Show 1 BELOW ZERO I A Romance of the North Woods v I Ha Harold oId Titus V f p J the m roan man n would call caU or come o Steele Burke Burke- talking That was a nice one somebody pulled Im with you Why the tIle devil U cant can't your help block their loads oads so they're not running away and ond cluttering cluttering up other folks folk's yards mill Say you can cau forget that lino IIno right now I Yon You know d d-d d d well that those loa loads lIs didn't run awa away I Well ell If It you know Imo It all all prove something and suggest something All AU right we want our logs back Then go get em and send em around by the main line What Wh Why Wh that's a tw two two- mile bundred-mile haul No o sir We expect you yon to deliver those logs back to the crossing and stand a lawsuit la If you put a single one of em through your mill John Johan grinned Were Vere no common carriers he said Bald Youve got ot us on the haul haulIn III In youve you've no hold on us the other way Its It's up to you ou to prove that those but nul nut logs are anything a sance lance to the Richards company compan We J cant can't litter the yard ard with em era If It you dont don't get em cm out at on once e well we'll have bave to saw em cm Is that all an Walt a minute The man evidently c turned aside and cupped his hand band over oyer the transmitter transmitter trans trans- mitter while he talked with an nn other Ive I got nothing else to sa say except ex cx ept this we expect to have our logs back at the crossing b by the end of the week And you ou tell teU whoever's there coaching you that logs are clutterIng clutterIng clutter clutter- Ing things thing up down below If they arent aren't loaded out day lay after tomorrow tomorrow tomor tomor- row well we'll start In sawing em Goodby Goodby Goodby Good- Good by He slammed up the receiver and turned away e eyes es laughing He was on shaky ground round he Knew but he h had d misgivings on only J one De score this was that he had been so BO firm In his stand that Gor- Gor bel bei might take the matter out of or I Burkes Burke's hands and anti mal make e his bis protest protest pro pro- test In person He did not want to confront Paul Corbel Gorbel yet he was not ready to have ha his Identity known In the country He fIe pondered the possibilities at length and finally Dually decided that the general manager of an operation as big as-big bl as i Belknap Corbel Gorbel would not be chasing up the employees of ot another er r company He would let Burke Burte do So the rest of the talking for him himas as Burke had done clone Just now He would not have been so comfortable comfortable comfortable com com- had bad he been aware of ot one Incident which transpired after supper that nl night ht He was In the theoffice theoffice theoffice office with Mark and Jack Tack Talt Tait when a light driving team came trotting silently Into camp The driver stepped down tied the near horse to to a sapling and approached the little building with a stride which bespoke determination At Atthe Atthe the steps which led to the doorway doorway door door- w way y he slowed however howe Light streamed through u a window upon him he g glanced Inside and stopped almost with a n Jolt John was standing where the rays of ot the hanging lamp tamp fell on his face holding pipe In one hand and I fi burning match In the other The rhe Theone Theone one outside watched John closely and after a moment he lie laughed softly to himself A man came carne out of the cook- cook shanty and wall walked elI towards thet the t office The visitor tug tugged ed at nt the v vI visor or of ot his fur cup an and turned to meet him Jack he Wheres b Say said Steele co Aint he In the office there the theother theother other countered Sure he Is I That's him up there Oh thanks and with a muttered muttered mut mute word about tying his team theman the theman man turned awa away from the build build- Ings lugs lie He did no tying he untied the one horse hors mounted the seat and drove away smartly Then Paul Corbel pulled the horses to a walk and lI lighted a n cigar ci ci- gar He fie smoked rapidly as ns he thought rapidly He lie had gone Into i the Richards woods headquarters tonight to threaten and badger this stranger named Steele who was goIng go go- Ing Ina BO so far tar In upsetting the fruition of ot n Ii eur carefully fully laid lold plan But he had hud not talked to him had not thought of stolen l logs togs from tile lie moment moment mo mo- ment meat h ho he looked through throng the win dow v. John Belknap masqueradIng Ing InK as alii John Steele He removed r the cigar from frolD his mouth muth and ond laughed once briefly and without mirth Then he cut his team cruelly cruel cruel- ly Iy with the whip and nud drove on past post his camp where he had planned to 10 spend the nl night bt speeding for Kamp Kamp- k feet feat Let Burke handle the I t. t affair of ot stolen logs Larger mattera mat mat- tera commanded his attention CHAPTER VII i i.