*
With ax» and heunmer and a
kandfu) of apikes^ Benham went
silently to work at tt»a prow of
thg scow. With the polea spiked
a length of tarpauHn
inearthed ^Irom fte «argo, he
asbloned a sntsH tfinclo8ure. To
finish It off ho brought out the
blankets Pierre Buschard had
provided for her and placed there
in th« new-built cubby.
“When we lie up for the night
the meivshall gather you enough
spruce ■ilpe for a comfortable
couch.’’ he announced. “This will
aff»rd yon reasonable privacy.”
Then, without another word or
look he stowed the axe away,
strode among his men and stood
there, bringing out a short black
briar pipe which he clenched af
fectionately in his teeth, to
smoke calmly and disinterested
ly.
The next halt was made at
f sundown. The scows were tied up,
fires lit and the evening meal
prepared. Benham himself did
not come near her, but ho sent
Pierre Buscherd to her with sev
eral heaped dishes of savoury,
steaming food and a pannikin of
scalding hot tea. By the time she
had finished her supper the ra
dians had brought numerous arm
fuls of fragrant spruce lips for
her bed.
Ellen arrun.ged her own couch,
then, with sudder. determination,
went ashore. Beiiham faced her
T'ai going for a little exerci.se,”
she defiantly. “Or am I a prisou-
the
go
aud
“Xot in the least,” wa.s
quiet an.swer. '•Only do not
too far. It i.s nearly dark
these wood.s are uncharted. '
Unconsciously, Ellen stayed
longer than she had intended.
When she finally threaded her
was broken.- Ellen moved away.
”Good-night.” she called softly.
“Gopd-nlght—John Benham.”
The low, sturdy log buildings
which comprised the Hudson Bay
Post at Fort Bdson, were spread
out against the rising slope of a
low, thlckly-woodhd ridge which
mounted from a short beach of
shingle on the west shore of the
Mackenzie River, tho last and
mother river of those three great
streams which carried the bri
gades of the fur traders Into the
vast bosom of the north.
Down the Athabasca River to
Lake Athabasca, from there along
the broad, smooth reaches of the
Slave River to Great Slave Lake,
then at last into the twisting
flood of the Mackenzie, John Ben-
ham’s brigade had found Its way.
Long, dreamy days and still, mys
terious night had passed in num
ber since the day of the start,
and now, at the death of still
another day, the brigade tied up
there on the beach below Fort
Edson.
Side by side on the leading
.scow, Ellen Mackay and John
Benham stood In silence and
watched the end of the journey
materialize out of the gathering
river mists. A strange camara
derie had grown between these
two. Time, enforced companion
ship and youth, had worked slow
ly but surely upon them. Tliey
were not lovers in any sense of
tho word. If such fires burned
within them, then s!i.;h fires were
.-i.mouidering oiic.s, hidden, banked
fires which would need to know
tho ache of ahsenco before thor-
o’-.g'.ily and consciously realized.
Yet .-ach reco.giiized in tho other
1 kindred spirit, an itnd-rstand-
ing heart.
The parting was commonp.aco
,iiou.-ti. Ellon stepped to the
s;;oro tiitd her baggage was plac-
‘Father—could you believe that?'
There was hurt reproach In her
voice. “I came immediately. I am
a Mackay,’’ she finished proudly.
"Thank God for that, lass. And
who was it that brought ye?”
Before she thought the name
slipped out. “^John Benham.”
The old factor seemed to reel
in his chair. His sagging head
came up. His hands gripped the
arms of the chair In bloodless
intensity. He stared at her like
a man glimpsing some fearsome
ghost. His tongue flickered over
his lips.
“Ye came with—who?”
Something Icy closed about El
len’s heart. Yet she had to an
swer. ‘‘With John Benham, fath
er. He—^he was very kind to me,
where he had reason, perhaps,
to be otherwise.’’
The old man started to hie feet
and began to laugh. In high,
shrill, senile cachlnnatlons. He
stumbled to and fro across the
confines of the room. Suddenly
the laughter ceased and he be
gan to curse—curse with a venom
that was ghastly.
