Show r r 1 BELOW ZERO A Romance of the 1 North I North h lo 0 c s i 4 V I Ha Harold old Titus i W. W M. M U l. l 3 dally report Corbel met hIm In the hallway What was Bradshaw prowling around the mill rum for he asked Oh nothing I guess He lie stopped In to chin a minute and anil went on out talk to nn anybody hod else No Oh yes jes He dIdgo did didgo didgo go over and visit a minute with young Belknap Gorbel Corbel turned abruptly Into luto his office and stood beside his bis desk bitIng bit bit- Ing lag a Up lip frowning The office bIt I workers were going out Then footsteps footo footsteps foot foot- o steps and Marie opened the door Going to dance tonight she asked He whirled on her raging I Good GoO lord Marie do you ou think all aU Ive I've got to do elo Is dance No Nol I J Ive I've got the evening full 1 i She bridled at his tone Well you needn't be so rough about It And you needn't nab g me day after aft y er da tiny day 5 0 Sn a any Sa ay She closed rinsed th tile the e door nag need approach approach- l lug Ing g. g I 1 suppose you ou ha have got Jot a aS S full fuU evening C Going to take a little drive Going to drive overto over overto overto to Shoestring for the evening e I haven't been In Shoestring for fora forr r a month 1 1 You He tie I 1 Dont you ou tell teU- tell You lie I she cried cred again c cutting cut t. t ting tang him off oft You were over Wednesday night and tried to see this Richards s girl and got a n door dobr slammed In your our face I j Now laugh laugh that off oft you big bum Well what of It he lie demanded Ill Til see what wha t of It Ive I've been lied to and double double crossed crossed and strung along about long enough I 1 Im Im voice olce dropping to a curiously controlled con con- 55 trolled level Its level Im about done 5 S 1 Any time youre you're through then 4 55 5 Just say the word I She turned and went out slamming slam slam- ming the door I CHAPTER IX i JOHN OIIN BELKNAP did not go town town- ward with the rest of the cr crew w. w He turned In the other direction and followed the road past the last lighted ha habitation The Ille sheriff was there driving his team slowly up and down waiting y Get In lie Ire said gruffly and lifted lift lift- lifted 0 ed the robe to m make ke room beside him Settled there beside the hulking figure John listened attentively while the sheriff told him what he had to tell teU It aint so much he said but buthe buthe he be admitted he lie was out by their gas gasoline g a ns- ns 5 oline oUne drum with this fellow Cases S havo hung on smaller things than that When we get the stomach analysis analysis an an- 5 we well we'll know whether hes he's about the mans man's hem boozed up or not And what about the old Job John asked when he had finished Smooth as silk sUk i Saw Saunders this afternoon and hes he's tickled pink 1 I i Says that Gorb Corbel Gorbel l has pulled of off a alot lot Jot of ot saws and that It aint any chore chor at a all now to keep Ellen In logs s. s I Its It's s 's all sweet as shortcake In Inthe inthe the neighborhood Which makes It look worse for tor me As quick as I land there h l Ii 1 starts to to p pop p. p When Im I'm discovered and andeen een sent up the road trouble subsides bitterly Hes smart Gorbel I ISmart Smart In some ways waysl I the other chuckled Was over in our town the other ther night tr tried d to see EUena Ellen EUen a at her house She wouldn't have it t tad nd ad her housekeeper told how he hammered d on the door and begged I John moved uneasily lIe He used to be sweet on her n all allright allright right and It looked for a time before be Ic fore her daddy died like she was to reciprocate or whatever er you call cull It But Its It's different now Yeah smart In some ways Hes He's made it t look ook bad for you for or a time but Johnny dera dere is 18 for you all aU ways so are arc the rest of EUen's gUens bO boys 8 They dont don't understand un un- understand it all no more than you and I do but they'd thed go to h h l 1 for for you OU every last lust one of ot em era I They would I warmly 1 warmly Bless BJes Blessem Blessem em all nil all they would I But but Miss Mies Richards Shell She'll bethinking be bethinking thinking Just what weve we've agreed is the logical thing to think i that I r.- r. caused the trou trouble le and I when she S Si let me go trouble went with me The sheriff sherIf nodded Tough rough He turned to stare a at t John In the darkness I I get you OU lion sou Women's wu ways s 's are arc hard for a aman roan man to follow But I notice we kee keep p and and aud sometimes we get the hang of ot em I IA IA A world of understanding and aud sympathy and encouragement came cam e with the tone and John left th the e r sheriff sherif with spirits higher than tine they y r bad had been heen for tor du days s t L He ne was restless after his supper r k This wa was Saturday 1 art and OId d t the whole town was gathering at nt atthe atthe the recreation hall 1111 for tor the weekly dunce dance He rIe found himself despite his i Indifference strolling up lip the steps of ot the recreation hall Couples swirled past Imst Girls and women looked at him significantly He saw one whisper to her partner and the man looked at nt John JOllO and nodded and chuckled He lIe was marked The dance ended He turned to see a girl