Show a Z 7 2 5 P ir AMES WILLIAMS ahe STORY SO FAR after a swift courtship will mcphail starts for a summer job at moose bay leaving robin dale to wonder how a career girl could be so completely swept off her feet she knows little of will except that he Is an engineer and that he has a brother named angus a dour scot who hates women robin decides to follow will to moose bay but she see him shortly after the white queen docks robin goes swimming As she stands on the deck will mcphail sees her in that moment he loses his balance and the crane in which he is riding faus falls into thi the water angus mcphail blames robin tor for wills death now continue with the story CHAPTER V ZU iff ret ne purser found a car and he w z putting her bags in it before she baw saw that mr jenkins was driving mr jenkins said in a pleased tone decided to stay have you say you change your mind dont you youre right though its a great place ill take you to the hotel hote mr lewis helped her into the car she thanked him and mr jenkins started toward shore she looked straight ahead not as a defense against him but because she did not want to see what the workmen were doing but almost at once he pulled over to the side of the dock and stopped and pointed my boat down there she saw a gray motor cruiser long and low with a high deck forward moored beside the dock care to go aboard berv her he asked ashes comfortable neat as a pin im rather anxious to get settled do you mind 1 I have to stop a minute myse myself if better come see what ashes like ill wait here so mr jenkins dropped down to the deck of the cruiser and disappeared into her cabin A man came purposefully across the dock to look down at the boat and then at robin and robin closed her eyes and was very tired when mr jenkins got in beside her again and she opened her eyes the man had disappeared were pulling out monday mr jenkins told her driving on say im glad youre staying ill show you the town tonight get a kick out of it they were approaching the landward end of the dock tough about young mcphail the kid got fancy with that crane and it killed him you cant monkey with those babies the car jolted over the rough road and suddenly he used the brakes and stopped and spoke to a man walking toward the dock the man was dressed like a workman but he looked at robin in in vay ay she felt he said to mr jen r 1 I was looking tor for you ISOZ mr 1 r jenkins asked the man a curious otis question he asked got the tickets the man grinned faintly and looked at robin again all collected yeah he said mr jenkins nodded then well let em in tomorrow he added ill be taking a walk tonight I 1 might see you okay the man assented ill be around the road with a railway along one side to carry freight from the pier head to the town rounded a rocky point where the whole face of the ahe precipice had been blasted away to let it pass robin began to be interested to ask questions wherever a trickle of water came down L steep slopes there were signs aing passers not to drink the water tery and she spoke of them he nodded all bog water he explained explain od ad make you sick they cut a tunnel six feet square through that mountain up there and they bring water down from bear lake koiv now they approached the first buildings and he pointed to one theres the police station five cops stay indoors and have a poker game tonight why 1 saturday night three thousand men out for a good time can use up five cops pretty qui quick ck ohl oh what cothey do do fora good time movies he laughed liquor up mostly no women here drink and gamble and fight she remembered a passage in wills letter which had puzzled her alky alcohol sure they drink that yes dyes heavens to betsy where do they get it mr jenkins seemed amused sister when three thousand men with their pockets full of payroll want to buy a drink somebody will sell it to them he added they mix alky with water till they can swallow it without setting themselves on fire but why dont they drink whisky or beer or something cant get it alky means smaller bulk so its easier to run it in and the men get quicker action when they drink it heres the mill they set up the machinery first and then build the mill around it heres the warehouse where store the paper you could play football in it its big enough imagine enough paper to fill where will it all come from a tract of spruce here two hundred miles square take fifty years to cut it and by that time a fifth of it will be big enough to cut again he spoke as of a personal achievement this is big business sister spent a million dollars a month here now for over a year building buding churches freezing plants schools houses theres the bank the car bounced and groaned over bumps in the raw mud of the road weaving among tractors and workmen and scrapers and teams to turn at last into a graveled drive before the hotel here you are sister ill carry your bags she followed him indoors at the desk mr jenkins said to the clerk give her a good room dave that corner room second floor is empty it he winked but robin was registering did not see him the clerk named dave looked admiringly at her bowed head and pursed his ups lips in a soundless whistle he called a boy and robin turned to thank mr jenkins but he went with her toward the stairs the boy with her bag and packsack preceding them at her room she thought tor for an alarmed moment that mr jenkins was coming in but he be put a key into a door opposite hers im just across the hall he said if you get lonesome sing out want to take a walk before dinner 1 I think not ill see you at dinner then she locked her hec door and told herself that he was just friendly she heard a steamer whistle and went to her window and saw the white queen departing and that made her feel lost and alone and she lay down and for a while she cried lying on her face across the bed she cried very quietly for a long time then she began to think about angus mcphail it was to find him and try to comfort him that she had come ashore he would undoubtedly be staying at the hotel so after a while she went down to the office to enquire for him the clerk named dave looked at her in a way which faintly she resented it was as though he knew something about her something at once interesting and discreditable she lifted her head a little defensively Is mr angus anaus mcphail staying here she asked mr mcphail he seemed surprised as though his preconceptions were somehow shaken he repeated stupidly mr mcphail the fisheries man why no maam ohl oh buta but where would he be likely to be 1 I dont know he has stayed here before she thought angus might be with will and she asked steadily enough whether wills body had been recovered the clerk did not know if it has be at the mortuary he suggested he asked did y you au know him 1 I knew his brother on the white queen