- i. I IS position had become untenable untenable untenable unten unten- H HIS able for John Belknap A man cant can't make love to a girl when lie he has bas led her to think that he Is another another an an- other can he be About such SUell a situation situation situ situ- under the circumstances was something unclean I A man does not want to tell a girl he loves only part of what there Is to tell He wants to tell It all every er sentence sentence sentence sen sen- tence word and s syllable lIable He had written the sheriff at length th the nl night ht after DeYoung the Belknap Corbel Gorbel flier nier had told his stor story not trusting a n word of that thatto thatto to script but bul setting down a theory as he had evolved evoh-ed It and outlining a It program for the well intentioned likable but slow thinking officer to follow follow- This afternoon Bradshaw had telephoned that certain Investigations invest invest- had been made and John rode In n with the logs to determine what he lie had hod learned carnell Been waltin for you the sheriff said scratching his head Sit Steele I done doue what you told me but hut It didn't seem to get us any any- w where ere Everything E looks straight as ns a string So Just what'd you find Well I did Just what you suggested suggested suggested sug sug- In your letter Itter might be done I went to yesterday and made mode the point that the county didn't want to I bury ur this tills lad and tried to locate his relatives Was careful to ask around In to other places and Just as you figured figured figured fig fig- nobody could help Then I went to Gorbel Corbel like e It was kind of ot ofa ota a last resort and apologized for him on it and he tells the straightest story you ou ever e heard beard If It hes he's crooked hes he's too smart for us And mo maybe be were we're wrong all along the line What did he offer H I II 1 he told me everything I He told the straightest story a mand ever listened to Hed He'd fired tired this man himself he sold said because he lie was full tull of moon Said It n again an I and again that the mand been I drunk as a n lord If hes he's 1 lying he sure Is a good hand at It What do do you suppose hed he'd say If It he knew we hind had a witness to his handing over o a n Jug to this man And If the witness was pretty certain taro tain the Jug was filled with gasoline gaso gasoline gasO- gasO line 7 Huh Bradshaw v WItness Witness Witness Wit ness You mean mean- John nodded Witness he whispered sharply Ive got him Nat I 1 Rapidly he recounted what DeYoung DeYoung DeYoung De- De Young had told him and the sheriffs sher sher- iffs e eyes ees es grew round with excitement excitement excite excite- ment Now John went on the next nert move Is to upset Corbels Corbel's own story He told you again agan and again that the man ninn was drunk trunk DeYoung doesn't think so so but If that stomach stomach ach hasn't alcohol In It then Paul Corbels Corbel's well on his way towards being suspected of arson and arson arson arson ar ar- ar- ar son Isn't a mild charge In this thus state Nat nt 1 Ill say Ill I'll sn say It aint D n D-n n me Well We'll hn have ve a d In a day or two now and well we'll see what well we'll see I II I I They talked until late and John went to his bed with a finer sense of ot well well being than he had had for fora a long time He would not have been so complacent so certain that his problem would come to an easy and earl early solution had bad he known what went on In the Belknap Gorbel Corbel o offices ices that same evening Paul Corbel had driven his team relentlessly Into that day his dark darle eyes glittering Fear and hate and Jealousy rode with him bm When he lie entered his office however however how how- ever er he be was controlled apparently at peace with the lie world lie went to the Bank of or ga gave e orders orders orders or or- ders to the cashier visited a moment moment moment mo mo- mo- mo I ment and was WIS In his office when the mill closed He ne stood In the dowa doorway as the themen themen themen men streamed by hy and when Tucker approached he called the man to him A girl conic came out modishly dressed In a fur coat cant a different sort of figure fiure than those you ou will see on the str streets ets of a 1 northern mill town Corbel broke his talk to Tucker rucker Oh Oh Marie I The girl Irl turned showing a white face under the light lips heaY heavy with wIlh make up I even gleaming teeth Ill have hove I Isome some letters this evening About eight I 1 All rl right ht she said and went wenton wellton on and Corbel Gorbel turned again to Tucker When WIlen he had finished the man nodded II I TI 1 yes cs r You know she's never ncr nev nc never er r been heen a hand hond to gl say much n against folks Rut But Ive I've hoard heard her hor burn hurn up old Belknap worse worsen fn 11 If It shed she'd russell cursed him out 1 More rapid mumbling from Hort GorI Tor Hor t I Front or Steele Why 1 I dunno Oh yes cs I Once I did I he sure gave gme old Tom what for to Steele I Day after we ditched your cars to tie em era up He lie laughed unpleasantly at recalling this act net of treachery Gorbel Corbel had told the stenographer to return at eight He lie however was In his office again before seven seven seven sev sev- en seated at his desk writing slowly The outer door opened and closed his Ills office knob turned and the girl Marie came In Io Lo t It she said In a half halt whis whis- per lIe He smiled and spoke without looking up She took off ofT her coat removed the snug snub felt turban pulled off her galoshes and stood re revealed a silk silk- legged en-legged low necked