HEPPNER GAZETTE TIMES, HEPPNER, OREGON, THURSDAY, SEPT. 8, 1927.
PAGE THREE
EDASL
Michael J. Phillipi
Illustrations ljy Hanry Jajr L
Copyrltht Mlckaal V. Phillip
ILdaucd thru Publishers Autsewtar 6rvto
The Leading Characters.
iuisuim ruKBiss, a young resi
dent of Scottdale with an inherent
raving for liquor is held for the
death of a woman who has been kill
ed by a bootlegging truck. Circum
stantial evidence points to Forbes and
rather than tell the truth of the epi
sode, he sands trial, which results in
a long prison sentence. He is soon
pardoned, however, but back in Scott
dale he and
PATSY JANE, his trusting wife,
agree that public sentiment against
him is too strong so they migrate up
north to some land that has been in
the family for years. While here they
form the acquaintance of
ISAIAH SEALMAN, a shifty neigh
bor who is anxious to buy their land.
Eddie learns that the back taxes
amount to over eight hundred dollars
but as he has five months to pay he
decides to refuse Sealman's offer of
$1200 and try and get final title to his
property Sealman's offer having led
him to think it very valuable. But
things do not go well. Eddie drinks
heavily from some bootlegger's po
tions, is forgiven by Patsy, but soon
after falls in with the same gang, gets
drunk, and wakes up in a freight car
in Chicago many miles away. Strick
en with remorse he returns to his
cabin but finds his wife has left and
in her place a ruffian, who orders him
out, A fight ensues in which Eddie
finally knocks his opponent stone
cold.
After ejecting the Intruder, find
ing that he seems to be in league
with Sealman, Eddie goes to Long
Portage and sees Patay, who is work
ing for Kinnane, a lawyer. She an
nounces that she will not join him
until he definitely quits drinking.
Determining to comply, he finds a
job with Davenant, a rancher, and
for several weeks abstains from the
bottle that cheers. But one Sunday,
Eddie walks on the lake trail, and
encounters a Beries of truck smug
glers. Among them he recognizes his
"friends" who shanghaied him to Chi
cago notwithstanding, Forbes hails
them in greeting.
After a few preliminaries Eddie is
convinced of their present good will
and then accepts a bottle of booze.
Putting it away, he plunges through
a dense underbrush, suffering the
' tortures of temptation, which he man
fully overcomes. Arriving back at
the ranch house, the battle is won;
he has not touched the liquor and he
rejoices at his fortitudo.
CHAPTER XVII.
An 6ld Sweetheart.
"Well, Forbes, are .you ready to
sell this place yet?"
It was Sealman who asked the
question on the following Sunday
morning.
"It's not on the market."
Sealman combed his sleek beard
with plump fingers as he leaned
against the garage and watched Ed
die sharpening an axe on the grind
stone. "I thought perhaps with you
working over to Davenant's and your
wife not here " He paused signi
ficantly. "I'll hang on just the same."
"My last offer was fifteen hundred.
Things are getting pretty well with
me. I might be able to borrow a lit
tle at the bank. Suppose we Bay
two thousand?"
Eddie ceased operations on the axe
to look the sleek one sharply in the
eye. "With the taxes, that's more
than twenty-eight hundred you're
willing to pay. That's seventeen dol
lars an acre. Why is this worth so
much?"
The blue eyes flickered away. The
combing fingers, sifting through the
glossy beard, did not change their
cadence. "It isn't, Forbes. But it
adjoins my property.- I could use it
to advantage."
"Why not sell out and buy some
where land is cheapet?"
Sealman smiled. "I might ask you
the same thing," ho replied, and Ed
die secretly acknowledged the justice
of the thrust. "This is my home.
I have an affection for it. I don't
want to live somewhere else."
"I nunnose that's true," said Ed
die slowly. "But I'm not selling;
that's final."
"You may lose it on the taxes
"The taxeB will be taken care of
when the time comes," retorted Ed
die. "By the way, they tell me you
have some young pigs. Wonder if
I could deal for one of them? Bull
offered to let mine run with their
hogs till fall. A good, thriving pig
should make mo some money."
