Show ab ORO 0 A romance of the north woods copyright 1932 1 by TITUS CHAPTER VIII 4 8 bewildered to a point where he felt remorse almost as profound as would have been his lot had he been scheming to ruin ellen richards property john belknap no longer masquerading as john steele left the girls office and made his way to the hotel where lie he had lived when in town he ate a perfunctory meal and went slowly up the stairs to his cubicle of tt it toom room he dropped to the creaking bed and sat sai there hands dangling between his knees for a long interval he was in a pinch beaten in his lofty ambition to champion the oppressed a growing love had been burled buried back into his teeth but he be laug laughed hedl 1 he laughed sitting there alo alone neIn in the bare little room and the laugh had in it a defiance a challenge to the fates which had woven this net of circumstances about him what tha the next step would be lie he even a guess he needed time to think that out but of two things he was certain gorbel was not going to drive ellens company to the wall and ellen was not to go on thinking for much longer that lits father was behind the trouble which had been made for tier her with those ends accomplished this other this cold weight about his heart would be ready for consideration but he could not stay here in shoestring it would avail bl him in nothing it would only bring him continued dig tress tres s he paced the room pondering and came to a halt beside the spotted little dresser last weeks shoestring banner lay there and he be stared at the smudgy lines unseeing unseeing until his idly roving edving eyes fell on the heavily typed words CORBEL he leaned lower and read what was above them MEN BIEN WANTED for mills and camps modern buildings good wages BELKNAP GORBEL he remained bent over a long moment and then straightened tongue in his cheek why not he asked himself he was a man out of a job a good man paul gorbel vias was advertising for men he ele began bg an to pack hastily movements a bit feverish he caught bradshaw just as the sheriff was leaving the jail something new the sheriff asked as he turned back and read the excitement cit clit ement in the boys eyes A lot about something som ething never guessed I 1 he plunged into his story with the pronouncement that he had been living and working and fighting under another name the others jaw dropped and for an interval his gray eyes were hard bard with suspicion but as john talked on earnestly leaving out nothing except his personal relationship with ellen that tool look altered and mellowed and the big officer began to nod slowly when the boy had finished nat drew a long breath and let it out in a soft whistle A pickle pic klel 1 hel he said wrinkling his brow A pickle 1 its a tough break for you son but im going to string aloni along huhl huh he narrowed his eyes and considered its grobly so what you think about your father this gorbel now has got by up here about a hu hundred adred per cent ills men like him hes got a reputation for the fairest kind of dealing but lookin back I 1 can see some smart work ile he lighted a cigar find and crossed his legs your pa now Is s a good figuro figure to pick on and give a bad name most rich men are supposed to be without any scruple tiple working bellee believe that before they will any good of em cm course hes never operated in here before but ive always ikeard heard him spoken of well by the few old ti timers ive 1 cnown who worked forham tor him by jacks come to think back they ahey all like him halml I 1 it sort of looks john john like our cur case has a lot of angles III 1 by livery team and through the night john drove droe to kampfert Kam all his worldly possessions in a pack packsack sack a new and resolute purpose over overriding rIdIn 9 the undertone of sorrow and misgiving in his heart john was the first to enter paul corbeels corbels Cor bels after he had bad seated film self at his desk for another days work the man looked up and it if he experienced any ie reaction action other than surprise he be covered it well of all things lings ti III lie he exclaimed john belknapp Belkna pl apu come from rising and extending his hand dont get dupill john ignored the proffered ered clasp well youre about the last person er son I 1 expected to see walk in here this morning V I 1 john looked at him with close scrutiny as tie he said yes easy to understand lie ile thought the mans face a trifle and that a flicker of dixmay showed in those dark ln in tat ws eyes 1 I figure that expect me up from chicago and now a decided but still subtle alteration was in the eyes gorbel seemed to be steeling himself rallying all his quick wits to an emergency no I 1 been in chicago for over six weeks ive been at shoestring running the richards job shoestring richards 1 hla his counterfeit of amazement was splendid why yes you know gorbel rause pause while john scrutinized the other in open hostility 1 I supposed of course you knew that id been there using the name of john steele and trying to pull the operation out of the hole its in and now a faint faint trace of color started to climb the mans cheeks as lie he resumed his chair and gestured towards another but john did not sit down he stood there staring hard at his fat fathers tiers partner someone to