sleeved short slip sUp of ot a girl with wIlh e eyes es that might have been gentle but were not with a mouth that might have been tender but was not on she asked fluffing her bobbed hair and approaching f fr r I He Slipped a Sheet of Paper Over the Penciled Lines 13 laying ng a hand familiarly on Gor Cor Corbels Corbel's Gorbel's bels bel's shoulder and leaning over to read realI what he was writing He slipped a n sheet of ot paper poper over oyer the penciled lines Not yet Wha ts t's the big Idea she asked hostility In the tone drawing hack back lie He caught her wrist rou roughly hl and laughed as ns he drew her to his chair I n arm rm I Hot headed bab baby he breathed br l and kissed her arm Its a letter to another girl But lint when youve you've read rend It through you'll understand And Im I'm going to let you ou read He patted her back and the tem ter temper temper per receded from her face slowly Well Wen ever er since I caught you ou writing to this Richards party and found out you'd been going to see her and 1 lying Ing to me about It Ive I've naturally been suspicious Good G G-d G d have bave we got to have that over again Hasn't It been explained well enough to satisfy even en your Jealousy Well It was once But nut what's a girl to think I come up from Chicago on the promise Im I'm going to be a 3 respectable married woman woman ironically Ironically I wait walt and whine and beg and am nm put off until until until- Cant you see he be pleaded Im Im- patiently You know the state things are In now I J Let me get hold of ot this Richards property on myown myown my ray own let me get things running here as they should go and Ill I'll throw you a party preacher and all nIl that'll startle even the picture crowd In Hollywood Well seeIng's believing And what Ive I've got on now V Is Just about the knock knockout I want you ou to rea read this and hold your our temper until you get Iet to the end encl I want you to c copy py It on plain paper and address an envelope Im I'm going to tomail mall mail It t Read Marie a bombshell bombshell bombshell bomb bomb- shell I He thrust the paper Into her hands and watched her face as she sherea rea read d. d Well for tor gosh sakes I was her comment blue blua eyes ees widening In iii amazement Is it a fact Sure as youre you're born I Ho slapped the desk See what It means See what It'll do He ne talked rapidly e eyes es narrowing In earnestness The girl Irl listened and when he had finished she took a long breath Youre the cats when It comes to scheming She was silent a moment thrusting out her hor lower Up lip If ff It was an anybody holly else Id I'd be sorry sorry sorry sor sor- ry for her But nut her h 1 If you ou ever look at her again Ill I'll give her a n ho boy hob hob and no mistake And maybe trim you along with It She took the chair he had vacated ed and drew writing materials towards towards to to- wards her hr preparing to copy what he had bad written Two 10 days later Inter shortly after afternoon afternoon afternoon noon as fiS he be entered the office the clerk wheezed to John Ellen telephoned She sold said for tor you oU to come coine In to with the loads tonight tonIght tonight to to- night sure John wondered Usually when Ellen wanted to get In touch with him she loft left word for him to call So It was with his curiosity rou roused cd that John left lert the train after Its I arrival cro crossed the yard mill-yard and entered the street Lights were burning In the theoflice and he hastened In Hello nello he said suld opening the thedoor thedoor thedoor door and anel seeing Ellen n alone at her desk what's the waiter ne put ao Gown down n her pen slowly I opened a purse that lay on the desk I beside her and took out a letter leUer Explain this she said and her tone was like Uke Ice Frowning he took the tho envelope from her Her name and address were written on it It The postmark he saw was He shook out the single sheet of ot paper with hands that trembled Dear Friend he read In times of or trouble It Is up to women omen to stand together I have known something for weeks that has hns been on my conscience If It you will look back you will see that most of ot the trouble which has come to you has hns been since the man who calls caUs himself himself him him- self John Steele came caine to work for tor you You may recall the things he apparently has done In your behalf consider the things that have hap hap- This superintendent of or yours conspired with Tucker rucker your our to cause canse two wrecks on your railroad He discharged Tucker to make his lils game seem con con- Your barn was burned at athis athis his hits orders and a n harmless tramp lost his 11 life fe In It Certain accomplishments have hn been placed to his credit Your property were It not for Its being so heavily Involved would be he on Its feet If your creditors should force you ou out now the they would be beIn beIn In a position to make e the he operation pay from the hour they took charge thanks to what this called so-called John Steele has hns done for them under guise of ot doing It for you rou HAll All this may sound beyond ond belet belief be be- let lief but Just ask thIs tills Steele whether or not he Is using his own name or orIf orif If It he is not known elsewhere as John Steele Belknap Yours In s |