When Eddie loft for the ra.ich that
evening, a chubby young porker
scrambled ineffectively in a gunny
sack in the tonneau of his car. The
little animal had cost five dollars.
But iiiB new owner could see his val
ue multiplied by four against the
day of tax-reckoning.
The perspective of a little distance
from Sealman made the man uncon
vincing. His explanation of why he
wanted the Forbes tract did not ex
plain. He was not the type of man
who would let sentimental considera
tion stand in the way of his making
a dollar. Home was a house that
sheltered him, to be abandoned with
out regret if the abandonmoni would
bring money.
"I feel, somehow, that Sealman was
mixed up in those two rum-runners
tAin mo Hruetfcd whiskey," mused
Eddie. "They had no reason of their
own for getting me out ot ine coun
... i wn ont out by freight so the
motor-tramp could come in and jump
my claim. He was to keop me off
with his gun. It wasn't an accident
that he was talking to Sealman on
the road that day after I drove him
"The long and short of it is that
Sealman wants my place. He wants
it badly, because it has a greater
value, somehow, than appears on the
surface. I wonder what it is?" He
pondered fruitlessly. "Well, no mat
ter. I')l hang on tighter. The rea
son will come out."
Summer advanced inexorably. The
fund in the Long Portage State bank
mounted surely, though much too
slowly. Almost every cent of his
wages from Davenant went into it.
He could not possibly, of his own
efforts, earn all of the tax-money.
But he was reasonably sure that the
deficit would be made up from one
of two sources.
One source was Davenant, and his
confidence seemed justified. The city
man, big, incisive and iron-gray, acid
tongued in reproof and treasuring his
words of commendation as though
they were jewels, nevertheless show
ed that he approved of Eddie. The
latter worked hard and intelligently.
In July Davenant raised his pay five
dollars a month. This, from Dave
nant, was the essence of eloquence.
In the unthinkable event that Dave
nant failed him, there was the gov
ernor. His months on the ranch had
taught him much. His quarter-section
was not so worthless at he had
deemed it. Seeding, cultivating and
the prevention of further burning
cver by forest fires would build it up.
He could raise stock upon it,' which
would support them while it enriched
the land. There was more depth to
the soil than he realized. All this
would take work, and plenty of it, but
he was willing to work and to wait.
He felt that his future, his and Patsy
Jane's, was somehow bound up with
this scraggly oblong in the wiluerness.
The liquor which the bootleggers
had given him remained in his bag.
It was a trophy of victory, the scalp
of a vanquished enemy. Sometimes
he took the bottle out to look at it
quizzically, to shake it until it gur- j
gled sullenly. There was still spells
of longing. But the "No of a
tronze-hard resolution drove the
beasts of appetite speedily to their
lair again.
Things were moving, if not happily
at least with sober satisfaction, the
Sunday morning that Nance Encell
drove to the door of the wilderness
cabin. He was squaring the uneven
walls of the living room, preparatory
to giving them a coat of paint, when
tne imperious blast of a motor-horn
called him to the door.
The girl left her car and advanced
to meet him, hand outstretched.
"Hello, there, Eddie!" she called joy
ously. "Gee, but it's good to see
you.
"Nancel ' There was more of sur
prise than pleasure in his manner,
which she noted with a humorous
gnmace. "Where did you come
from?"
"Just as glad to see me as though
I were the smallpox," she comment
ed. ' "Oh, woll, once it wasn't so.
Where did I come from? Our place
on the North Fork."'
The Encells had, he recalled, a
lrdge in the pleasant country due
north of Long Portage, perhaps
twenty milos from where his cabin
stood. It was not a long drive, even
for sandy wilderness roads. Only,
he wished that she hadn't come.
"Well, aien't you going to ask me
in?" she rallied him.
"Of course; I want you to see the
improvements I'm making."
She stood in the center of the floor
and looked smilingly about her.
