CHAPTER X-—Continued. sf Du “That won't do,” said sudden flerceness. “She back.” “She won't. And If she did, went down on her knees to him, wouldn't look at her.” “What do you mean?" asked Kitty breathlessly. Bowyer leaned forward again whispered in her ear. Kitty was pale as death. “How'll that do you?' he asked triumphantly, Kitty trembling. “I'll stick to my word,” she said, "But* lowest cur I've ever Known, Bowyer, and 1 hope—I1 hope body flays you—flays the skin off you before you've run your n “I'll take my chance grinned Bowyer, as he rose, Kitty back In her chalr, hands over her face. Of a sudden the abysmal depths of sin had opened be- neath her. after him and call him back. could not stir. It was some time be- bore she forced herself to rise. She went to the window. Bowyer was going to the bank, He would return that way, and she could Kitty with may come and he and ns for rose, course, of that" sank changed her mind. Suddenly the curtains. the other side of the road. his head high, vet he walked man who was broken. Kitty watched him go by. Her heart was full of pity for him, fer his quix- otic dreams, his foolish faithfulness to Joe. The picture that Bowyer had limned of Molly faded from her mind under the brighter glow that came into it. » * » Ld » . * Like Wilton, Wilton was passing on He held Bowyer had business to transact with Phayre. "He went to the bank; it was after hours, but he knew Phayre would be there, await. ing him “Carruthers is bank president. “He is, eh?" asked Bowyer, a keen glance at him. get in? “Day yesterday. subpoenned on that case.” “That's so, “What did they “Six months apiece.” in town,” before get?” friend?" “Nothing. phase of the affair at all. He'd ques tioned them, and couldn't prove any- thing.” Bowyer fell into & brown study for a few moments, quired presently, “Not yet. Ralf-million in town. to the last likely place by now. So he'll be here tomorrow to renew the oan.” “You'll renew, of course” Bowyer. “Excellent wheat lands! Fine investment for your bank, the Missatibi! By the way, you hit It strong with that cartoon!” They both laughed, first at the car- toon, then at Bowyer's ralllery, “No more trouble with Clark?” asked Bowyer. “Not at present. I guess that extra two hundred squared him. He's a dangerous customer to handle, though. And absolutely indispensable for a Job Hike we had to handle. A first-class man at his trade, cool as a cucumber, and looking like a gentleman. You'll find It hard to beat that combination. He could have had more than the two hundred he held me up for” “He's certainly worth it,” admitted Bowyer. “What'll you do with him next year?” “Why, he seems to like the work here,” answered Phayre, laughing. “T'll keep him on, under my eye—at a re duced salary.” They both chuckled over that, but Bowyer grew serious quickly, “Well, I've fixed Kitty Bostock,” he sald. “Lord, it's a cinch handling that type of woman. Once they fancy some particular man, they'll go through h—Il to get him.” “You've told her you'll buy her shares at par,” he sald. “You haven't com mitted yourself irrevocably to that?” Bowyer threw his head back and itted one of his short laughs, “Well, 1 may change my mind,” he said. “It fsn't In writing.” “Suppose she raises Cain?” “She can't She's In too deep, doesn’t know how deep.” Phayre laughed again, but nervously, #1 never cared much for this business, Bowyer,” he said. “If Joe Bostock hadn't died as he did T'd never have got mixed up with it. But that gave us our chance. It was a very lucky aceldent. If we weren't committed be- recovery, I'd pull out even now.” pull out?’ echoed the other, “How the devil can we pull out? The tricks done.” sald She COPYRIGHT BY STEWART KIDD COMPANY “You've—" “I've fixed it about that safe. We had a devil of a job the first time we tried. He's got a deafmute there who seems to have eyes like a cat, and sleeps with them open. Carruthers caught Lee Chambers at the window and smashed his nose. And, of course, Chambers’ usefulness ati! the camp is ended, However, I've fixed it now, we want, and Carruthers with what he want." “1 suppose there's no doubt those half-breeds did kill Joe Bostock,” sug- gested Phayre, darting a keen look at the other. “I guess not,” answered Bowyer, “Anyway, it's no business of ours how it happened. Quain put everybody the mill, including me. That 'a ut his wits’ end. If a new clue comes to hand he'll jump at it, Quuin's the man I came In to see You've bad a talk with way, you about. him?” “1 saw him yesterday.” “How did he take 117 “Fine!” sald Phayre, “$1ook, balt, and sinker, 1 could see the flash of HHlumination come Into his eye as the seed began rubbing his “You didn't suggest—9" “No: I'm net quite such a fool as lowyer. 