Show J f r TIT in JL orth JL jL S JL ot of tji jr r MI A itta y tt jal 1 atee s by BE BERTRAND R W SINCLAIR copyright t little brown co HAZEL FINDS SHE CANNOT HOPE TO ESCAPE FROM ROARING BILUS BILLS CABIN IN THE wilderness BEFORE SPRING synopsis miss nazen hazen weir is employed as a stenographer in the office of harrington bush nt at granville ontario she Is ir engaged to jack narrow darrow a young real estate agent mr bush buell hazels employer suddenly notices her attractiveness and at once makes her his private stenographer after three months bush proposes marriage hazel refuses and after a stormy scene in which hush bush warns her he will make her sorry for her action hazel leaves the office never to return shortly after this bush is thrown from his horse and killed publication of his will discloses that he left hazel in reparation tor for any wrong I 1 may have done her ter jack darrow barrow in a jealous rage demands an explanation and hazel her pride hurt refuses hazels engagement is broken and to escape from her surroundings she secures a position as schoolteacher school teacher at caribou meadows in a wild part of british columbia there at a boarding house she first sees roaring bill wagstaff a well known character of that country soon after her arrival hazel loses her way while walking in the woods she wanders until night when she reaches roaring bills camp fire in the woods he promises to take her home in the lorning morning but she is compelled to spend the night in tho the woods after wandering in the woods all tho next nest day roaring bill finally admits that he is taking hazel to his cabin in the mountains CHAPTER V continued anyhow he went on when she remained silent 1 I and have to lay the blame on nature for making you a wonderfully attractive woman I 1 did honestly try to find the way to caribou meadows that first night it was only when I 1 found myself thinking how fine it would be to pike through these old woods and mountains with a partner like you that I 1 decided as I 1 did im human the woman she tempted me and arent you better oz off do you know that you look fifty per cent better for these few lays days of living in the open the way every normal being likes to live youre getting some color in your cheeks and youre losing that worried archangel look honest it I 1 were a physician id have only one prescription get out into the wild country and live off the country as your primitive forefathers did of course you cant do that alone I 1 know because ive tried it we humans dont differ so greatly from the other animals were made to hunt in couples or packs theres a purpose a law you might say behind that too only its terribly obscured by a lot of other non essentials in this day and age cut but she would not take up the cudgels against him would not seem to countenance or condone his offense by discussing it from any angle whatsoever arid and she was more determined to allow no degree of friendliness even in conversation because she lecog the masterful quality of the man after a lapse of time they dropped into another valley and faced westward to a mountain range which bill told her was the the next nest gay day a snowstorm struck them it was not particularly cold bill wrapped her in a heavy canvas coat and plodded on noon passed and he made stop it if anything he increased his pace suddenly in the late afternoon they stepped out of the timber into a little clearing in which the blurred outline of a cabin showed under the wide arms of a leafless tree the melting snow had soaked through the coat her feet were wet with the clinging flakes and the chill of a lowering temperature had set na ila zel shivering roaring bill halted at the door and lifted her down from silks back without the formality of asking her leave ile he pulled the latchstring and led her in beside the rude stone fireplace wood and kindling were plied piled in readiness for use bill kicked the door shut dropped on his knees and started the fire in five minutes a great blaze leaped and crackled into the wide throat of the chimney then he plied piled on more wood and turned to her this is the house that jack built he said with a sober face and a twinkle in his gray eyes this Is the man that lives in the house that jack built and this he be pointed mischievously chievous ly at her pis Is the woman chos going to love the man that lives in the house that jack built a liel lie she flashed stormily storm lly through her chattering teeth well well see he answered cheerfully G gt gk k tip ip here close to the fire and take off thise wet things while I 1 put away the horan and with that he went out whistling CHAPTER vt VI A little personal history hazel discarded the wet coat crne drawing a chair up to the fire tool booi off her sopping footgear and toasted her bare feet at the blaze her clothing waa also wet and she wondered pettishly how in the world she was going to manage with only the garments ments on her back and those dirty and torn from hacking through the brush for a matter of two weeks according to her standards that was roughing it with a vengeance but presently she gave over thinking of her plight the fire warmed iw hox and with the chill gone from her body she bestowed a curious glance on her surroundings roun dings there was furniture of a sort