Kindred of the Dust

ther's faithful old general manager, Andrew Daney. Daney had grown gray in his fa

ed affably, "what are your p

looked up

anning here, D

grown up in Port Agnew without learning something of my heritage, but, in view of the fact

at a deference he

ollow them down the Skookum to the log boom. Then I'd put in six months in the mill and six more in the factory, following it with three months on the dock, tal

a, and I'll act on

n extension of our drying-yard. Our present yard lies right under the lee of that ridge of which Tyee Head is an extension, and it's practically noon before the sun gets a fair c

Sawdust

ere now-some Greek fishermen, a negro, and a couple of wo

h you that they should go. But I haven't the heart to run old

ruck-garden any more; so if you leave him the space for his house and a chicken-yard, he'

hose other people to

defenseless, and while the boys from the mill would have cleaned them out if I had given the word, the Greeks and

ached for

is going to be upheld," he declared. "I'll clean

on. They have a host of friends up in Da

." He grinned at old Daney. "A negro, a handful of Greeks, and tho

re's a blind pig

ay," Donald answered lightly, an

dust Pile nine years before, a baby boy, of perhaps three years of age, rose out

young laird of Tye

piping answer. "

fingers through the tot's golden h

y daddy," the

b could be the product of any of the denizens of the Sawdust Pile. At once, the boy's arms went round his neck and a velv

s,

hing you manners. Who

vve

might m

Bre

Nan Brent's boy!

ld Br

ent is your mother's name.

got no

run along to

e down the sadly neglected shell walk from Caleb Brent's littl

id, "although I can't be certain.

ended h

re Donald McKaye. You're a man now, bu

again, Nan." He shook h

ed a lit

d. When your flag came down and the gu

d immediately wondered why he ha

me since-since-the gun has been fired-for

you and Caleb. You two are very old friends of mi

ed, with just the suspicion of a tremor in her sweet voice.

ire an answer. Yet he was sensible of a distinct feeling of sympathy

bors on the Saw

when The Laird

rprised that Andrew Daney permitted it. I had thought of him as a

t didn't care. I-I-fancy he concluded th

, and I've come down to stage an eviction. I didn't

ittle wistfull

last night, I-oh, you can't realize how happy it made me to know that you had noticed me-that you really

tolerantly

I made up my mind to make an early visit to the Sawdust Pile. The discovery that these cattle have intruded upon you and your old father, because you were unable to defend yourselves and no one in Port Agnew would defend you, merely hastened my visit. I

'm so much alone-so very lonely-I suppose I

May I come in, then, to gr

nd-" She hesitated, glanced out across the bight, and then resolute

re hailed me, and asked me if I was his father. Then he informed me he was your boy. He's

ous to ask whether her husband was

not invite you into our house, and why you must not be seen talking to me here at the gate. I am not married. I have never been marrie

at's why he misses his father and

ith a brief nod. Seemingly she had long since

ry to fill the gap and make you happy. Do you mind, Nan, if I try my hand at foster-fathering? I like children. This little man starts life under a handicap, but I'll see to it that he gets his chance in life-far from Port Agne

st forth passionately. "Others cal

oes Caleb c

't appeared to make any difference w

w that I know that you're a good woman, and when the spirit moves me-which will be frequently, now that I have this young man to look after-I shall converse with you at your front gate and visit you and your decent old father in this little house, and be damned to those that decry it.

trust herself to speak, for he

w slouched forth defiantly. He was a giant mulatto, an

m. "I'm the new laird of Tyee. I want y

soon,

l, Donald stepped closer to the mula

ll's de new la'rd, eh? Well, ah'm de king o' de Sawdust P

urned to

rouble here, Nan. Pl

ve a most unwomanly and unladylike d

ff. The fellow grunted, and a spasm of pain crossed his countenance. "You yellow dog!" Donald muttered, and flattened his nose far flatter than his mammy had ever wiped it. The

ed to the door of the shack. The frig

'm going to purge the Sawdust Pile with fire;

ess-wagon. The four Greeks were just about to set out for a day's fishing, but, having witnessed the defeat of the mulatto bully, the fever of the hegira seized

n case the wind should suddenly shift and shower sparks upon the roof. In half an hour the Sawdust Pile had reverted to its old status and a throng of curious townspeople who, attracted b

chair by the window, gazing with lack-luster eyes out across the bight. He was hopelessly

