Show r 1 8 p 0 B I 77 II fi Ann An Alaskan Lowe Love Lovene The ne Yukon it wo T wail ran AllS oiry Copyright William Macleod flame Raine By William Macleod Raine I MACDONALD WINS FIRST MOVE IN BATTLE WITH ELLIOT FOR SHEBA'S FAVOR Synopsis As As a representative e of or the government o Gordon Elliot Is Ison Ison ison on his wa way to Alaska to Investigate coal claims On the boat he meets and becomes Interested in a n fellow v passenger whom he learns Is Sheba ONeill O'Neill nl also o going In Colby Macdonald active head hend of or the land land- grabbing syndicate under investigation comes aboard Elliot and Macdonald Macdonald Macdonald Mac Mac- donald become in a measure friendly Landing Lauding at Kuslak Kusiak Elliot finds that old friends ot of o his Mr and Mrs Puget Paget are the people whom Sheba has come to visit Mrs Paget Is la Sheba's cousin At dinner Elliot reveals to Macdonald the object of his coming to Alaska The two men naturally antagonistic now also become rivals for the hand baud of Sheba Macdonald foreseeing failure of his financial plans if Elliot learns the facts sends Selfridge his right hand man to to arrange matters matters matters mat mat- so that Elliot will be deceived as fiS to the true situation Elliot also leaves for and wandering from the trail believes that he faces death Selfridge on his arrival tit nt has his agents abduct Gideon Holt time old miner who knows too much about Macdonald's activities Elliot wanders into the camp where Holt Is held a prisoner The two men overpowering orpo the kidnapers return to where Elliot learns the truth about the coal land lund deals CHAPTER X X Continued 6 Elliot glanced at the woman behind whose skirts the youngster was hid hid- ing not bad looking if it that's what you mean menn he said after they had taken up the trail again You aint the thc only white man that has thought that retorted the old miner significantly No Gordon had learned to let letHolt letHolt letHolt Holt tell things at his leisure It usually usually ally took less time than to try to hurry him Name of the kid mean anything to you 1 Cant say it did Hm I 1 Named for his dad First syllable of ot each ench of his napes names The land inspector stopped In his stride and ond wheeled upon Holt You dont don't bean Colby Macdonald Why dont don't I But Good But Good Lord he Isn't a squaw w man Is he Not In the usual meaning of the word She never cooked and kept house for I 1 n. TI Just the same little Is his Ills kid Couldn't you see It sticking sUcking out all over him Hes He's the spit n image of ot his dad I I see It now youve you've pointed It out I was trying to think who he reminded me of ot Of course it was Macdonald Mac met up with when he first scouted this country for coal five years ago ngo So fars far's I know he was square enough with the girl She never ne'-er claimed he made any promises or anything like that He sends a n check down once n a quarter to the trader here for tor her and the kid But Dut young oung Elliot was not thinking about His minds mind's eye saw another picture the picture the girl at nt Kuslak Kusiak listening spellbound to the tales of a aman aman aman man whose actions translated romance into life for her a girl swept from th the quiet backwaters of an Irish village to this land of the midnight sun sun with Its amazing contrasts And all nil the way up on the boat she continued to fill his mind The slowness slowness slowness slow slow- ness of the steamer steam steamer fretted fretted him Sometimes Sometimes Some Some- Sometimes times the Jealousy In his heart flamed up op like a n prairie fire when It comes to a brush heap The outrage of it set him blazing with Indignation It was no less than a conspiracy What a a s l lG c Elliot Glanced at the Woman could an innocent nt young girl like Sheba know of such a man as Colby Macdonald Her imagination conceived conceived conceived con con- no doubt an idealized vision of ot him Wm But the real man was clear out out- Bide side her ken Gordon set Bet his Jaw grimly He would have it out with Diane He Dc would let her see Bee she was us not going to have it all nil her own way By heaven ho he would put a spoke in her wheeL He was on fire to come to his Journeys Journey's journeys journey's journeys journey's Jour jour- ney's end No sooner had hud he reached his hotel than hp he called up Mrs Paget Quite clearly she understood that he h e J i wanted an nn invitation to dinner r. r Yet let she hesitated My phone cant can't be working well Gordon told her gayly You must have asked me to to dinner but I didn't just hear it Never mind Ill I'll be there Seven o'clock did you sa say Diane laughed Youre Just as much a bo boy as you were ten years ago Gord Gont All right Come along But youre you're to leave lenye at ten No I cant can't hear that My rne has gone bad again And 1 If I had heard I shouldn't think of doing anything any any- thing thing-so thing so ridiculous as leaving at t that at h hour ur It would be an insult to your hospitality I know when Im I'm well off Then Ill I'll have to withdraw my Invitation in In- In Perhaps some other day day day- Ill leave at ten promised Elliot meekly He could almost hear the smile In her tier voice as she answered Very well Seven sharp Ill I'll explain about the curfew limit some time Macdonald