Kindred of the Dust

trade-wind commenced to blow. Following Hector McKaye's departure, Nan sought this bench until she had sufficiently mastered her emotions to conceal from her father evide

ecessary concomitants of successful existence (for, to her, life meant something more than mere living) should have been hers in bounteous measure, despite the handicap under which she had been born, she

ust Pile for a brief period after their ash-cans had been emptied there; and, though she did not know it, Nan Brent bore pitiful resemblance to these outcast flowers. Here, on the reclaimed Sawdust Pile, she had bloomed from gir

elt within her the vague stirrings of womanhood, she had been wont to gaze upon the blue-back hills to the east, to the horizon out west, wondering what mysteries lay beyond, and yearning to encounter them. Perhaps it was the sea-faring instinct, the Wanderlust of her forebears; perhaps it was a keener appreciation of the mediocrity of Port Agnew than othe

ng other than the honorable profession of arms as beneath the blood and traditions of the family, Nan's mother had been the pet of Portsmouth until, inexplicably, Caleb Brent, a chief petty officer on her father's flag-ship, upon whom the hero's medal had just been bestowed, had found favor in her eyes. The ways of love, as all the philosophers of the ages are agreed, are beyond definition or understanding; even in his own case, Caleb Brent was not equal to the task of understanding how t

nt to his daughter-Poor old hero! But Nan always checked her med

er feminine instinct impelled her to brighten and beautify the little home on the Sawdust Pile from time to time, she had found that possible. She had been graduated with honors from the local high school, and, being a book-lover of catholic taste and wide range, she was, perhaps, more solidly educated than the majority of girls who have had opportunities for so-called higher education. With the broad democracy of sawmill towns, she had not,

itaire. He looked up as she entered, swept the cards into a heap and extended his old arm to enci

"Donald McKaye isn't coming t

Nan! Has he written y

othing's happened. I have decide

OLD SQUARE PIANO

feeling we

new laird of Tyee now, and he must

growled in

res what pe

ans for Donald's future, and if Donald, out of the kindness of his heart, should become a frequent visitor here, The Laird would hear of it sooner or later

." The old fac

who gave me the intimation that The Laird had h

use your own jud

she assured him. "And he will not

aly and which Donald, calm in the knowledge that his mother would never use it or miss it, had given her to

PILE, Saturd

DON

this decision has not been made without father and me being sensible of a keen feeling of disappointment. We had planned to sacrifice an old hen that has outlived her margin of profit, hoping t

erstand and misconstrue your loyalty to the old friends of your boyhood if you dare admit your friendship. Indeed, some have already done so. I thank you for the books and the candy, but with a

old f

BR

n white envelop, after which she changed into

ignal for many a curious and speculative glance from the girls and young men at work therein. One of the former, with whom Nan had at

you wis

l salutation, Nan inclined her h

wonder if I might be permitted

ed, and immediately disappeared in the general manager's office. A moment later, she emerged.

u very mu

ed at a desk, stoo

line cordiality, and set out a chair. "Please be

at they were alone; so she advanced to the desk and lai

Donald McKaye receives this letter when he comes in from

ou entrust me with it? Would it not ha

pecial-delivery stamp upon it. I did not have a special-delivery stamp; so, in order to get one, I would have had to go to the post-office and buy it. And the instant I did that, the girl on duty at the st

ore sincere. He took a large envelop of the Tyee Lumber Company, wrote Donald's name upon it, enclosed Nan's letter in this large envelop, and sealed it with a mighty blow of his fist. "Now then

we do, Mr

young Donald! Th

it is his excessive democracy and loyalty to his fr

not be here." He bowed her to the door, opened it for her, and bowed again as she passe

les-office and tell them to deliver a load of fi

t Nan Brent had called to order a load of fire-wood