watching from a n seat sent near the door She smiled and lie he bowed though he did not remember ever ever ug I seen her She rose quickly and came cave towards info him hl skirts swaying gracefully about her thighs I guess you ou dont don't remember me air Mr Belknap she said Im Marie Varnell I used to be In la the Chicago Chi Chi- Chicano cano cago office Oh he lie said taken aback I Iguess Iguess 1 guess its it's one on me Ine In a place where there are ure so many look good In ing rag girls though you oU cant can't blame a poor ho boy from the woods if begets he gets confused can cun you 1 She laughed Good line I didn't expect you to remember me though I 1 IA IA A specimen of ot a definite elt city type he saw say her clothing her makeup make h her er bold manner And AntI how long have you been here he lie asked Fourteen months In CIn the theoffice office I suppose Yes The Tile orchestra struck upWell up Well We she said suld I 1 guess I better bet ter get back to the girls Oh cant can't we dance then Her smile flashed She had achieved achie Since leaving the university he had danced little but from the first few tew steps he ire realized that this s stenographer was an exceptional nal dancer Light responsive supple graceful they threaded the swirl of ot less adroit couples In silence She turned her face fuce towards him lilts very close Im glad you OU came she said and he did not catch the peculiar quality quality ity of ot her leer tone So am I 11 This Is the first time Ive I've danced danced- I dont don't mean that Ordinarily Id I'd have a 8 come back for you OU Mr Belk Belk- nap But I dont don't feel teel like wisecracking wisecracking wise wise- wisecracking cracking tonight I came here hopIng hopIng hop hop- Ing Id I'd see you I 1 did what I dont don't usually do an and was a little bold Iguess I Iguess Iguess guess getting you ou to talk to me Ive I've something to tell you A lot you should know So That's Interesting I It talk will be but I cant can't here And Aud we cant can't go out together Ive I've got gut to see you ou alone John was not very cry good at Interpreting Interpreting Inter Inter- interpreting women I 1 dont don't quite understand understand understand un un- he lie said cautiously J 1 wrote a a letter to Miss Richards Richards Rich Rich- ards on dictation Does Docs that mean an anything thing Her lIer eyes as he lie studied them seemed to be lie honest enough Yes he lie admitted And if I hadn't written that Jetter letter letter let Jet ter I might have gone for a ride ride or whatever the they do up here In the woods If that isn't enough Ill I'll say this somebody In has been scared store since you ou came here hele Things that had been going on before ha have hae e stopped since you ou came Into the picture Now are you ou In Interested Very much The music stopped They both applauded applauded applauded ap ap- vigorously When the enI encore encore en- en core started she p put t her cheek close I I to his lils I I Ill leave after the next dance Im I'm liege heie le with other girls from th the e office otTIce I 1 lice H In the house after you OU turn right at the post office once You u walk walle past a half hour after I leave and Ill I'll be waiting in the storm storm- house When I see you yoo and antl It If th the e streets street's empty Ill I'll open the door fo for tor er r you ou After a moment he lie said Fair enough J I He lIe waited through lagging min minutes minutes In utes heedless of the music and an d I laughter and talk about him sitting against the wall heart henrt thumping He lie went out and strolled down dow n the street swung rapidly along th the e sidewalk with Its high piles of ot snow v on either side scanning the house hoes e fronts The third was painted white I Iset it t set back baele thirty feet from rota the street As he came abreast of It the door goo r of the storm storm house house which durin during g the winter protected the tiny iron front porch from weather opened Inward lie JIe saw her standing there ane ant and sh sho he beckoned Come In she sold said looking Tonkin g down the street sod Bud closed the door duo r shutting them Into the little All right now speaking now speaking In III n a normal nor mal mat tone Old lady this thIR this i Is 11 Isher 8 her house house Is Is deaf as a n po post t. t She I sleeps like a n log too If nn comes u up the walk alk lure you U 1 i i J straight ht through the kitchen arm ann out the back door I IWho IWho Who would come he asked sus suspicious sus- sus now P Paul tul Gorbel might come she said C 0 COh Oh I 1 Yes I And If he lie found you hereS here S j 1 n Yes And If He Found You Vou Hero With Me Hed He'd Hed He'd-He He Might Kill KillMe Me Mel with me hed he'd he might kill killme killme killme me I dramatically 1 In the habit of coming coming- to your our I 1 room Is he lie Yes she sine said Im not going to try to put anything over o on you jou ou Mr Belknap I 1 couldn't even en If I wanted wanted want want- ed etI to and I dont don't want to generous Im I'm sure But nut I 1 know this Is a wild sounding sort of ot thing but I want you ou to belleve be he- believe lieve that everything I 1 say Is Gods God's truth Its a long story Mr Belknap Its It's the kind of a stor story with a moral far faras as Im I'm concerned I guess gness guess