Page:November Joe.pdf/108

 I had never seen him so moved. He had been away hunting for three days and returned to find this message.

"The darned skunk—" he repeated, "to rob her traps!"

"Her? A woman?"

"S. Rone stands for Sally Rone. You've sure heard of her?"

"No, who is she?"

"I'll tell you," said Joe. "Sal's a mighty brave girl—that is, she's a widow. She was married on Rone four years ago last Christmas, and the autumn after he got his back broke to the Red Star Lumber Camp. Did n't hump himself quick enough from under a falling tree. Anyway, he died all right, leaving Sally just enough dollars to carry her over the birth of her son. To make a long story short, there was lots of the boys ready to fill dead man Rone's place when they knew her money must be giving out, and the neighbours were wonderful interested to know which Sal would take. But it soon come out that Sal was n't taking any of them, but had decided to try what she could do with the trapping herself."