in kampfert Kam tipped miss richards off to the fact that I 1 dared use my fathers name when I 1 struck her for a job I 1 was let out yesterday a bit discredited III 1 well ill be d dl breathed gorbel corbel and johns temper flared forget it I 1 he snapped im coming clean with you be man enough to do as much with me I 1 I 1 blundered into a mess over yonder I 1 found out that a lot of desperate things were being done in my fathers fa fat theis tiers name wed had a little difference tom and I 1 and I 1 welcomed the chance to tilt hit back at him I 1 been on the job long though before I 1 realized that what was being done the sort of plan hed follow or countenance somebody else was behind it screening himself behind the belknap name good lord danl man 1 and youre insinuating that I 1 know something about knowl know know why chyi I 1 heard you make threats to miss aliss richards just a moment before I 1 tossed you out of her office in Dec december emberl 1 the other swayed a bit and the flush of temper yielded to the paling of fear yes I 1 I 1 thought sol john muttered lets come clean with each other gorbel from now on lets fight in the open fight that what youre here for A fight john pondered and a hard smile flickered about his lips not unless its forced gorbel im here on pard guard maybe in the first place im going to stick right here in kampfert Kam and keep my eyes and ears open if unexplainable things keep happening to the richards outfit im going to take on the chore of explaining lem deml I 1 if ellen ehen Is let I 1 alone to make it a go of the job which she can do now with a fair break you and ill get along splendidly if no not t then therell be a war and better bellee believe it I 1 gorbel summoned a sort of laugh sir galahad Galah nd eh I 1 if you choose we understand each other I 1 guess find and all left Is for you to give ghe me a job job atter after youve made a play like this of course a job youre ollre advertis advert ls I 1 ing for men youre oring hiring mew every da day I 1 can cant t just mount mo n j guard over orbr you and do nothing else alel i Ve besides sides ill j i have a better chance of hearing going on if im on th the payroll or are you afraid to have me around gobbels Gor bels mouth twitched ILl listen billsten sten liere here john he e began I 1 youve been guessing at a gr great at many things youve gone gode off half cocked what you heard me mesay say to ellen richards can be explained ext explain iaan who the devils asking for an ex explanation pla natio armi im not interested in what youve got gotto to say gorbel where and when do I 1 al answer the advertisement youve been running ronning in local papers for men I 1 conflict in those thosa eyes ees before him theril theoli fright and cati caution tion and craft flickered la in their depths and out of these came a faint gleam as will show in a mans eyes when inspiration sweeps him he shrugged very well have it your own way if you want to go to work as a common laborer laborer good but 1 I dont know open you might ask the mill foreman fair enough gorbell gorbel 1 the first decent impulse you seem to ve had since I 1 came in ill find good morn morning I 1 he walked towards the door without so much as another look when he had gone paul gorbel took the desk telephone in his hand and pondered a moment then called the mill foreman 11 he said and his bis voice had in it no trace of the emotions reflected on his face young john belk nap Is coming down to ask for a job iles hes hod bad a row with the old man I 1 take it I 1 think better put him in at the bottom start him with the pond crew fire somebody it if you have to the girl marle baarle came slipping into the room as he hung up her eyes were wide my illy gosh it work worked edt I 1 she whispered Wor worked kedi 1 gorbel laughed mirthlessly ill say it work worked edt 1 the matter approaching did he guess where the letter came framl if he did he neglected to mention it no matter iles hes guessed 4 what do you know about north star the racket all right and hes come here to work jn in the mill so he can keep his d d eyes opeal the girl drew a quick breath but did not speak raise h 11 he muttered still it may not be so bad in one way if I 1 do let up now wont vont she think her finding out about his game had something to do with easier going that might be an advantage ill need all the breaks I 1 can get pow now glancing at a calendar the old mabll be on his way back in a month maybe it wont be so bad having the kid here under my thumb I 1 ile he cant be sure of a thing all hell have Is his d d suspicion 1 dont be too sure if he ever turn tum bles to the north star deal look his head jolted forward truculently what do you know about aboa lf north stara star 1 I ha eni been a offic offices e g for five years without learning my evily wa around it heatedly its all right if f you get away with it iid id iao jeer see you t two o time a rich old geezer than to throw the harpoon into it d girl even afi could scratch her eyes out we kaow know that down in chicago y you ou S should hould know it up here and if he gets inside this office and gets the same game bee in fils bonnet that ive got its the old ball and chain anklet for y 0 ou u big boy I 1 I 1 i he wiped his forehead irritably you know too d d much she flushed