"Damn him!” he shrilled.
“Damn him! He’s taken every
thing from mo now. All he had
left to me was a wee bit of pride
—and now he has taken that.
You—the daughter of Angus
Mackay — travelled from yon
distant landing to this fort with
that squaw’s whelp, that thieving
free-trader. And mark ye, little
fool, he’ll boast of It. Great God!
Why did not the sickness, of last
way back to the fire but a single
figure remained seated before the! d be.side her. At the head of the
fading flames It was Benham. ! il,-.p... i.y the fert buildings a
He looked a: her without speak-1-Toa.p of Indians were gathering.
iBg.
A stir of respon.se gripped El
len. She knew he had been r.-.-.-.it-
ing her return. 'T’;n sorry,'’ she
said, quietly. “Sorry if I’ve kept
you from yotir rest. But some
how It seenu'd that I iiad at last
coi.-ie home, after being away too
long. I won't offend this way a-
galn. I rcaliza I am very much
In your debt.”
Benham nodded. 'T under
stand.’’ he said, softly. ’T too
have het-n away—and come liome.
And I ol't-.'u sit late like this. It
is at ni.sht that all thi.s spea'ss.”
.\ brief gesture oncomp.issei! the
ildcrness about them.
Elle-p. was start’.-.d. Mo^t m-'n|
she had known in the north coun
try became hardened to its beau
ties. Dut t'.iere was something al-
;nost poetic in John B-nimm's
simple ■words at;d tone. In some
Intangible way it seemed that a
bon-t of friendship of couK’i-m
uiulorstanding between ihcm was
born there at that nion.ir'ro
For a long EiK'u .s;o,'il
th£T»a, acros.s the fiar.ics ir.'r.i :i;'..s
strange, still, cl-t-mentai ::-.-iu. iter
tiilr.d seethed with : r u ,i a :
though's. rid w.>"v!s tint iri u-
toward-s this
B.-tiham go.stured
■-’roup.
'•Tiu-y will take caro of your
’.iggage.” he said slowly, "It Us
'rest that I leave immediately."
Elle-n hesitated. "That first
day, below Gascado Rapids—-the
niornin.g you discovered that 1
had stowed away—you spoko of
...xacting payment, t—what is that
payment. John Benham?”
The look he bent upon her was
fathomless. ‘T would save you
from that payment If I could now.
But I am afraid that you must
pay. just the same. Not to me—
’.'u; to others.”
■I- I don't understand. "
“You will.” He held out his
hand, ‘‘Good-bye. Ellen .Mackay.’’
i-’or a moment her hand trem-
Med in bis. Thou ho bad stepped
l.ack on to the scow. His deep
-nice called order.s. The Creos
bfc.t to tiie sweeps and a moment
»r, ?
lened h;r l.iy close to h .w li[‘S.
Then on» of I'.io -l.-'cping H
.stirred in l.is ids-.’.tcs s T ,•
SfentiHets
..yte-’iof Hea
Don't Neglect Them !
Nsturf designed the kidneys to ds »
marvelous job. Their task la to keep t.hl ■
flowini blood stream free of sn etecpa d
toxic impurities. The set of lis-ir.s—.'ul
ftaeff—is constantly prcducisj vac:#
matter ths kidneys must remove from
leys .
the blood if good heaUb is to endure. ;
When the kidneys tail to funerion ai
Nature Intended, there Is retention ol
waste that may eauae body-wide dis-
tieia. One may auffer nazeinz baekache,
persiaient heeuaehe, attacka ol dizziness,
Zetting up nlghta, awelling. pufftnesa
under the eyas—fed tired, uervous, xU
worn out.
rrequent. scanty or Dorninf passazet.
may he further evideocs of kidney or !
bidder disturbance. |
The recoznized and prepsr treatment :
b a dturvtie medicine to help the kidneyi i
t et rid cf exccea poisonous body waste.
lae Z>o«n‘i P " — ■
thxn forty yea
endorsed the country over.' Insist Ml
r the hungry river current
WHS wnfting bin off into t'ao
Soinct'ing galhor''d in Ellen's
■-hroiU. .‘^he looketl away and
started feverishly up the slope.
now. comin.g towards her
'ivom the buildings was a little
group oi Indians, led by a .stooped
-!'-imbling. white-haired man.