1 spoke te him about Joe Bostock’s investments, and the missing half-million that he had drawn out a day or two before his murder, ferences. Don't worry! He'll draw thew “Capital!” sald Bowyer. “You're a Phayre, and lu a few CHAPTER x1, The Conflagrati on, going back 10 work for yon, ‘hayre,” ft the office. And any further the line for Kitty, work's control should see the keg. He found the camp same condition as when Andersen reported that still getting llquor, and mind had “I'm he had hope the day passed into Bowsy hands ross Blg Mus sake, that 1 er's grade ac in he had left it. the men were were slacking. no room for propositions at the same time, the subject. He went to bed. But he was aroused Andersen a little after midnight. “There's a big blaze a couple of * sald the foreman. “Sprung up like lightning. And a gale's sweeping up the swamp. men won't turn out to backfire, say it's Saturday night—and most of whose rival Wilton put on his clothes quickly, placed Jules in charge of the and hurried to the bunkhouses. The workmen obeyed his summons with slow sullenness, They were stupid with drink. Some jeered ; some refused to turn out at all Jut some of the engineers and fore- men were already hurrying to the The Fire Was Speeding at a Terrific Rate Toward the Camp. scene. Wilton collected these and started with them In the direction ef the conflagration, This was soon seen to be serious. Under the high wind the firo was speeding down at a terrific rate toward the camp, filling the alr with dense clouds of smoke. The eamp, having cleared ways on three sides, had not been fire-guarded. These should have been wide enough to protect it under that was being pushed had left no time for anything else. nckfiring was impossible, for the wind eame up the cleared road from the muskeg with hurricane force. Wil ton posted his men along the near side of the way, to beat out the patches of flume that would spring up from the burning brands carried over it by the wind. The conflagration came roaring down on them before many minutes had passed. It seemed to gather force as it advanced. The smoke was sti. fliing.., They could one another only dimly in the swirling fog. The line of fire shot through crackling ferns and undergrowth them, and reached the cleared way Then the workers themselves surrounded with a of flame. The trees and grass them. And along the muskeg edge the conflagration had thrust out gripping tentacles of flame that edged round and in toward the engine-sheds, Shouting to those nearest him to fol- low, Wilton ran down toward the swamp. But when the grade came inth sight he saw something that caught his ery and killed It on his lips, Of a sudden his veins seemed to run ice for blood. The fire hand caught the trestling and was running along the timbers, eating its way toward the east bank. But what made him catch his breath and clench his fists was this: the fire was moving eastward and yet it could not have started on the west for here the trestling was completely hid. den under the foundation, the could not pass, see the he- of edge bank, lames The keg, had been started design It was Muskeg wou Bow and ’ the end of everything. all, when yer assumed control, ins. belching up a black, that clogged the figh lungs and settled in fine particles of black dust all over them, Drums of ofl and guso line exploded with tillery. up streamers of sky-high. Rivulets of fire end streamed spreading The gration about was abl in the been stayed, was left except stic ters’ the salvoes of shooting flame through the the destruction, encircling arms of the had thrust their fingers all 3 through the forest, which aze In direction. space itself fire though hardi the kitch he sheds gone up in now glowed flercely with an in heat, but without fighters had 1 that was nothing ng more then avery open the NN and engine houses had a few and tense The econld do, and flame, they They except to done all could do nothi now, blaz men an throw ing oil, Wilton found a d told them to take spades and up mao 8 nlong the courses of torrents, in order to divert them, Hunkles, mad with drink, gath g f the these The the 100T8 © and Jeered at to save them; HIRO fou too i ght an sconsolate to ured the rer down thelr st geo Everyone knew this wus the end Out of the smoke the of McGee, the head neer. His hair was erisped like a ne was as biack, and the jocomotive engl tears cheeks. “It's all ing but scrap-lron and have a bargain sale!” He recognized and seized him by the arm “Who set that blaze?’ he screamed, “Man, there was gasoline, gallons of it, soaking the sheds before ever the fire come there. They were soaked with it. Who did it? Show me the half beside gone!” he shouted, “Noth junk. himself, “It doesn't matter now ™ ton. McGee raved, cursing and sobbing, and suddenly rushed away into the smoke and was lost to view, Wilton was making his way toward his shack before it occurred to him that he would not find i. Yet there was the safe, He would stay guard over that. Ta his immense surprise, however, he discovered that the shark had escaped the conflagration, though nothing remained of Kitty's but a few blackened beams. A backfire had been set successfully, The grass was burned all about the place, and some of the timbers were scorched, but that was all, The shack was an oasis In the devastation of cinders Jules had stuck to his post, Wilton knew there had been treach- ery. He knew that Bowyer's appear. ance at the portage had not been chance. Bowyer had not driven miles from Cold Junction by coincidence. Wilton had no doubt that the fire was of his making. And even that did not matter. At the door of his shack he stopped, He had a