was with Miss ONeill O'Neill In Inthe Inthe Inthe the living Jl room when Gordon arrived at the Paget home Sheba came forward came forward to greet the new guest The welcome in her eyes was very genuine You and Mr Macdonald know each other of course she said after her handshake The Scotsman nodded his lean grizzled grizzled griz griz- I head looking straight into the eyes of the field agent Yes I know Mr Elliot Elliot now Im I'm not sure that he knows me me yet yet Im beginning to know you rather well Mr Dir Macdonald answered red Gordon Gordon Gordon Gor Gor- don quietly If the Alaskan wanted to declare war he was ready for for It lt The field agent knew that Sel Selfridge had kept reports reports re re- re- re p ports orts detailing what had happened at Up to date Macdonald had offered him the velvet glove He wondered wondered won won- d dered ered If the time had come when the fist of steel was to be doubled Did you have a n successful trip Mr Elliot asked Sheba Innocently Paget grinned beh behind nd ills his hand The girls girl's question was like a match to powder r and everyone in the room k knew new It t but she The engineers engineer's Interests In In- and aud his convictions were were on the s side ide of Macdonald but he recognized that Elliot had been sent in to gather facts for the government and not to give advice ce to ta It Did you Gordon echoed his host host- ess I think so he be answered quietly I hear you put up with old Gideon Holt Is he as cracked as he used toe to tobe tobe b be e asked Macdonald Was he cracked when you used to know him on Frenchman creek countered countered countered coun coun- the young man Macdonald shot a quick slant look 1001 at him The old man had been talking talk talk- ing had he be He Ie was cracked and broke too laughed the mine owner hardily Cracked when he came broke when he left lett Yes that was one of the stories he told me Gordon turned to Sheba You should meet the old man Miss ONeill He knew your father at Dawson Dawson Dawson Daw- Daw son and on Bonanza The girl w was s all aU eagerness Id Td like to Does he ever come to Kuslak Kuslak Ku Ku- KusIak sIak Nonsense 1 l cut in Diane sharply She flashed Gordon a look of annoy annoy- ance Hes nothing but a daft old Idiot my dear The dinner had started wrong and though Paget steer steered d the conversation to safer ground It did not go very well Gordon was ashamed of himself He Ho could not quite have told what were the impulses that had moved him to carry the war Into the camp of the enemy Perhaps more than anything else It had been a certain look of quiet assurance In the eyes of his rival when he looked at Sheba He rose promptly at ten Must y you u go so soon 1 Diane asked She was smiling at him with with bland mockery I really must must answered Elliot His hostess follot followed ved ed him into the hall She watched him get into his coat before saying what was on he her r mind What did you mean by telling Sheba that old Holt nolt knew her father What Is he to tell her If they meet that meet that her father tather died of pneumonia brought broughton on by drink Is that what you want I suppose I wanted Holt bit to tell her that Macdonald robbed her father and Indirectly was the cause of ot his death Absurd I exploded Diane Youre so 50 simple that you accept as truth the gossip of every crack brained crack idiot idiot idiot- when It suits your purpose He smiled boyishly engagingly ashe as ashe ashe he held out his hand Dont lets let's quarrel Dl DI I admit I forgot m myself All right We wont won't But dont don't believe all the catty talk you hear Gordon Ill try to believe belleve only the truth He Be smiled a little ruefully And It Isn't necessary for tor you to explain wh why the curfew law applies to me and notto not notto notto to Macd Macdonald She was on her dignity at once Youre quite right It isn't necessary But Im I'm going to tell you anyhow Mr Macdonald is going away tomorrow for two or three days and he be has some business he wants to talk over with Sheba He had made an on appointment with her and I didn't think It fair to let your coming Interfere with it Gordon took this facer with his smile e still working Ive got a n little business I want to talk over with you DI Dl She had always been a young woman of rather a hard finish Now she met him fairly eye to eye Any time you like Gordon Elliot carried away with him one very definite impression Diane intended in- in Intended Intended In In- tended Sheba to marry Macdonald If It she could bring It about She had asgood as asgood asgood good as ns served notice on on him that the girl was spoken for The young man set his square Jaw Diane was used to having hayIng her own way So was Macdonald l Well the Elliots had a n will of their own to too CHAPTER XI Sheba Says Perhaps Obeying the orders of the tho general In IIi command Peter took himself to his den with the excuse that he had blueprints blueprints blueprints blue blue- prints to work over Presently Diane said she thought she heard one of the ch children re crying and left to investigate I The Scotsman strode to the fireplace and stood looking down Into the glowing glowIng glowIng glow- glow Ing coals He seemed in no hurry to break the silence and Sheba glanced at his strong brooding face a little ap ap- ap- ap She knew of