nessy, "to sit at a deskwith the girls and
be tWined in summer and steam heated in
winter, and do little sums in a book? Say,
what you need is a man-size job! Do you '
think that any girt that ever chewed gum
could take my men's wages away from"
them? No, sir, they're not afraid of that;
neither is any mas that holds down a real
man'sjob. I won't believe' that any man
with the name of Ryan can be all boob.
Think it over, and come round again when
you're mended."
" , ' -
IN" A startling degree It was a different
Cliff Ryan who next waylaid Mary Gil
man on her way bom from the Remson
factory; so changed, indeed, that Mary,
.stopped short and clasped her hands, with
a little cry of surprise on meeting him.
He had lime on his hat, and bis bine over.
t alls were decorated with sand and clay.
His face was tanned to a 'depth of bronie
that made his white teeth gleam by eon-
THE SUNDAY FICTION MAGAZINE, MAltCH 26, lVia
trast when he smiled. The same tint against the green velvet of the evening
showed at the wide-open neck of his col- ky. " . : ?
larless shirt.' There waTa distinctly new "Thas where Iwork bow1, bV said:
set to his broad shoulders, and the band "I don't know much about it, but I'm go
he held out to her was rough and freckled, lng to know all there is some day, I shall
-"Yes, I know," be laughed in answer to be an engineer before Tm through. Do
her exclamation. "But Tve only got an yon get that, .honey? Short of a fifty-foot
hour to change and go -to a night class,' faUTor a steel girder on the bean, there's
and I Just had to see you.- If youH walk nothing that can stop me. And, anyway,
a piece of the way by the river, nobodyit's good to do real work that you can
will notice us." : take a pride in. I hate to think of the
"But, Caff," fluttered Mary.Vyott look y I wasted punching little keys and
b-beautiful! You positively do! . When to looking on through a window?"
the world nave you been? '
"Why, Tve been learning to work for He looked down into Mary's fine eyes
my living. I can handle a. pick or a riv- and became aware of some strangely
eter or a bunch of the toughest wops you sweet quality In them that he had never
ever saw Just as they come. -And. believe seen before. She no longer resembled a
me, Fm having the best time of my life!" handsome, boy. Most astonishingly, she
Taking her arm, he turned aside to a appeared to have become very small, very
gap In the wharfs that looked out onto feminine, and more than ever desirable,
the Hudson, where a web of steel frames "Z can't tell why I was so scared to
could be seen rising among the tall build- come and see you," said Ryan. "It's fine,
htgs which stood out in pastel shades clean work I'm doing-rand you're only a
11 f
tiny little girl, after all. Kid, I was crazy
when I tried to say good-by. I love .you,
and I've Just got to have yout That was
what made me send back that money."
"And when you slammed it right back
at me like that," said Mary, "I knew I'd
never want anybody but you. But I did'
want oh, I don't suppose you'll under
standI did so want to see you do some
thing, something X couldn't do just as well
myself. Money doesn't count for such a.
tot with a girt if she gets a man she can
admire."
Ryan watched a casual, curious passer
by out of earshot before he replied.
"Why, it looks to me," he said wltb
quiet, happy laugh, as If a man has only
to reach out and grab anything in the
wide world be wants." " ...
It looked that way also to the casual
passer-by, who, casting back a curious
glance at that moment, went on his way
agreeably stimulated by what he had seen.
Copyright by Th Frank A. Manse jr CoJ
Off
T
o
E
BE
mi,
(Continued from Page 6'
from his rocker In a little gold sack, apos
trophizing it meanwhile In a familiar man
ner. " . 'i. ' . "
There being nothing to do after the
freeze-up took place at least for a time
his demeanor underwent a gradual change.
Half the night lie would pace tbecabtn
like a caged animal, pick up one of the
sacks' and weigh it in bis band, mutter,
ominously to himself, then beat his breast
and cry, "So help mine God!"
Two men in a heavily laden poling-boat
drew In to a slope on the right bank of
the Toklat The running ice made further
progress impossible, so they decided to dis
embark, make camp, and reconaoiter.
After pQing all their grub on shore and
hauling the boat up clear of the running
ice, they pitched their tent and started in
to cook up. .
"Some one's been here ahead of us some
time, Shorty," remarked Three-Fingered
Bill, "i see a few little tree stumps
around."' V ,
"Blamed if I believe there's a creek left
in this country that somebody hasn't been
on." snorted Shorty as he cut some thick
steaks from a loin of moose. "Still' we
can't go any farther Just now, so we might
as well stick around here a while and take
a look. - - .
"If this creek looks ' all right Jn the
morning, we'll move our stuff up. If It
doesn't, we can camp here till the Ice gets
firm, and go farther up the river. We can
do a little hunting, too. I see plenty of
moose-tracks around." v
After breakfast the following morning
the partners shouldered their guns and set
off up the creek, which they had named
Moose. . '
The air was clear and dry. A light snow
that had fallen during the night vclung to
the trees, undisturbed by even the whis-.
per of a wind. As the sun rose the' coronas
of snow on the tree tops were bathed In
rose of gold. .
For many miles they saw no further
sign of anyone having. been there,, but
about soon when they reached the forks
of the creek they came upon a little clear
ing which gave evidence of some mining
having - been done by the shoveling-in
process. -
- Somewhat surprised, they looked around
and at last discovered a little cabin on the
point between the forks of the creek. To
ward this they made their way.
