Page:Harold Titus--Timber.djvu/299

Rh She was strangely uneasy with Goddard now, a new reaction to him, born with the events of Monday morning when he had confronted Taylor with his charge.

"Saw Sim Burns today." He fussed with his hat as though reluctant to go on, but Helen said, "Yes?" and he proceeded: "He says he's got some cedar he's sold to Chief Pontiac. Wants to drive it down and says he'll serve notice on you to open the boom at Seven Mile unless you do it yourself."

"How much cedar has he?"

"I don't know. They got out some posts last winter. I recollect some poles, too, but there couldn't be over a carload."

"We can put it over the boom for him cheaper than we can tear it out."

"Yeah. I said that, but he wouldn't listen. Wants the river open."

The girl tapped her desk with a pencil.

"So that's another item, is it?"

"Looks that way. He's doin' it to make trouble. The county's pretty well stirred up, Helen," looking at her closely. "They're talking nasty!"

"Talk is easy to stand."

"But there's more than talk. Those warnings you get; what's happened at the mill—I tell you, Helen, they're too many for you."

"You'd have me quit?"

His eyes shifted.

"I don't want to see you—broken." His eyes raised again to her face, dog-like, and she knew the plea that was in them, the plea which she had forbidden him to speak. "You won't listen to me," he said heavily, "an'