strange instinct of danger—- the instinet of the beast returning to its den, which tells it that something has been there during its absence, He unlocked the office door and went in. For a moment he thought his sus. picions groundless. Then he saw that the door of the safe was open. He ran to it, and found the papers inside and apparently intact, Just as they had been. Jules must have seared the thieves away before they could accomplish thelr design. But how had they got the combination? Wilton shouted for Jules, and then, remembering that the deaf-mute conld not hear him, went out of the room toward the little wooden outbuilding sald Wik abode. But the Muskegon was not there, immer: » He went back through the kitchen, In the midas of the room he saw something dimly outlined on the floor, He struck a mateh and found Jules in a pool of blood. One side of his head had been almost battered to pleces with a hatchet that Ilny on the floor nearby. And yet Jules was not dead, for, as Wilton bent over him, he opened his eyes and smiled very faintly into his master's face. And the fingers of one outstretched hand quivered and point- ed toward the office, Wilton raised Jules gently in bis arms and carried him within, and laid him on the floor. The Indian was al- most at his Inst gasp, and he seemed struggling to express something before he died. The fluttering fingers pointed up- ward, All that was left of life within the broken body seemed to be concen- trated In them. Wilton watched them. The fingers squirmed and twisted. It seemed to Wilton that there was something In the room that Jules wanted, They were pointing now toward the safe. Wilton raised the dying man In his arms and supported the shoulders against his knees, that Jules might Jules pointed straight at the safe, looked up, and nodded, Wilton nodded. Jules seemed to lose Interest then, but BO nee, Armas. ers still twisted, and now the toward his position, and the lamp, to Hlumins of the roon fingers wai ted the wall.l of other haif 1 hie work, shade ndered the oar over and = pped upon the Chambers that Halfhen n's face j1iew 4 smi and nodded Then Jul CHAPTER es died Xi Kidnaped! Since Bow 5 last vis maki these she to place fo on dare factor, She were made them be «fro knew that they could jong remain at the portage. There increasing iofirmity ; there Jowyer's enmity—his hold father, which wai bringing his grave. not was his Tom her into was aver him Yet she feared one of the factor's wild outbursts of rage if she renewed her suggestion that they should go to Winnipeg. On the other hand, gradu- began to helleve that MeDon- ald was forming plans of his own. If that were so, In due time, and in his own he would talk to her about them. Meanwhile she watched her father anxiously. He still dragged his leg ag he walked, and the fear that was always upon him now had made him an old man within the past year. The girl's love for him, which her humilia tion at Bowyer's hands had never en- firely killed, burned up again after she had broken with Wilton. But she wondered constantly what was the power that Bowyer had over her father. Had McDonald given her any encouragement she wonld have spoken to him, snd begged for an un- derstanding that might remove the cloud which hung over them both. Bat the factor was more morose than ever, especially when the winter trading ended and time hung heavily upon their hands. The talk came at last. McDonald was In his chair upstairs, Molly read- ing to him. But the factor did not goem to hear her: he was looking out of the window and brooding as of old. Suddenly he turned to her. “I'm thinking of leaving here before winter, lass,” he sald. “Leaving here, father? For good?’ “For aye,” he exploded. “1 thocht I'a die bere and be laid beside your mother. And I've held on! God, how I've held on! But I'm dene with that hope. Would ye leave the portage, Molly?” he asked wistfully, “You, father! 1 wish we could. 1 wish we could go somewhere together where we'd never have cause to ro- member it.” “Aye, nevar to remember it!" he “To Winnipeg?" she suggested time idly. way, TO BE CONTINUED.) Portunately a young man can't even Imagine that his best girl will look lke her mother a few years honee, One of the first notes from the Paris opening says: “No shown, except that sleeves are more Well, that is just as we would have it, asserts a fashion writer in the New York Times. We have grown accustomed to pet- ting and pampering our sleeves though they were the favorite twins f. % pr — ) i Bleeve of Lace Cut White Moire. Below: White Puffed ed Organdle, Black Velvet Wrist. band. of the family. We know now that nun- lens we pay special attention to that far as style have realized is concerned. A trifis of experimentation will show that the dealgn of one’s sleeves can be into the line of the gown In such a way that the sleeves become and remain the actual center of at- d styla And now that we sanction of Paris for going with our sleeve achievements, sbould manage to do lovely things daring the We soni in experiment now, mfter COMIINDE senson. ation, as It were, and months of upon a artistic accomplishment. our education, nched The style declaration trimming can be accepted