!:;ic-n looked aghast. “Father!”
■■'.■r cried. ••Father!”
i. [itov t'O liim, to this stoop-
■■.,! nnil gnarled parriarch. What
!iL'il !i:tppciied? When sho had
! four yciars before, this father
■•f hers had been lull, ruddy and
art. al'.no.-’t a.s tall and stal-
■.■.ii'- us John Benham. And now
. . How thin were lus hnuched
■r..u;ders! How feeble his step!
g' e began to sob.
it so:m-:d that neither could
.■.i-ak intcUiguuly now. Slowly
!; y climbed the slope together
.tad entered the factor's cabin.
li was dusky in the cabin. The
■l-.hir closed behind them and the |
.'Id man satik into a chair with
a deep, quavering sigh. “So ye
See Pcen'i PilU. They have had more : hai'p, come at last, las.S,’’ he .said,
thafi forty veart of public approval. Ara ‘ ^
r>0Ai‘c. Sold at alJ dr^ ftorca.
1 ad Uis voice V'US thin and high,
i "I wu.s afraid—afraid ye had for-
; -gotten me, when Do Soto passed
! -.vithout ye."
Elion looked at him wlde-«yed.
The Home of
A !izf for every car or truck ... a
PRICE TO SUIT EVERY POCKETBOOK
CENTRAL SERVICE STATION
H. P. ELLER, Prop
Phone 27
North Wllkesboro, N. C.
er assistant secretary of labor, to
day called settlement of the Gen
eral Motors strike “a draw” with
victory for both sides and an in
dication of Improving buslneea
and general prosperity.
At the same time he predicted
more strikes, but said they should
not disturb business because they
would serve as a balance wheel
to check too rapid advancement.
"Incidentally,’’ he said, “I
know I h e administration a t
Wa.shington does not object to
having a Iltf,e sand thrown Into
the machinery at this time. The
stock market has been going up
toq fast and the President has
claimed credit for returning pros
perity. He must hold business
back to prevent it from reaching
a peak and starting to fall off
before the next election.”
Bi
(By COLE B. MORGAAN in
Wsshinston Hernld)
XgD LABtm
Shortage seen
winter take me off? I would have
been spared this—spared this.”
Ellen was both sickened and
frightened. There was something
ghastly about tnls old man’s wall
ing rage and his imprecations.
And this father of hers, who had
wasted away to such a shell,
seemed almost like another pnr-
.Hon to her. But she drew upon
her young strength and went to
iiim. Quietly but remorselessly
she forced him hack Into his seat
and dropped upon her knees be
side him. She attempted to soothe
him with word.s such a.s she would
have u.sed on a child.
‘‘You must rest, father. You-
are not well. You have been too
long alone. I am young and
strong. You must let me take
most of tho load from your
shoulders. I have not forgotten
how to handle the Indians or to
grade a fnr.”
Again the old factor laughed
and it bcemod to Ellon that all
the elements of despair were in
that laugh. He was shaking; a
man palsied by t'.e scalding out
pourings of rage and hate. Over
and over again he muttered the
name of John 'Benham, cursing
and reviling. It wa.s long before
'no quieted, and the reaction left
him weak and shrunken. His
I eyes, staring out beneath shaggy
brows were glazed and bloodshot.
He punted weakly for -breath.
At that moment all the murky
sh.ndows in the, world seemed to
close in on Ellen Mackay. During
tlio.se thoughtless, carefree years
which she had .spent at school,
some great tragedy had been en
acted here In the fastnesses of
>.ho north. Alone and In silence
this father of hers had fought
.some great, overwhelming mis
fortune. to be slowly beaten dotvn
and shattered until it seemed that
oven his reason w’as tottering.