Nance Encell was a superb and' strik
ing figure, vividly blonde. Her hair;
was rough, not from lack of care, but
from an excess of the owner's energy,
apparently. She wore whipcord rid
ing breeches that fitted with reveal
ing perfection and a thin, brown
silk shirt, its collar femininely roll
ing, cut low and held loosely in place
by a flowing red tie. She looked a
daughter of the Vikings, but sophis
ticated modernized and raised from
Viking stolidity by a complex modern
civilization.
"Eddie, as a housekeeper and car
tenter and landscape gardener you're
the antelope's ankles," she announced
flippantly. "I remember stopping at
this old cabin last summer. It was
deserted then, and certainly forlorn
enough." She sat down.
It seemed good to see someone from
home, though Scottdale belonged to
oast epoch in his life. She told
him the news of the little town, flav
ored with a humor slightly embitter
ed, slightly ironic. "Now tell me
your troubles, buddy," she ordered,
when Scottdale as a topic of conver
sation was exhausted.
None to tell," he smiled. "Every
thing's fine. I'm working at Davenant's."
"Don't you think I'm too old a
friend to be kept on the outside look
ing in?" she shot back, with smil
ing earnestness that was impressive.
"Come across, now; tell your name."
CHAPTER XVIII.
Patsy Sees.
"Nothing to tell, really," he re
iterated. "Bunkl" The word was freighted
with contemptuous impatience. "I
know what I know, Eddie. You know
I'm interested. I've been inquiring
around. You've had trouble over this
place. There is a lot of tax-money
nearly due. You've been putting on
some bouts with old John W. Bar
leycorn and losing spectacularly.
And Patsy's left out."
"You astonish me," he said lightly,
though the red crept up in his tan
ned cheeks. "Really, it's all in the
way you say it. Thosa things are
so and they aren't so. Mr. Barley
corn and I did do consdicrable scrap
ping and I got mussed. But I've
licked him, He's out for keeps. There
is'Bome tax money due. But I'll have
it before the redemption period
closes. As for your other assertion
well that's quite wide of the mark,
too, Nance."
Miss Encell rose from the long,
log, slab chair with the ease and
grace of a leopard uncoiling. She
ptrodo over to where Eddie was sit
ting. The slender hands, with amaz
ing strength in their fragil-appeaing
roundness, closed on his shoulders.
She all but lifted him to his feet.
They confronted each other, her
hands still on his shoulders.
"See here, Eddie," she said, de
cisively, "it won't do. I know what
I'm talking about. We'll admit booze
is out. But that doesn't help you
much. There's a lot of money duo on
your land, aside from thi:i year's
taxes. You haven't enough to meet
it, and you won't be able to get en
ough. Toll the truth, now. Will
you?"
"I haven't all of it," he admitted.
"I know where I can borrow if I
have to."
She nodded and went on: "Patsy
had left you, Eddie. All Long Port
age knows it. She's a stenographer
in old Kinnane's office. She's living
at their home. So "
Again the red flowed into his
cheeks. "And you're still off on the
wrong foot, Nance. Everything is
all right, really."
She shook him impatiently. "Can
it, Eddie; I know it isn't. Now, what
I came here to pay was this; I " and
then she stopped as if quite unable
to go on. But she shrugged and
plunged bravely ahead. "I have mon
ey enough to wipe out those taxes
and never miss it. Won't ycu "
"No, Nance. Thank you just the
same, but it Isn't necessary. I can
get it all right."
It was now hit turn to step, em
barrassed, lor the eyes int which
he looked were slowly filling with
tears. "I'd like to do a little some
thing" she began, again. "Sure you
can get it, Eddie?"
"Sure, Nance. But I'm mighty
grateful to you just the same."
A smile broke through. "All right,
old independence," she said, with hard
gayety. And before he realized what
her next move might be, she leaned
forward and kissed him on the mouth.
It was Nance who realized first, a
shade before Eddie did, that there
was someone in the back yard, some
one who saw them through the open
door. He could feel her grip tighten
as she laughed loudly and malicious
ly. "Come soon," she said, raising
her voice.
He turned his head. Patsy Jane
had come up in the Kinnane car,
and had stopped in the driveway near
the garage. She had seen the kiss,
heard the words of invitation and the
laugh. She turned on the instant,
her head high, got into the car, swung
it swiftly and was off on the road
she had come.
