed from the dawn of his
tory snd many learned men have dis
puted over Its significance. The Agbt-
Ing races of antiquity went, many of
them, thus to buttle. The oracle
warned Pellas, king of lociua. to be
ware of the man with his left foot
shod afld his right foot bare arid when
Jason appeared thus attired loclus
knew that the "Jig was up." On nn
ancient Greek va»e Is a picture of a
man with his bare right foot on a sac
rificial victim, his left foot shod nnd
on the ground. When Dido wns de
serted by Aeneas nnd prepared tier
funeral pyre she appealed “to the gods
and the stars” with her dress nnd hair
loosened, one foot bare mid one »hod.
Professor Frazer of Cambridge
thinks the explanation Is to he sought
In the belief In the magic virtue of
knots, which tied sandals—as they
now tie shoes to the feet; nnd the
learned Roman, Servius, In his com
mentary on Virgil, snys that Dido
went with one shoe off nnd one on In
order that Aeneas might lie entangled
nnd herself released. But whatever
the explanation It was practiced only
at times of peril or distress and It Is
that fact which has brought It down to
vur own day as a "bad luck” omen.
(© Uy McClurg N»w«p«p»r Syndicate.)
< > -----------
***•
cookie-pusher?"
’ v asked the House Detective.
"That'» Marie Platt's husband.” an
swered the Hotel Stenographer. “He
worried her nil ony winter to marry
him nnd she did It to get rid of him
and It worked perfectly. Hbe rarely
ever see» him now. He only comes
home to change hl» clothe» and kick
■ bout the way the laundry mangle»
hl» »hlrta.
“He 1» a ham «ctor who cannot get
an engagement on the road and »0 he
goea out as an entertainer at club
smokers and things and makes almost
twenty bucks a week. With what Ma
rie makes aa a manicure they got
along right nice from hl» point of view
■nd punk from hers.
"When a man wants anything he Is
never happy till he gets It and then
when he has It he doesn't enre any
thing about It. His whole life 1» an
affirmative argument that there Is
more pleasure in the pursuit of hap
piness than In the possession of it.
Till» goes for a polo coat, a wife, a
knowledge of the King Tut step in the
fox trot or little side whiskers.
"That guy would rather be a hnm
actor and sing nn old song, dance n
few steps arid get some applause from
his friends than have n steady Job aa
a plasterer and make 00 bucks n week.
"Marie has n nice solitaire he
bought tier on Inatallmonta, most ofx
which she had to pny, and she Is
mighty Impressive when she tells her
customer» that her husband Is an ac
tor nnd awny most of the time, so sho
work« Just to fill In the time. But I
never saw her lonely.
"Kelly, the boy I marry has to be
such a snuggle pup that be enn barely
leave me long enough to go to work.
All the dandng^he does he’s got to do
with me, nnd all the applauding must
come from my lily-white hunt!». I
want a husband of my own, not one
who belongs to the public,”
(Copyright by th« McNaught Syndicat., Ino )
----------- O-----------
Play, but No School
Tlie little boy was playing around
the schoolyard during school hours.
"What's the matter? Why don't you
go to school?” asked a pnsser by.
“Why, you see,” nnd the fioy coughed
violently, "you see I have the whoop
ing cough and they don't want me in
acliool for fear I'll give !t to some
other children.”
"Well, what are you waiting here
for?” persisted the passer by.
‘Tm Just waiting for 'em to come
out at recess time so I can play with
'em a little while,” replied the hoy,
wondering why the passer by ex-
claimed: "Well, of all things I”—
Springfield Union.