She laughed a trifle bitterly Im coming clean Ive I've got to to show v you how I know the these e things and to make you understand wh why I Itell Itell tell em to you ou A girls girl's got to shoot square as as long as the other party arty l does Ive I've Ive I've done my ray part up here Ive I've been given a dirty deal from the beginning beg l I And Ane now her voice olce was coarse unpleasant filled with anger Dont misjudge me Mr Mr- Ir Belknap I Please dont don't do that I I was only a kid when Paul Gorl Gorbel l commenced commenced com com- coming Into the Chicago o of ot- flee fice I was a n t typist there and anet he well he ire propositioned propositioned proposItioned me while he was In and anel out of or Chicago seeing your father fa father ther about building the new plant here hire I was to come up here as us his secretary As soon as we could make good with the town so there wouldn't be any gossip he said suld wed we'd be married Well iVell we made marle good with the town Hes He's smart Ive I've been awful careful Weve We've got by but I haven't heard any wedding wedding wed wed- ding bells bens First It was the excuse of oC heading oft off gossip because hes he's awful particular about his stand stand- Ing Then It was something else again You see ever everything had been between between between be be- tween Paul and your father None of ot the others In n the Chicago office i had bad anything an to do with It p p tnt Isn't supervised and audited like the Belknap company plants are I never ne knew why But a year ago ngo Paul came backall back backall all aU In a u huff Your father wasn't Just satisfied with the way things were going Hed He'd commenced to ask questions about the plant and the bank bauk that were hard for Paul to an an- He tie came up himself Just as ns snow came and there was a lot of ot tall scratching Im I'm here to tell the world But he never found out anything Now Paul commenced to figure that he lie was about through with your our father lI Hed He'd d gone as far fur ashe as ashe ashe he could In getting stock In this company He lIe was going a goo good d deal further In other wa ways s 's that Ill I'll 1 explain after a while A All along Id I'd had a feeling that he wasn't shooting straight with meI me I r hadn't been here a month before I was sure of ot it It seems that he hed he'd d been trying to make male this Ellen Richards Rich ards ands for a a- a Surprise you ou 7 she laughed a ashe as s she felt John start violently Well WeH he had I Hed He'd boon been be n gone on her since before her father died but the tire of old d man didn't like him trim and I guess whatever he lie knew he handed on t to o this girl because she didn't fa fall Its got under my skin akin of ot course tours e A girl cant can't help It t If she gets Jealous Jeal ous Mr Belknap Well We as I say she didn't have time for tor anything g but her Job anyhow after her father father fa fa- ther then died You see the bank here e had a lot of ot their notes and Paul knew a all about her tier affairs He go got t his big Idea about that property last fn fall I remember the day he ire hit on or It He figured that the Richards Richardd y company was in such a bad way that he could close It up In n a n few weeks week s If It he could crowd It a little tittle harder Ue He wanted to do that but he didn't dare until he lie heard your father was war y going to Europe He De counted th the e days until he thought he was safe o and then opened up rip She laughed a bit nervously I guess you ou know v what happened d Well he did it a all on his iris own an and I timed It so your father father- wouldn't ge get t wind of what t was going on before e he ire sailed He started gumming u up p her railroad he brought In this thI s Baxter to clean up her men H He e did dd a lot of other things s that I dont don't t know about abort probably thinking h ho C could coul force her to the tho wall wan hu buy a at athis t hl his ow O own i price Ilc and ami th then he over Aver there as sole owner leaving I his stock In this company In tI the bank ns as security for the loan loran It I I would take to swing the deal deaf Get Gett It t Hed He'd be free tree of ot your father fattier them Now I happen to know how he lie worked It It He let the story out out out-as as hes he's a n way of doing that doing that your father fa fn ther they was responsible for a all this Hes He's smart Paul Paull I He lIe spread that story pretty cute cote Ill I'll say But you Mr Belknap sort of upset his buggy b 1 I He found out who this John Steele was and you'd oud ought to ve ye ve heard him hits rave rove I He Be dictated that 1 letter and I had to write It to Ellen Richards The dirty crosser crosser She fumbled for her ber handkerchief I and blew her nose with vigor Well I said fald John with his heart 1 rapping his ribs Well We and Its It's I about as I had figured out Hes He's I played his own game using my fa fathers father's fathers father's fa- fa t ther's iter's cards and my fathers father's name It 1 I But that aint the haltof half halt of It lobo John I 1 Again her hand was wason wason wason on his arm The thing that got goot j your our father sus sus- suspicIous suspicious was how the lumber was grading It showed shoved up an awful lot lotof lotof lotof of low grade |