Show a a am ak I 1 FEM AV za IL K 11 if ACM ito AD Q dr WINI wa A STORY GREAT coith N Q H fat ST e roe 44 illustrations illustration 6 0 corss r bic OY HEA MD alyo conaw SYNOPSIS 9 galetz of dallys lumber camp directs As stranger baranker Bt ranKer to tho th camp walter sandry handry introduces himself to john dally fore oreman as 01 the Dilling killingworth worth lumber co or most moat of it lie ile makes acquaintance with the camp and the work in an emergency he proves to the foreman that he does doea not lack judgment siletz tells tella him of df the preacher lie ho discovers that bears the sign ot if the siletz tribe of indians indiana and wonders what her surname aur nanie la Is in the hugh flush of a is tender ader moment he call cal Is her the night wind in the pines and kisses tier her poppy ordway a magazzy writer from now new york cornea comes to baly I 1 to get material for ft a romance of the lumber region hampden of the yellow pines pine co wants sandry sandr t to 0 keep oft a tract of stumpage lie clarin claims s I 1 title ilia I 1 to 0 and sandry han hag bought no na the haft east kelt belt oct acty up it cabin on the belt and warns marns trespassers oft off fi Band andrys rya men firtz pull ull down the cabin sandry bandry compares blat and poppy San jandrys drys and men fight over tho the disputed tract th the preacher stops the tight sandry finds that the lie deed to the east delt belt has never been recorded lie ile decides to get out ills him contract first drat and fight tor for the stumpage a afterward rd poppy scents trickery trl chery find and with to gain hla big c onil otonce CP bile tells sandry bandry that hampden fam plen la Is crooked and that shell ret get him I 1 in poppy goes to salem in search of evI evidence Jence against hampden sandry and ride to tie file sen seashore gena hore shore end and beletz seen the ocean for tin thi iral first time Han handras Band drys ryn men desert him for hampden who has haa offered off freil more siletz goes boea to tier lier friends the and persuades them to work for sundry sandry to save aae his contract poppy tells tell sandry site she ling has proof of alamp ilens dens filing bogus entries in collusion with the no she sees blietz and bandry talking together tind and becomes jealous eft ous tho alio bit big timber raft la Is st started arted on ita 11 wa any but Is a blown up tip and vandry Is n I 1 injured n ared poppy nelsis on oil d I 1 kin caro care of andry and buys site she la is its hla promise rom so I 1 wife no cries Bilo buloti tit ho he assed nio nia and I 1 am hla s woman CHAPTER continued the preacher Pre acherl she bhe gasped ga 8 pod aloud oil all eatherl what have I 1 donel i 1 have shut my cars care to tho the ands winds of 0 god I 1 when an hour later she come up on tho the cook shack porch and stood loaning leaning ir in the doorway spent with her wild passion ma ala dally grimly foi fed the alro in the range setting about the supper slipper for tho the men oft loft at camp mother alother said bald siletz dully she BOO lied yos I 1 know it hut but what you to do child you love him an youre right so would I 1 of e I 1 was thirty year ear younger tor for lies hes a man east or no east the general turned to her work and a sinh heaved her ample breast its alt all in the days work she abe thought an you had to tako take your chanat johnny but youre strong nty my son con youre a strong man like daddy claddy so began a strange time in camp dally daily camo came homo home in three daiya eager and grim lipped and in tho the pocket of ills his flannel ehlt lo 10 carried the big check for which sandry had worked and struggled lie had delivered the raft in safety along with the sealers receiving the payment which had bad been ready in tho the hands of a thin gray man who ic ifield ned from the ste steamers amors rail to exchange a tow few curt words ma dally daily corners him in the kitchen lato late in tho the nl jt it as he bo finished his careful rounds of at the camp son she sald said gently theys a hard bard knock comin to you an I 1 want to give you warnon though I 1 know take it stand lh johnny as yer jaddy took all a 0 his an ive seen him tako take some corkers 1 I know what youve bouvo always thought 0 son sanco she was a chap ive watched her quiet ways open yer heart an seen her walk in n nn an iv ive i e hoped myself somo some day wd all work out for ashes always turned to you in trouble its instinct dut but son bon son you seen sence sandry come among us faint ye read the signs 1 the foreman had stopped nt at tho the sink and lifted a tin dapper of water tor for a drink at the last words lie he put the vessel slowly down untouched and turned an amazed face toward the old lady ills ells eyes were wide and the mother glo ried like a girl in the good man strength of him tho the broad shoulders tho the muscled arms bare to the elbow tho the shapely back and the straight hips of the hill climber what you of ma maa ho he asked jest tills this laid out her heart tor for all to see when they brought sandry home an that that jezebel woman shamed her before us all she said on the heels hecla a 0 th childs cry of love that she ahe was jandrys Sand San drys rya promised wife I 1 think she lied but la Is br breaking break eakin ln her heart ter the easterner