unknown to her tables and chairs fashioned by hand with infinite labor and rude rede skill shill massive in structure upholstered with the skins of wild beasts common to the region upon tha th walls hung pictures dainty black and white prints and a water color or two and between the pictures were nailed heads of mountain sheep and goat the ant lers of deer and caribou above the fireplace spread the huge shovel horns of a moose bearing across the prongs a shotgun and fishing rods the ce center n t e r of the floor itself as she could see of hand smoothed logs was lightened with a great black and red and yellow rug of curious weave covering up the bare surface surrounding it were bearskins bear skins black and brown her feet rested in the fur of a monster silvertip fur thicker and softer than the pile of any carpet ever fabricated by man all around the walls ran shelves filled with books A guitar stood in one corner a mandolin in another except for the dust that had bad gathered lightly in its owners absence the place was as neat and clean as if the housemaid had bad but gone over it hazel shrugged her shoulders roaring bill wagstaff became if anything more of an enigma than ever in the light of his dwelling she recollected that caribou meadows had regarded him askance and wondered why ile he came in while her gaze gaze was as r 51 still roving from one object to anar another and d threw his wet outer clothing boy fashion on the nearest chair well he said were here please dont forget mr wagstaff she replied coldly that I 1 would much prefer not to be here ile he stood a moment regarding her with his odd smile then he went into the adjoining room out of this he presently emerged dragging a small steamer trunk ile he opened it it got down on his bis knees and pawed over the contents hazel looking over her shoulder saw that the trunk was filled with womans comans garments and sat amazed soy say little person bill finally remarked it looks to me as it if you could outfit yourself completely right here 1 I dont know that I 1 care to deck myself in another womans comans finery thank you she returned perversely now see here roaring bill turned reproachfully see here ile he grinned to himself then and went again into the other room returning with a small square mirror he planted hansely squarely in front of her und and held up the glass hazel took one look at her reflection and she could hae baie struck roaring hearing bill for his audacity she had not realized what an altogether disreputable appearance a normally good looking young woman could acquire in an two weeks on the trail with no toilet accessories and only the clothes on her back she sha tried to snatch the mirror from him but bill eluded her reach and laid the glass on the table feel a whole lot better able to cope with the situation he told her smilingly ahen hen you get some decent clothes on and your hair fixed a woman and you dont need to feel squeamish about these things this trunks got a history let me tell you A bunch of simon pure tenderfeet tender feet strayed into the mountains vest of here a couple of summers ago there were two women in the bunch the youngest one who was about your age and size must have had bad more than lier her share of vanity I 1 guess she figured on charming the bear and the moose or the simple aborigines who dwell in this neck of the woods anyhow she had all kinds of unnecessary fixings along that of stuff la in the lot you can imagine what a nice time their guides had packing that on a horse eh they got into a deuce of a pickle finally and bad to abandon a lot of their stuff among other things the steamer trunk I 1 lent them a hand I 1 and they told me to help myself to the stuff staff so I 1 did after they were out of the pou country how you come to have a wardrobe nil all ready to your hand now be awful foolish to act like a mean and stiff necked female person youre not going to are you he wheedled because I 1 want to make you comfortable the getting on your dignity over a little thing like clothes 1 I dont intend to hazel suddenly changed front ill make myself as comfortable as I 1 can particularly it if it will put you to any trouble youre bound to scrap eh he grinned but it takes two to build a fight and I 1 positively refuse to fight with you yon he drugged dragged the trunk back into the room and came out carrying a great araki armful of masculine belongings two such trips he made piling all his things onto a chair there I 1 he said at last that end of the house belongs to you little person now get those wet things off before you catch a cold oh wait a minute I 1 he disappeared into the kitchen end of the house and carine came buck back with a washbasin wash basin and a pall of water your room is now ready madam an lt it P please pase ase you he bowed with mock dignity and went back into the kitchen hazel heard him rattling cattlin pots and dishes whistling cheerfully cheerfully the while she closed the door and busied herself with an inventory of the tenderfoot ladys trunk in it she found everything needful for complete change and a variety of garments to boot folded in the bottom of the trunk was a gay gray cloth skirt and a short blue silk kimono there was a coat and skirt too of brown corduroy but the feminine instinct asserted itself and