she hesitated 1 I wonder if you could find out for me where mr mcphail is staying this is the only place he could stay he go to freels maybe hell show up here later this clerk named dave she decided was a little stupid she 1 I va 71 V ali k V V if I 1 I 1 Y mr jenkins said give her a good room dave asked how soon are you serving dinner ready now he said then he asked want to wait for mr jenkins oh nol why should she resent that question it was natural enough since she and mr jenkins had arrived together but the clerks tone annoyed her she went into the dining room but before she could order mr jenkins appeared and without invitation sat down at her table well everything all right he asked she hesitated 1 I want to see mr mcphail the one who was on the white queen do you know him met him today ill find him for you he might be on his boat its tied up out by mine well take a look after dinner she could discover no good reason for refusing his insistent helpful 1 ness and she needed help after dinner the clear twilight soft and beautiful the Eun sunsets sets afterglow bright across the water below them she and mr jenkins began their search they went in the car and robin was a little startled to see so many men everywhere milling to and fro shouting now and then for no apparent reason staring at her in the dusk angus mcphail proved hard to find they enquired first at the barber shop mr jenkins went in while robin stayed in the car A queue of men were waiting to be bartered barbered others slick and shaven at intervals emerged and robin felt the impact of many eyes their voices rose as though they wished her to hear she thought with a faint amusement they were like small boys showing off when a new girl comes to school mr jenkins returned freel seen him he said well try the bunkhouse while he be was inside a fight started not far off and men raced to form a shouting circle around the combatants mr jenkins returning had news at last they say he went for a walk he reported he looked toward war the yelling crowd want to see that fight it will beat anything you ever saw in the ring she shook her head im really awfully anxious to find mr mcphail well catch him at his boat when he comes to bed he be there now please well its easy to find out they drove out the long dock under floodlights flood lights men were busy at the spot where the barge and crane had sunk mr jenkins went down a ladder nailed against piles to the deck of what he said was Is boat but the cabin scuttle was padlocked and he climbed the ladder again nobody home he reported but hell be along see here if you dont want to mix with that crowd of drunks in town lets wait on my boat till he comes do you think hell come here hes bound to either here or the hotel we might find him quicker if we kept hunting we A group of men singing as they came 0 out ut along the dock from town approached and saw robin mr jenkins was on the other side of the car hidden from them they stopped beside the car and pressed near and one of them demanded cheerfully of his companions say do you see what I 1 see he spoke to robin kid youve come to the right place youre going to have lots of friends here mr jenkins moved around in front of the car so that the headlights struck him fair he said to this man do I 1 know you buddy his tone was quiet enough but the man stared at him and mumbled sudden apologies and he and his companions went hurriedly away robin said in some surprise why they were afraid of you 1 I told you id take care of you said mr jenkins youre pretty enough to start a riot you know but you dont want to do that well keep you out of sight come aboard my boat while we wait for him in the end she consented his boat proved to be almost luxurious he began to talk about the trip toward labrador upon which he was about to start said it was a pity she could not go along be mightily interested and see a lot to paint up that way im sure I 1 would 1 7 I wish there was some way we could manage it he seemed to have a sudden inspiration see here marm freel has been affef me for a year wanting to go up there I 1 go once a month selling my line ashes dad freels wife sixty odd a good sport suppose she came along you and she could have the cabin here to yourselves theres room for me forward he said he was leaving monday night you dont have to decide now he added before she could speak well see mrs freel tomor tomorrow and talk it over and it you like her you might decide to come theres no harm in talking it over she admitted smiling a little but im afraid I 1 cant take the time who is mrs freel dad freels the barber he told her and laughed quite a character bald as an egg tough as rawhide kindhearted as a cow mrs freel marm freel they call her is twice his size big enough any man in camp dad and marm follow these jobs around everyone knows them do you suppose mr mcphail has come they climbed to the dock level again and she stayed by the car while he descended and went aboard boat the companion scuttle was open now and mr jenkins called got tio no answer looked up at her and then descended into the cabin As he did so someone spoke at her elbow wanted here she turned and looked up into the ugliest countenance she had ever seen A naked electric bulb on a pole behind her gave light enough so that she saw a battered nose and a mouth with the upper lip pulled up by an old scar into a dreadful snarl the man was huge towering over her swaying on his feet and there was black rage in his scowl she said hurriedly we want to see mr mcphail were just trying to find him the aff righting man peered at her did ye ever dive oft off the white queens bow he asked thickly eh bad cess to ye he gripped her arm with one hand jerked a thumb over his shoulder toward the men busy above the wreck of barge and crane if its will mcphail yere wan wanting wantina to see yeu yell not want to see him the divers just got him loose yonder be bringing in g him up now mr jenkins appeared beside them he spoke quietly hello pat the big man turned eh mr jenkins he touched his forelock but robin saw that it was with respect not fear wheres mcphail mr jenkins asked yon no his brother there was a wail of woe in the big mans tone eh the poor man has gone to walk the black hurt out of him back tonight back monday noon he said mr jenkins looked at robin miss dale here wanted to see him the ugly man looked down at robin again and he be shook his head let her not he said grimly let her keep herself hid from the eye of him let her keep herself away ile he turned and stalked off along the pier and robin watched him strangely shaken there was some thing mystic and uncanny about the man an enigma in his tones and an eerie wail of grief when he ha spoke of angus mcphail mr jenkins beside her said I 1 well were wasting time then who is that man TO BE CONTINUED |