only one subject that would call for so formal a private talk between her and Macdonald Macdonald Macdonald Mac Mac- donald and any discussion of this she would very much have liked to post post- pone He turned from the fire to Sheba It was characteristic of him that he plunged straight at what he wanted to say Ive asked to see you alone Miss ONeill O'Neill because I want to make a confession confession conn con con- and restitution to restitution to to begin with he told her abruptly She had a sense of suddenly stilled pulses That sounds very serious The young woman smiled faintly His face of chiseled granite masked aU all emotion It kept under lock and key the Insurgent impulses that moved him when he looked Into the sloe eyes charged with reserve Back of them he felt was the mystery of purity of maidenhood He ne longed to know her better to find out and to appropriate for himself the woman that lay behind the fine veil yell of flesh She seemed to him delicate as a flame and as vivid There would come a day when her Innocent Innocent In In- nature would respond respond respond re re- spond to the love of a man as a waiting waitIng waitIng wait- wait Ing harp does to skillful fingers My l story goes away back to the Klondike days I told you that I knew your father on Frenchman creek but I didn't say much about knowing him on Bonanza Mr Strong has told me something about the days on Bonanza and I knew you would tell me more some day day day- when you wanted to speak about It It Your father was among the first of those who stampeded to Bonanza He ne and Strong took a claim together I bought out the Interest of your fa tn- fa- fa ther You told me that Ills His masterful eyes ees fastened to hersI hers I III didn't tell you that I took advantage advantage advantage tage of him He was not was not well I used that against him In the bargain bargaining ing He lie wanted ready money and I tempted him Do liDo you mean that you wronged you wronged him Yes I cheat cheated d him He resolved to gloss loss over ver nothing to offer no ex ex- I didn't know there was gold goldIn In L the e claim but I had what we call calla a hunch I took the tho claim without giving value received But I II But uh-I uh I dont don't understand Her brave braye steady eyes looked directly Into those of Macdonald I If he felt you had had done done him a wrong wrong why why did he ho come to you you when he was ill He w wa doming to demand Justice of me On the way he suffered exposure exposure exposure ex ex- and caught pneumonia The word reached d us and Strong and I brought him to our cabin You faced a blizzard bUzzard to bring brine him In Mr Strong told me how yoi yo risked your life by carrying him through the storm storm how how you wouldn't r I give glue up and leave him though you were weak and staggering yourself He says It was a miracle you ever got through Im not heartless said Macdonald Impatiently Of course course I did that I had to do it I couldn't do less Nor more she suggested You may have made a hard bar bargain aln with him but you wiped that out later Just what I didn't do Dont Don't think my conscience Is troubling me Im I'm not such a n mush mush brained brained fool If It had not been for tor you OU I would never have JUl thought of It again But you are his daughter What I cheated him out of ot belongs to you you and and you are my friend Dont use that word about what you did please He wasn't a child If you got the best of him In a n bargain I dont don't think father would think of It that way The difficulty was that he could not tell her the truth about her fathers father's I Q 6 r l jq I II It Belongs to You You and and Youre You're Going to Take It It weakness for drink and how he had played upon It He bridged all explanations explanations explanations nations and passed to the thing he meant to do in reparation The money I cleaned up from that claim belongs to you Miss ONeill You will oblige me by taking It It From his pocket he took a folded paper and handed It to her Sheba opened It doubtfully The paper contained contained contained con con- a n typewritten statement and to it was attached a check by means of ot a n clip The check was made out to herand her herand herand and signed by Colby Macdonald The amount It called for was Oh I couldn't take this Mr Macdonald Mac Mac- donald donald I I couldn't It doesn't belong to me she cried It belongs to you you and and youre you're going to take It itI It ItI I wouldn't know what to do with so much The bank will take care of it for you until you decide So that's set set- He passed definitely from the subject Theres something else I want mint to say to you Miss ONeill Some change In his voice warned her The girl slanted a n quick shy glance at himI himI himI him I want to know If you'll marry me Miss 11 ONeill O'Neill he shot at ot her abruptly Then without giving her time to answer answer answer an an- he pushed on Im older than you you you-by by twenty-five twenty years year Alwa Always s 's sIve Ive I've lived on n the frontiers Ive I've had to take the world by the throat and shake e from It what I wanted So Ive I've grown own hard and willful All the sweet fine things of life Ive I've missed But with you beside me Im I'm not too old to find them yet yet yet-If If you'll show me the way Sheba A |