Part 10 (2/2)
Two fellows fell in love with her One of theood man, leastways everybody said he was, but he wasn't wise to all the fancy tricks that pretty woht down buffaloed at the very thought of her, so he just hung around and slept late so that he ht dream about her and feel like he was her equal or that she loved back at hi town, and he wasn't the same kind, for he'd knocked around ht No, sir! He was sure a wrong guy, as it caer, and the very purity and innocence of the girl drew hie froood man tak' a shot at him?” asked Poleon, hotly
”First, he didn't realize as going on, being too tied up with drea, I reckon; and, second, neitheras they did in different parts; third, he was an ordinary sort of fellow, and hadn't ever had any trouble, irl up and took the bad one”
”Wat does de good man do, eh?”
”Well, he was all tore up about it, but he went away like a sick quail hides out”
”Dat's too bad”
”He heard about them now and then, and what he heard tore hiirl's husband couldn't wear the harness long, and, having taken ahat good there was in her, he made up in deviltry for the time he had lost She stood it pretty well, and never whimpered, even when her eyes were open and she sahat a prize-package she had drawn The fact that she was gah to stand for him and yet keep herself clean without complaint made the man worse He tried to break her spirit in a thousand ways, tried to make her the same as he was, tried to make her a bad woman, like the others he had known It appeared like the one pleasure he got was to torture her”
”W'y don' she quit 'i for quit a man lak' him”
”She couldn't quit on account of the kid They had a youngster Then, too, she had ideas of her own; so she stood it for three years, living worse than a dog, till she saasn't any use--till she saw that he would make a bad woot rough--”
”No! No! You don' mean dat? No man don' hurt no woman,” interjected Doret
”By God! That's just what I ray as to match his brows ”He beat her”
Poleon broke into French words that accorded ith the trader's harsh voice
”The wo lonely, loving her all the time, and you'd better believe he went”
”Ha! Dat's fine! Dat's dam' fine!” said the other ”I'll bet dere's hell to pay den--w'at?”
”Yes, there was a kind of reckoning” The old erly for him to continue, but there came the sound of voices down the trail, and they looked up
”Here coreat interes' 'bout dis wo story, and I just told you this irl and a bad ood one The sooner it happens the better it will suit me”
Neither man had ever spoken thus openly to the other about Necia before, and although their language was indirect, each knew the other's thought But there was no time for further talk now, for the others were close upon them As they caht Runnion along!”
”Hurunted Doret ”I don' t'ink much of dat feller Wat's de matter wit' 'No Creek,' anyhow?”
The three new arrivals dropped down upon the moss to rest, for the up-trail was heavy and the air sultry inside the forest Lee was the first to speak
”Did you get aithout bein' seen?” he asked