"I've just cleaned up the Sawdust Pile for you

leb and sat down in a chai

of late the nights have been bad here-we've thought of you, sir, and wished you were back in Port Agnew. We knew what would happen to those scoundrels whe

ing excursions off the coast, clambakes, hew boats, a dog which Donald had given Nan when he left for prep school and

ment by reiterating his belief that this strange man must be his fa

hat some day his father would come to see them; whereupon, with the calm faith of innocence, he had posted himself at the front gate, to be in position to receive this beloved missing

er the embers of Donald's recent raid. The instant the door c

with a slight inclination of his head toward the

fortune comes in

ssons, and fine dresses. We lived well, and yet we put by a thousand dollars in six years. But that's gone now, what with the expenses when the baby came, and my sickness that's prevented me from working. Thank God, sir, I have my three-quarter

eyes-the dumb pleading of a kind old lost dog. He thought of the thirty-eight-foot sloop old Caleb had built him-a thing of beauty and wondrously seaworthy; or the sense of obligation which had caused old Brent to make of the task a l

s! He was consumed with pity for her. She had fallen, but-there were depths to which destitution and desperation might sti

man, Caleb?" he d

. Nan wrote me when they were marrie

was a marr

n wrot

a marriage

arriage wasn't legal. The name he ga

knows his

learned that,

Caleb? She owed that to herself a

her reaso

ve prosecuted the

r Nan and her child. And I thought her reasons sufficient, Donald

have-have-" He wanted to add, "proved herself virtuous," but, somehow, th

d man

else," he hastened to add. "'Twould have

rticularly clums

rched, with an alert and wistful glanc

think so, do y

f Nan told you that, the

k you

"you find it hard to believe it yoursel

uous and womanly. I'll always be a good friend of hers, Caleb. I'll stand back of her and see that she gets a square deal-she and her son. When you're gone, she can

d her a career if she'd marry him, and so he dazzled the child-she was only eighteen-and she went to San Francisco with him. She says there was some sort of marriage, but he gave her no such gift as I gave her mother-a marriage certificate. She wrote me she was happy, and asked me to forgive her the lack of confidence in not advising with me-and of course I forgave her, Mr. Donald. But i

dust Pile of Port Agnew. Of course, Nan cannot leave you now, but when you le

d tears, or I'd weep, Mr. Donald. God will r

way, who is towing the gar

somebody else and his boat when I

a week, eighty dollars a month. Cheap enough; so don't think it's charity. Here's the first month's rental in advance. I'

the prospect of desertion and brought his mother fluttering in

arnica now? I cut my knuck

sadly smiling

ca be-if we had any,

side the basement of that funny old half-portion gran

ld. We haven't had a boy around to visit us since you left Port Agnew,

lease,

later,

o the cage of old Mrs. Biddle's South American parro

no

to have it attended to, in

Strange how that scene persists in my memory! You were

the garbage-man's daughter," she whispered. "There's a ridiculous song about

evening soon, will

sing any

r sing 'Carry Me Back t

hall sing

k you

d white scar on the index-finger of his right hand. And quite suddenly, to his profound amazement, she bent her head and swiftly implanted upon

been raised in defense of the sanctity of my home-and unt

e least part of her attractiveness, perfect as that beauty was. Instinctively, Donald visualized her as a woman with brains, character, nobility of soul; there was that in her eyes, in the honesty and understanding with which they looked into his, that com

, but if you were still Nan Brent you would be sweet and compelling. You remind me of a Catholic chapel; there's alway

omprehending. She knew he was not seeking to flatter her, that the wiles, the Art

are I say it, Donald?-seeing straight. I repeat, you always were the sweetest boy in the world-and there is still so much o

ermost in his mind, he should remember his manners and thank her

ase bring me some books? They're all that can keep me sane-and I do not go to

you have been away f

fore my b

Caleb had become house-ridden, then, she had bee

she continued. "To-day, the sun has shone. Whatever your thoughts may have been,

st happiness of the old comradely days when she had been Cinderella and he the prince, he wished that he might take her in a fraternal embrace and let her cry out on his breast the agony that gnawed at her heart li

ly, and the young laird of Tyee returned to the mill-office to report to Andrew Daney that the Sawdust Pil

an end, and he went hom