she laid out the gray skirt and the kimono for a dresser roaring bill had fashioned a wide shelf and on it she found a toilet set complete hand mirror military brushes and sundry articles backed with silver and engraved with his initials perhaps with a spice of i mal malice fee she put on a few extra touches there would be some small satisfaction in tantalizing bill wagstaff even if she could not help feeling that it might be a dangerous game and thus arrayed in the weapons of her sex she slipped on the kimono and went into the living room to the cheerful glow of the fire bill remained busy in the kitchen dusk fell the gleam of a light showed through a crack in the door in the big room only the fire gave battle to OZ V r hazel saw that the trunk was filled with womans comans garments the shadows throwing a ruddy glow into the far corners presently bill came in with a pair of candles which he set on the mantel above the fireplace by jove I 1 he be said looking down at her you look good enough to batt im not a cannibal however be continued hastily when hazel flushed flashe d she was not used to such plain speaking and suppers ready come on I 1 the table was set moreover to her surprise and yet not so greatly to her surprise for she was beginning to expect almost anything from this paradoxical young man it was spread with linen and the cutlery was silver the dishes china in contradistinction to the of his camp outfit As a cook roaring bill wagstaff had no cause to be ashamed of himself and hazel enjoyed tho the meal particularly since she had eaten nothing since six in the morning after a time when her ter appetite was partially satisfied she took to glancing over his kitchen there seemed to be some adjunct of 0 a kitchen missing A fire burned on a hearth similar to the one in the living room pots stood about the edge of the fire but there was no sign of a stove bill finished eating and resorted to cigarette material instead of his pipe well little person he sold said at last what do d you think of this joint of lillne anyway ive just been wondering she replied 1 I dont see sec any stove yet you have food hero here that looks as if it were baked and biscuits that must have been cooked in an oven you tou see to no stove tor for the rood and sufficient reason he returned that you cant pack a stove on a horse and were three hundred odd miles from the end of any anny wagon road with a dutch oven or two that heavy round iron thing you see there I 1 can guarantee to cook almost anything you can cook on a stove anybody can it if they know how bow besides I 1 like things better this way if I 1 I 1 suppose id have a stove and maybe a hot bot wa ter supply and modern plumbing As aa it Is it affords me a sort of prideful satisfaction which you may or may not be able to understand that this cabin and everything in it Is the work of my hands or stuff ive packed in here with all sorts of effort from the outside maybe im a freak but im m proud of this place barring the inevitable lonesomeness that comes now and then I 1 can be happier here than any place ive ever struck yet this country grows on one yes on ones nerves hazel retorted bill smiled and rising began to clear away the dishes hazel resisted an impulse to help she would not work she would not lift her finger to any task she reminded herself he had put her in her present position and hs he could wait on her so she rested an elbow on the table and watched him in the midst of his work he be stopped suddenly theres oceans of time ome to do this he observed im just a wee bit tired if anybody should ask you lets camp in the other room its a heap more comfy he put more wood on the kitchen fire and set a pot of water to heath heat out in the living room hazel drew her chair to one side of the hearth bill sprawled on the bearskin robe with another cigarette in his lingers fingers no he began after a long silence this country get on ones nerves not it if one Is a normal human being find that when I 1 first came up here I 1 thought so too it seemed so big and empty and forbid d ding in but the more I 1 see of it the better it compares with the outer world where the extremes eitrem es of luxury and want are always in evidence it began to seem like home to we me when I 1 first I 1 looked down into this little basin I 1 had a partner then I 1 said to him heres a dandy fine place to winter sowe wintered in a log shack sixteen foot square that silk and satin and have for a stable now when summer came my partner wanted to move on so I 1 stayed stayed and began to build for the next winter and ive been working at it ever since making little things like chairs and tables and shelves and fixing up game heads whenever I 1 got an ex extra tra good one and maybe two or three times a year rd id go out got restless you know im not really a hermit by nature lord the things ive packed ed in here from the outside I 1 books I 1 hired a whole pack train at ashcroft once to bring in just books they thought I 1 was crazy I 1 guess ive quit this place once or twice but I 1 always come back its got that home feeling that I 1 cant find anywhere else only it has always lacked one important home qualification he finished softly do you ever build air castles no hazel answered untruthfully uneasy at the trend of his talk she was |