Eddie was confused, resentful, in
dignant. He was angry with Nance.
Yet good taste kept him from saying
many of the things he yearned to
say. 'That wsan't just fair, Nance,"
he managed, at last.
She tossed her head. "I knew you
before she knew there was such a
person in existence as Eddie Forbes.
If she has any Eense, this won't make
liny difference. Hang it, I don't see
the harm in kissing an old friend,
so long as it's open and aboveboardl
If she hasn't any sense " Uplifted
eyebrows finished the sentence.
Eddie's anger grew. Nance had
come from a generous motive. She
had heard that he was in difficulties;
she wanted to relieve those difficul
ties. Yet the result of her visit had
fcfeen to widen the rapidly closing
chasm between Patsy and himself. She
had thrown in that invitation to call
as a deliberate and gratuitous barb.
"You didn't play fair, Nance," he
said coldly. "What you've done is to
make things a little more difficult for
w
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'E have dandy Pencils and
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Then don't forget, when you
get hungry, we have candies
and cookies always with just
the kind you like.
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"I'm sorry," she replied, simply,
and contrition came into her lovely
eyes. She sighed. Her hands drop
ped from his shoulders. "I think I'll
be going. But if you need money,
oi or me." A, lovely red swept over
her face. She turned swiftiy with
out another word and ran to her car,
which was standing in front of the
house. There came the roar of its
powerful engine as she, too, drove
toward Ling Portage.
Eddie tried to busy himself with
his task of smoothing and planing.
But the work had lost its savor. He
wanted to get to Patsy Jane as soon
as possible, to explain Nance's visit
and her impulsive kiss. Yet for sev
eral hours, pride held him back. For,
he told himself, Pat had taken too
much for granted and had run away
without giving him a chance. He
should let her get over her huffy fit.
that's all. He should let her come to
her senses .
By three o'clock be deemed that she
shuold have come to her senses, for
he drove townward, taking the curves
of the sandy road at a reckless
speed. His visit was fruitless. Mrs.
Kinnane came to the door of her
home in answer to his ring. She said
briefly that Mrs. Forbes was away.
"Do you know when she'll be back?"
he questioned, disappointedly.
"No, Mr. Forbes. She said to tell
you not to wait."
Summer reached its crent, and the
little, sheltered valleys about Long
Portage and out through the wilder
ness were alive with huckleberries.
It was a good fruit season, for the
the rains had been plentiful, and had
come at the right time. The rich,
purple berries, each as large as the
end of one's little finger, grew in
prodigal profusion. The sturdy vines
were bending beneath their weight.
Fortunately for Long Portage the
crop was a failure elsewhere, and the
berries brought a good price in De
troit and Chicago. The village was
depopulated, for all those wl.c could,
left for the harvest. Skilled pickers
made big money.
Many went out a dozen miles to
camp in the more extensive patches.
Others drove forth and back, morning
and evening in their cars, the ton
neau laden with the spoils when they
returned with the setting sun. Even
horses and wagons were not despised,
for some of the best berry patches
were found on bumpy side roads,
trapped with damp sand, where four
footed motive power was surest and
safest.
The huckleberries gave Eddie a
chance to earn extra money. He
grasped it eagerly. Davenant was
an enlightened rancher. He demand
ed except in cases of seasonal emer
gency, only eight hours daily. Eddie
and some of the other hands rose at
five and before, to get in a good two
hours picking before breakfast. Then
there were two hours in the evening,
after which Eddie drove through the
beautiful reluctant northern twilight
to the buyer at the railroad express
office, with his pick. The fast night
train delivered the berries, the dew
of secluded valleys still on them, at
the city markets next day.
There was a good patch of berries
on Eddie's own .quarter-section, near
the mound. This he saved until the
last. When everything on the other
side of the creek within easy dis
tance was exhausted he drove, early
one morning over to his own prop
erty. The sand of the narrow road was
damp. He noticed with surprise the
clear-cut impression of motor-tires
which, turning from the highway, also
entered the southern field of his land.
He followed the track to the mound
and around the base.
(Continued Next Week)
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