we that there I no and be- consider the For all the dec spread ration Over a far hroad been the sleeve now We find suggestion of trim- of it. The ie sleeve 1s nothing greedy is it of it has come to hold that it in preventing decoration In We find embroidered brocaded sleeves, lattice sleeves, puffed sleeves, In fact, there surprises. that are sprung upon us at every turn of fashlon's way. Now there 8 ere but an actual often ti ming, INAss trimming. and so sleeves, worked sleeves, i= no end to the settled at once. long. They will still be full, have been. tions that so happened. For coats and capes the wraps look as spacious and com- fortable ns can be. will be so, many exceptions that seem utterly superfluous, Some of the Newer Sleeves, A study of some costumes, for, as has been sald, they ple one indeed. Among three Interesting types of sleeves one is made of strips of beau- tifully brocaded ribbon, The design is Egyptian, and the colors are all those gorgeous dull ones that designate that period. The color of the gown Is a dull blue and the material 1s one of those ionable just mow. Then the ribbon with Its dark yellow, green, red golden tomes is applied In long bands on the sleeves ending at the elbow, and the sleeve is faced with a dull red silk to match that coloring in the woven ribbon. There are any number of ways of asing ribbons in these newer and more elaborate sleeves, They fairly blossom forth in this particular, for all the in. tensely colored ribbons and all those with metal threads and brillant de- gigns can, In some way, be worked ine to the design of a gown so that this sort of trimming will look lke some intricately executed placement of em broldery. One designer has used many rows of that narrow-patterned grosgrain ribbon W form & band on the end of a full and transparent sleeve. Another one has made a cap over the top of the used for this a two-inch woven ribbon Ktill an- other sleeve of ribbon—this for a more dressy sort of frock—has strips of picot-edged ribbon In a narrow width, away into the, Ingenu- long way In the using of ribbon for the beautifying of sleeves, And it is possible for anyone to design a dress that will ma of some valued bit of ribbon to the glorification of the whole gown, These old-f foned ideas are coming into general usage again, especially relation to sleeves, for with the evident neces sity for making the sleeve a ple- turesque quantity, all sorts of modes and manners must be employed in or- der to lift the modern sleeve out of the class of the usual. Ruffies of Soft Chiffon. Another sleeve is made of a series of ruffles of soft chiffon. It is a youth- ful sleeve and one that, doubtless, will find great favor among the younger girls still wanting to look their fluf- flest selves, t any rate, it ia a sieeve that any mother will her daughter's party frock. It carries with It so much of charm and grace, And it 18 evident that, with a sleeve of not a great deal in the way of other trimming is need- There might-be 8 few but a more attrac id be to keep the frock nd full, bertha, and the of brightly eol ribbon Then let the ruffies on the sleeves in gredunted count for by They be much more effective that way and will have a chance, Ke use nshe with love to design for character, ruffies to with gir- ored roses, widths themselves, witho Hay the really establish for it inter. fovely lines which the whale costume. An Interesting sleeve they finish is sug- The dress draped affairs lines the fabric made gracefully to follow those of the figure iteelf. Then a shaped plece of sliver arranged for a the trimming to By this ugly those of over arm Is hung a strip of the same little trick, line away that sometimes pitogether and the arm is ine In unin of this idea to be gowhs, and while seen the with sparkl! one that has fo ur are ons which ca on the ng is there other oolor n be worke« wecessfully in this way. Among the Handsomer Gowns, White and organdie cream batl bes tO come very popula mon the hand. somer gowns for This may a style of th winter. But the smart lunching places one Is very apt to see a black crepe or (7 be an Indication, too, that ig sort will carry over into on the street and In all these days Showing Winsome Group of Sleeves That Are Prominent in Some of the Newer Frocks, These Sleeves Range From the Chiffon Ruffies to the Flat Strips of Brocade Material, a black satin dress quite handsomely this Tngerie trimming that the season's thin and And, invariably, along with the long, low collars and the flouncy frills about the throats, there go wide cuffs or sleeve ends to carry out the complete iden, There is the frilled and plaited or gandle cuff arranged in three stiff tiers and held snugly around the wrist with a black velvet ribbon band and cut steel buckle. This is a sparkling cuff trimming, 1# you please, but it is only illustrative of the lengths to which the designers are going in their effort to supply a touch of daintiness to some of the newer black frocks. Then there is a circular cuff, flaring back and away from the hand, being confined by only the simplest and nar rowest sort of a band, closely held about the wrist,
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