Argosy All-Story Weekly, January 13, 1923 — page 154: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

616 ‘And he really should not be punished,” Alan added. “The company would understand. It has overlooked incidents like this in the past. If he had only stolen the fur he would be safe. But you can’t expect the law and the Northwest Mounted to take a charitable, understanding attitude.” Alan was silent. He had gone as far as he dared in suggesting clemency. To say what he really believed, what Helen’s faith impelled him to believe, would only bring his own reasoning into question and weaken anything he might do in Mears’s behalf. “But that is not the reason I came to talk to you to-day,” Macleod continued.. “You know, of course, that I was on my way to Barrier Lake when [ got your note.” _ There was a new, crisp, businesslike tone in his voice, and Alan glanced up quickly. “I was coming,” Macleod said, “‘ to take over the Chester post.” “Take it over!” Alan repeated in amaze- ment, “Yes. Madge Chester has sold out to the Great North and has left the north country.” | Alan leaped to his feet. “ Sold out!” he repeated incredulously. * Yes, all three posts.” * And left me high and dry! Led me on to believe that I was working for the future. Encouraged me—” “ She has provided for the salary end of her post managers’ contracts,” Macleod said. ‘‘ The company will hand you a check for the balance of the year.” “YT wasn’t thinking of salary!” Alan re- torted. ‘“ What was her idea?) What rea- son did she give?” “The deal has been pending for some time. Last summer the commissioner asked her to set a price. She did, but he refused to meet it. This winter she put over a big year all along the line. When she returned from Barrier Lake last week the commis- sioner was at Fort Bruce. She renewed negotiations and he took her up.” “ What reason did she give for selling out in mid-winter when all her posts were going strong?” “ Of course, the price was attractive, more ARGOSY-ALLSTORY. WEEKLY, than I was in favor of paying, but she told me several things,’ Macleod said hesita- tively. “What did she say?” “ Tt was in the nature of a confidence, but T will tell you. that no woman. can run a fur trading com- pany, that she is too much the victim of her managers.” “Victim! In what way?” “She didn’t go into details. Of course, she has had some failures. Last year at Barrier Lake: her man went to pieces over whisky.. She.said you got the fur this year, but that you cost her a lot of money. She said you worked for pelts, not for profits.” “That’s not true!’ Alan cried. “I can show you the books. I never paid a cent more than I was warranted in doing.” “TI gathered that there were other things. She suggested that you were one of these spectacular traders who rise like a rocket and then blow up. At any rate, she con- fided to me: that she had taken the com-- missioner up at: what she knew would be her ““Tt’s a damnable piece of ingratitude,” Alan raged.. “ Did you believe it?” “Tt is hardly “a concern of mine, but Madge Chester has always been a remark- able student of character, and you’ve never worked for any free trader more than one year.” it was true, but only Alan knew why it had been so;. how his ideals of fur land had mocked and eluded him. Even the issues back of Madge’s treachery must remain an issue between themselves. She had trapped him. She had bought his brains, his energy and his loyalty and then because he had dared to love another: woman she: had sold him out, blackened his character and destroyed his opportunity in the north. He remembered her that last evening, how she had led him on to talk of fur land and of how much it meant to him even while, back of that smile, back of those mocking lips, she had been gloating over her revenge.. And then suddenly a sense of freedom came to\him: All winter he had been forced. to fight the woman he loved. Now he was free to go to her defense, to give every | EOPMNICLOOKS She said she had learned. (E@)