here without another word ma in daliy dahy opened A door behind her and creaked through closing it softly of such inherent tact was she she did not wish ven even his mother to see big john bohu dally take his hard knock even though he took it standen stand ln with only a tremor of 0 the hand band that held tho the dipper when ho he mot met siletz in the morning he be looked at her with eyes a little moro more haggard there was a deeper line at the tha corners comers of his mouth the girl boro bore traces of the first anguish she ehe had ever known in the pallor or of her face the aba dull look of smoldering flame under the dazo daze of kielp there was no one in the eating room besides themselves them solves colllns collins was out in the bills with the crew for at the first eight of sandry bandry atall alive dally mhd had given orders to go on with the work and siletz had stopped between tho the tables at supper time will the blietz stay 7 sho she had asked simply and it had taken no more than that the camp went ahead indefinitely now dally stopped her with a groat great hand on ter her shoulder and waked looked hungrily into her face he be sold softly im IB it true truer she raised her bar eyes to hla his and answered as aa simply yes there was no need of many words among taoso people ot of strong lives of 0 straightforward principles the big man straightened up a bit and shut ills his lips hard as if he bo bit upon pair pain looked after tho the vanishing fig pigments figments ments of at all his dreams that had bad peopled the hills of the future ilia his mot mother h er imd had seen scon that look in tho the eyes of john dally the first who had took hla his hard knocks stand ln that look of patient strength for it she mile had followed him into the hard life ilia of a lumber c camp amp and never regretted it now it spent itself on the rising hill visible through tho the open door across siletz dark head and john dally the second was ready to face his loss loag Sl lotz letz lie ho said bald gently always remember that im tho the boat best friend you got on earth ill be waltin all my life to kelp help you of you ever need me and ho he smoothed his hard hands easily down her arms lingering a moment with her hands folded in his palms palma then ho he turned away to the days work there was a small email undertone of softness in his hill voice at the last words that was never to leave it again C CHAPTER H APTER 11 say sandrel Sandry San dryl lill calmly poppy ordway took charge 0 of t tho the stricken man in the pine office all of the he day and as much of tho the night as nor her strength would permit sho she was beside him soothing hla his jostles restlessness aass tending him with a skill that showed intelligent training outwardly she was waa as quiet as the spring pring days inwardly she panted anti anil suffered ered with tho the abandon of at the pas nature which SOPS seen its desires in danger moro more and more she grow grew to fear and hato halo tho the silent soft footed girl whose face between its dark braids w was a mask of tragedy with her womans comans instinct and her bar almost unnatural cleverness sho know knew that way lay danger selfishly in self centered passion this woman loved and to gain tho the object of at that love she felt within her heart that tha t she could wreck tho the universe and its object was in twofold danger from sandron Sand Sandr ryn yR death and from blietz therefore she began to watch siletz with catlike glances from under her lashes and to think with all her brilliant brain of at some way to eliminate 0 U the preachers Pre acherl she gasped aloud her from the question of some bond stronger than her work with hampden to bind herself into jandrys Sand San drys rya life should sl ho be recover As for sandry himself ho he was waa far on that road which has baa no turning for a day or two he had lain in torpor to rouse at last as a high fever set in to delirium lie began to talk first in a rambling whis per of his jarly arly ufa life ile he was a charming eager high boy again and the woman beside him saw clearly into the clean depths of his life cut but on oil the second day of his do delirium mirium something seemed to fall upon him from the past that drew a line of trouble around ills his lips and set act some great liard hard question ques tiou in tho the hot blue eyes for long intervals lie ho lay silent as it the tha tired mind were turning and returning sonic some important thing to break out suddenly in excited speech nol no ho he cried out sA lenly no by leaven not while im alive to right itt ILI and again legitimate 1 my led god its done Is ie 1 11 this was as the sun a soft golden benign sun ot of early spring dropped over the western ridge sending long blue shadows across tho the narrow valley As aa the shadows darkened into twilight ma ala dally daily bearing some strengthening brow loomed hugely in tho the offida door ill tako take watch now she said you ben on guard a long while botter better go got get somo some rest dut but poppy ordway who was bending closely over tho the cot sprang suddenly erect her checks were flushed and in her face was a strange excitement no she said firmly 1 I shall stay the night out ile he Is delirious still and I 1 cannot leave him ma dally that shrewd old