As they drew near a peal of diabolical
laughter emote their ears. "
v "For the love of Mike! What's this,
Shorty?" whispered Bill as they halted
near, the entrance. "'Another nut, you
think?" - ,
"Ha, ha, ha! . I beat you again," howled
a voice. - vj
The listeners shivered. They had heard
the voices of many victims of the silence,
pushing" aside the canvas that did duty
for a door, they centered.
This is what they saw by the light of a
vacant window-place in the back of the
cabin: Seated With crossed legs on the
floor was the wild-looking form of a man
In a ragged, wornout fur coat. His face
was covered with a long beard and his
hair hung down over hivshoulders. Both
beard and hair were as white as the new
fallen snow. On the soiled floor in front
of him was a rudely constructed roulette
wheel. Innumerable little squat gold-
EVKRT one had been lovely since the
accident. Shirley's room was like, a
wonderful garden rosea, jonquils,' sweet
peas? hyacinths, spring and summer all
blooming together. Yet all day long, in
the' beautiful garden room, Shirley had
been listening. for Charlotte Marlow'a step.'.
She -even, grew a little anxious at the last,
although 6he knew it - was rooiisn, - for
'Charlotte never failed anyone. It was Just
- because Shirley was weak and-tired that
she was anxious. A little before dusk
-Charlotte came,. .. - , , ,
"Guess what I have for you?? she
"I couldn't there Jsn't'an guess in me.
Don't keep me waiting!" Shirley pleaded.
. Charlotte, smiling, laid it Jfr Shirley's
arms a branch " of cherry: blossoms, like
springtime snow.
,r,yl)h!7 Shirley gasped "Ohhe dears!
. Only you extravagant! Ton had no right
to go and do that for roe." I know what
" cherry blossoms must cost in the middle of
March."- - .
i'But you don't that's the fun of it.
They didn't cost anything except the Joy
of loving them up.' I. got them on a walk
two weeks ago,- and fresh water and sun
light did, the rest."
"I don't see how you do it!? Shirley
cried. - ' . - "
"Do what?" Charlotte asked.
: The very ' loveliest thing: every tune.
"And with no money to do it with." '-..
"But the loveliest things aren't bought
with money, you see," Charlotte retorted.
. Just a week later Charlotte had only
Saturday afternoons free she brought an
armful of brown budded, . branches.
"There's alder there, and dogwood thoe
little brown buttons and - some kind of
fruit blossoms, Tm not sure which. - Give
them all the sunlight there la,", were her
directions, x i ' . - 1 f
The third Saturday her gift was a loan
a; little pocket magnifying, glass. "To
keep as Jong vas you want, andtojwatch
your springtime growing. with;" aha de
clared. , - - . 'J-v'- . .. ;
pokes were piled around his knees and-a
similar but smaller pile was stacked on
the opposite side of the table. He never
looked up at their entrance.
"How much x,ou bet this time. Meester
Devil; eh? How much you bet?
"Ah-h! Two t'ousand? Anjrlght!
"Yowl You vin! Ach, Himmel!
, "I get jrou yet! I get you yet! Bet
more! Bet more!"
. Reaching" over, he piled all the gold
pokes belonging to his invisible adversary
on one of the numbers and spun the little
wooden ball. ' .
With clenched hands and a diabolical
leer on his face he watched it eagerly
awfully as it bumped its way around the
wheel and finally settled in one of the
niches. Then:
"All mine! All all!" he shrieked.
.Stretching forth his arms, he gathered
all the little pokes under him with one
sweep," breathed once, but that so deeply
that at ita conclusion his body was
stretched to its limit; quivered slightly
and was still.
Shorty stepped forward and, kneeling-,
turned over the body and looked long at
the emaciated features, 'then rose up with
a scared look on bis face..
"It's Ben "Levi. BUI." he. whispered
hoarsely..
: Bill stooped, picked up the body trem
blingly, and placed it on the rude bunk.
"Say, Shorty! He's just a skinful of
bones! I don't believe be weighs eighty
pounds!"
"He must sure have struck it rich,"
gasped Shorty.
Bill picked up one of the sack. As be
balanced it in his hand a moment a puz
zled expression gradually crept into his
3
Shirley, in her invalid chair, looked at
her with soft eyes. "
' "If that isn't Just you, Charlotte Mar
low!" she ' cried. "I have your secret
now!" ... "- - . ."
"Of course it is I,'" Charlotte returned
gayly, fbut I haven't the least idea what
you mean." ' t --'"-
"I mean that you do with people ex
actly -what you-have done with all this
springtime you've, brought roe. Where
other people see brown sticks, you see
buds, and you watch over them and love
them up, and Jf still they don't; show very
much in return, you take amagnlfylng
glass to them and discover all sorts of
beautiful possibilities that no one else
.sees. - That's what I mean, Charlotte. You
see, sitting here, I have time to think
.things out.". " "
"Things nothing!" - Charlotte was driv
en to slang in her embarrassment. ,- - '
v But Shirley only smiled. She knerv.
, fTouth's Companion." . ' . .J ' "T"
face. . He whipped out hia hunting-knife,
ripped the poke open, and disclosed a
handful of common creek sand!
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