And the cause of his misfortune
hud been John Benham. John
Benham.
Something stirred and surged
through her veins. Behind her
was a long lino of fighting an-
ce.stors, a lineage reaching to the
far, gorse covered highlands of
Scotland. Here before her lay
battle of another sort, yet battle
none the less. With a click of
her white teeth she caught up
the gage. Gone In an instant -were
all memories of that thousand-
mile trip from the north. In a
flicker of an eyelash she placed
John Benham In new status. An
■^nemy now—an enemy who had
shattered and brought near to
death-—her father.
At last the insanity of rage
left Angus Mackay. One thin
liand came out and rested on
Ellen’s dark head caressingly.
“Forgive me, lass,’’ he murmur
ed. “But only the great God
knows tyhat I have been through.
It Is hard, at my age, to see de
feat and disgrace looming just
before the grave.”
It was late when she kissed her
father good-night and went to her
room, the cozy little cubby that
had been hers tiince a babe In
swaddling clothes. A shaded lamp
suffused It with a gentle, homely
glow. It was carpeted with deep,
rich furs, even to the enormous
hide Of a polar bear, In the
.gleaming pelage of which- sho
sank to her slender ankles.
Prepared by tho loving hands
of Gitchlo, her bed lured her be
neath a spotless counterpane. On
a little table In one corner was a
QUESTION AND ANSM’ER
Question: Should eggs he can-
died after they are placed In the
incubator?
Answer: Yes. All eggs should
be candled on the seventh day
and the dead germs and Infertlles
removed. A home-made candler
may be made by placing a lamp
In a box that has a (our inch
opening at the top. A one and
one-half inch hole should be cut
in the side of the bqx and on a
level ■with the flame. In candling
place the large end of tho egg In
the side opening and remove all
those showing clear with the
yolk slightly visible. Candling
should bo done In a dark room
c-r at night.
J. C. Byrd, of Harnett county, re
cently ’Killed 23 hogs from which
lie secured 8,000 pounds of pork.
bowl of wood violets, which
Moo.sac had gathered and which
filled tho air with fairy incense,
.'iwiftly she disiobed, blew out
tho liglit and slipped between
cool, caressing sheets. But as she
relaxed the darkness brought
many thousands and many Imag
es. Try as she would she could
not keep a certain picture from
drifting before her closed eyes.
It was that of John Benham, as
.she had seen him many times.
Ho stood before her again, clean,
splendid, powerful, his strong,
still face grim and purposeful;
his brilliant eyes adream with
the mystery of the wilderness.
(Continued next week)
Tlid 'seiutte is widely split on ths
President’s plan to increase the
Supreme Court membership, tto
first detailed poll revealed.
More Senators are ontspokeidy
against the proposal to increase
the court to 16 members, than ap
prove it, the poll showed.
Approximately one-third at the
membership, however, is nonco^
mittal.
The poll, taken yesterday,
showed:
For the President’s court pro
posal, 22: leaning, 6.
Against the President’s propos
al, 26; leaning, 6.
Noncommittal, 29.
Absent, 8.
In taking the poll Universal
Service asked each Senator this
question:
“What is your sentiment in re
gard to President Roosevelt’s de
mand for power to enlarge the
Supreme Court?”
'Die answers came back thick
and fast.
No Republican came out in favor
of the proposal. But, on the con
trary, 11 Democrats split away
from the President and declared
their opposition to his court plan.
Breakdown of the poll showed:
Twenty Democrats, one Progres
sive ai.d one Farmer-Laborite were
definitely for the proposal, with
five additional Democrats leaning
in that direction.
Definitely against the project
were 12 Democrats, and 14 Repub
licans and one Independent leaning
that way.
Of the 29 who were either non
committal or undecided, 28 were
Democrats and one Republican.
Eight members were not interro
gated, either because of illness or
absence from the city or both. Of
the.so, seven were Dernoorats and
one : F.armer-Iinborite.
8o that 1 am ashamed
- my face. , .
„ _WIllIam Dolsell Tr»4«f.
Ferguson, N. C.