general of men and meals took keen note of every small thing in the hushed room set down the broth and turned away her whole kindly heart filled with suspicion outside in the darkness siletz stood a little later and looked through the open window at the figure on the white cot and the watcher beside it her hands were clasped tightly together and her dark eyes were heavy with unshod tears it he dies she gasped dryly between her parted lips ill kill her and go with him to hell bell for he be has no jodl godl but sandry did not dio die for a week he bo traveled on strange paths ot at memory calling on ruth to come out of the gloaming gleaming of a far land standing aside to watch naomi send back the ones she loved and sometimes crying out sharply oh ob absalom 1 my son my seal again he be laughed bitterly and spoke of lost faith in men throughout the week poppy ordway stood such a vigil as only a woman who loves bo be sho she good or bad can stand with a clever jealousy she kept everything under her own C afable hands only giving grudging place to ma ala dally when she could no longer command her overtaxed strength one night she refused to leave sandry at all firmly dismissing ma who raged inwardly but was no match for her in tho the open ways of bluff at midnight the owner of the Dilling killingworth worth suddenly opened his eyes weak and tired but sano he saw on tho the dim background of faint light from a shaded candle the transfigured trans figured face of the watcher and with a feeble smile of utter content dropped back to oblivion this time tho the oblivion of healing sleep with that look that weak smile the woman know knew that ho he hail had turned his bis face toward life and would journey back to it and the surge and sway away of passionate joy rocked her soul in a storm of emotion she stopped stepped lightly and restlessly about straightening a cloth on a table tipping the candle shade at a better angle for sho felt imperatively the need of action she picked up an empty pitcher and in the starlit darkness went up the path t to 0 the COO ic 13 still with that bounding light step 0 of victory and the porch where the pump stood there alono alone in the night leaning against a post of the porch a slim little figure kept also a midnight vigil the woman looked at her and all the danger that lay that way arose suddenly before her rousing her hatred swiftly and something ugly and catlike prompted her to strike she laughed a little low musical laugh and spoke in n a caressing tone congratulate me she said softly the fever has left him ill have him up before tho the first flowers bloom in the valleys dear boy dear walt blietz a moment before drooping whirled upon her IN ilka a fury even in the dusk miss ordway saw the hidden fire leap up uncovered ered in her eyes and heard primal danger whimper in her voice walt waitt I 1 sho she cried springing toward her and lifting a hand whose slim fingers threatened her throat say san dryl miss ordry y in her broadcloth sprang back against the rough planks of tho the cook shack wall her face gone white while in the shadows and sudden gripping choking fear ear in her throat she put up it a useless hand a trembling hand palm outward and strove to speak once twice then sandry sh she faltered like a craven sho she was whipped scared her power gone but the wild thing died in blietz as it had lived on tho the turn of a moment and shy she let out a groat great breath and covered her face with her bands after a fashion she had bad no she whispered in her palms he kissed me and I 1 am his bomani oh ob I 1 am unworthy I 1 what would I 1 have dono done and she shuddered as it if in fear so the camp went forward john and his silent crow crew cut steadily into the timber at the north and sent the logs down to the backwater here tao 0 o kept a guard for although tairo was nothing of importance that hampden could do since he be had bad played for the Dilling killingworth worth contract and failed still he be could steal the logs which lay all too close to tho the mill at the mouth of tho the slough and john dally was strung to a higher pitch than ho he had bad over ever been in all his lifelong timber war with the yellow pines As soon as sandry was able to bear it dally told him of tho the safe delivery of at the raft ot of his trip home in the indians sling of at his subsequent delirium and at last showed him the big check at sight eight of the paper sweated and creased from pocket wear tho the sick mari mara a faco face flushed and his eyes sparkled with blue flame we won john ho he said we all won you 1 I miss bliss ordway and metz there was a little pause before the last word and then he be went on 1 I 1 want to shako hands with us all when im able were a winning bunch L As aa soon as dally had gone poppy ordway leaned so close that the subtle perfume of her garments intoxicated him strangely and said exultantly and now for hampden walter im ready to go after him right sandry looked up at her from his pillow and then out along the spring tinted hills and drew his brows together in thought presently he bo spoke youve been so good to me ine I 1 cant say how good how much you have stood for to me hero bore but but baut it you please miss ordway poppy my friend id rather let hampden alone alon a what cried poppy |