beneath her makeup make up 1 I know enough once it ap pears I 1 I 1 believed you and k kicked my chances in ili chicago over to trail up here What vel I 1 gott got promises I 1 more promises promis esl 1 all I 1 ge get and a fur coat and a car and enough dresses ta stock a store and which were only a part of the bargain 1 11 she put a hand on his shoulder and a hard anxiety showed in her wide blue ekes eyes paul dont be a goop 1 l dont try to hog it dont try to run a racket on old 0 id tom ive got a stake in you nok now I 1 may fly off the handle now and then and say mean things but paul im crazy about you all the time tamel I 1 her mouth trembled good giral he said absently and kissed hb her dont fret ave done pretty welt for myself so far I 1 know about where im going even in the dark I 1 6 4 in in balked calked boots and his heavy clothing john tolled ten hours each day about the hot pond of the property which his father shared with paul gorbel ills immediate superior was a swede hailed balled as ole whatever his name might be 1113 lob job was to holy help keep logs going from pond to saw floor as rapidly as the mill reduced them to lumber when the logs snarled and tangled on shore john worked with a peavey pearcy prying them free rolling them on down then with pike pole from shore or from his stand on other logs he helped tool them to the slide with its endless chain which gripped and dragged them upward to disappear within the mill he lived in the company boarding house a modern clean well managed establishment he spent his first evening in the company recreation hall at checkers with other men playing pool or bowling watching moving pictures during those first days and nights he was only another man one of hundreds and accepted as such but towards the end of the week his checker opponent foote a lumber inspector said casually you know jack saying your names belknap it Is are you old toms boy john admitted it well ill be jigger edl the other laughed and turned away As his identity became known it brought some incredulous looks some good natured skepticism and soon thereafter lie chehad had a distinct feeling that his standing was not what it had been that now and again a man laughed at him a bit sneeringly A distorted re report port of what lie he had done went through the town lie ile had been kicked out by his father he had gone to work for the richards company he be had bad stolen some of hla his fathers logs had been discharged and ordered to come to kampfert Kam where he could be under the watchful eye of gorbel the son of the boss was being disciplined well let it ridel he decided he had more fin important things to think about than what people thought of him still being this particular sort of a pariah was unpleasant it was the man baxter who brought his status home to him most forcibly this was the man who richards men believed had been brought in to start trouble and whose rumored coming to shoestring had set the stage for johns own dramatic dramata c entrance into that town john had singled the fellow out his first night in the recreation liall hall A great heavy shouldered thick bearded ruffian he was always seated by the fireplace spitting copiously boasting to the younger and less stable men his tongue was vile ole his ego great and though his job only that of helper in the repair shop john thought that the man bore himself with a greater degree of confidence than his mere physical superiority and his station warranted lie ile passed the fellow and his group ope one night and heard him mutter takes a like a bellah bogl ile he knew by the turning of heads that the words were about him he did not like it but gave no indication of having heard let that ride I 1 let everything ride except ill his s sole 0 objective b I 1 it was on saturday that nat bradshaw drove up before the belknap gorbel office went casually up the steps and into the managers office howdy paull he be said cheerily oh hullo sheriff those eyes changing ever so slightly colda kinda time of year tor for it anyhow have a chair what ahat can I 1 do for you 21 gorbel cleared his throat sharply oh ive got a letter from the wife of one of your boys here fumbling in his pocket had a row and hes hauled out and left her with a compla kids and dont send her money regularly she wants him arrested but I 1 dont favor ar arrest ln any more in n Is s necessary I 1 wondered it if have a talk with him gor gorbel el leaned across the desk to see the letter perhaps a bit over eagerly as it if in relief anything I 1 can do of course who Is he oh ill look him up and have a talk wab with him myself for several minutes they discussed the case gorbel obliging suave offer ing to go to any lengths to help settle the matter alne of you nat started to rise oh ob by the way I 1 seems that this teller feller who burnt up the richards stables pot got a brother down below ile he had some kind of fraternal insurance that was void it if he met death while drunk written in about it the company I 1 spose got a right to the facts why only right I 1 dont like to beat a family out of what might be due though cut but he was drunk looking up keenly so soaked he or work III and you knew it and gave him the air yes just as I 1 told you and that was after supper no just before i told him to get out |