For all the unemprofilient there
is a shortage of build^ lator
throngfaont the conlttjyj according
to-the National Aaa^tion of
BuBdhig Eb^poiyors,, - r
The aseoebUoa ‘ihid ’yerterday
complained of scarci
ty in' brickUyers, iron wo-kers or
other bmidittg ci^t.
..^I^jp^tative EUenhogen (D),
0# Penfisyivsenia, declared there
was a housing shortage and 'the
United States needed ten million
new homes i nthe next decade.
„ In . Lenoir county, 871 Uxammi
had the farm agent recleaa 41AS,
quarts of tobacco seed during Jsm»'^j
nary. 5J1
Three 4-H. club members
Cumberland coRntyvare gtowiog
Yellow Danvers onions as a nenr
club project for the county.
Sagas of the Lost Provinces
Song of the Branch
I gurgle my uneven way along
The rocks in spring. In summer
time my vole©
Is stilled and thirst possesses me
until
A meager shower slakes my dus
ty course.
In autumntime I reach normality.
When winter’s rains pour down
the mountainsides,
I feel as if my sides would burst.
Oh, man!
■Why did you cut down all the
pine that once
Would hold the water and relieve
my pain?
jjiEw SAFFTY
.for babies
I Mother, most hospitals now
protect their babies against
germs and skln-lnfection by
rubbing Mennen Antiaeptie
aO over the baby's body--«vefy
day. This keeps the baby's
skin smoother, softer, lovtfer
' and SAFER. ^ moGier. do as
hotpitsls do^ as doctors rccora-
Be^Oircyourbabyaaaitty-
with Mcimen Andse|tie
|OU dally thruottt his diaper-
days. Sm your druggist
Motcrist ‘Tailed’
By Driveriess Car
Newark, N. J.~Izzy Milkofsky
drove from Irvingjton to Newark,
followed closely by another auto
mobile. Every turn he made, the
folio-wing car did likewise. Nerves
on edge, Milkofsky finally stopped
to challenge the driver. The rear
car was driverless and locked with
his rear bumper.
Ads get attenthion—and results
The slop that comes from yonder
distant still
Fills all my being with a giddy
sense
That deadens thought and dese
crates my song.
Last year a man was shot and
thrown Into
The boiling mash: 1 heard his
cry of pain
And anguish, felt his warm and
brackish blood
That mingled with my waters. Oh,
the sin!
How can a human being drink
that stuff
That finds Its origin in sugar,
frogs and blood?
MENNEN Antis«ptic OIL
Away up In the hills a mountain
spring
So pure, so cool, so unadulterate,
Pours forth his bounty to my
eager mouth,
But when, in turn. I give my
larger store,
To Yadkin’s ready channel—it is
warm,
Impure, and filled with every-
STAR
BUADES
fOR CEM rod EVER REAOY RAZORS
Reasons Why You Should Buy A
D;
(1) It is attractive and has all the useful and
convenient features created by leading stove de
signers.
(2) It is made of Southern Gray Pig Iron.
(3) It is equipped with heavy fire box lin
ings and heavy duplex grates for either wood or
coal.
(4)—It has a large, roomy oven.
(5) Also large, roomy warming closet, with
removable closet doors, which makes it easly
kept clean and sanitary.
(6) It is quickly heated and economical to op
erate.
(7)—It does good, even baking.
(8) You get style and performance from the
cheapest in this line through to the full enamel.
(9)_Improvements are constantly being made
on our ranges.
(10) We have recently added to this line a
new balanced range which is available in the
plain finish, green and ivory, black and white and
other enamel finishes. This range answers the
demand for a modernistic range of beauty and
efficiency and is an outstanding value in cast
ranges.
If You Are Interested In Trading Your Old Stove for a New Rhodes-Day Range
We Will be Glad to Send Our Representative to Your Home.
Fffom $32»*S© to S*70*SO
hodes-Day Furniture Co.
‘ALWAYS OUTSTANDING FURNITURE VALUES”
North Wilkesbore,
-0-
North Caroim-