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CODE of the NORTH ? ? T by HAROLD TITUS Copyright by Harold Tltua WNU Service SYNOPSIS Stephen Drake, with his four-year old son, Is rescued from a blizzard by Jim Flynn, big timber operator, whom Drake has robbed. Flynn forgives the | theft, and Drake, until his death, Im presses on tho boy. Steve, the debt they owe "Old Jim." Twenty years later, 8teve meets "Young Jim" Flynn, his benefactor's son. Sent by Old Jim, In capacitated through an accident In which Kate, his daughter. Is tempo rarily blinded, to take charge of the company's ? the Polaris ? woods op erations, the youth is Indulging In a drunken spreed. Learning of Polaris' dire straits, and hoping to do some thing for Old Jim, Steve hastens to the company's headquarters. Ho finds Franz, a scoundrel, plotting against the Flynn interests. Worsting Fran* In a fist fight, tho Polaris brew, by lucky chance, assumes that he Is Flynn's son, and he does not disillusion them, taking charge, as "Young Jim." A photograph of Kate Flynn, which Steve finds. Intrigues him Immensely. MacDonald, eccentric old Scotsman, holds timber vital to the Polaris In terests. Steve gains the warm friend ship of LaFane, queer woods scout. He adds to Frann's hate by driving him away from Mary Wolf, young Indian girl whom ho has been abusing. ?CHAPTER IV ? Continued This all required time and It took more time to set the pun with proper firmness, stock held fnRt by those well-arranged rocks. Next, he stripped branches from a young birch, carried the cord back from the gun aronnd that, on down and parallel to the trail for a dozen feet, around an other tree and finally across the trail itself. He took in the slack with pre cise caution and made the end fast to * a stump. He had worked in darkness ; he had moved slowly, he had listened, always listened. And the time which elapsed gave two men, walking the beach so quietly that they disturbed no pebble, an opportunity to travel from head quarters to the foot of the trail where the canoe lay In the reeds before he was finished. LaFane had glided Into the light that fell through the store doorway, a tall, statuesque figure. He stood a moment, at some little distance, be fore he spoke. "Jim," he snid in his deep voice, "will you come here?" Impressed Steve had risen, left Tom TOdd and followed as LaFane turned back Into the shadows. They walked to the water s edge and halted. "Don't go to your camp tonight," LaFane said. "No? Why not? What's up?" 1 lie man shrugged. "Don't know. But a man does not paddle his canoe so quietly that even a dog is not sure he hears, twenty rods away. A man does not walk up the trail to nnother man's camp with a gun in his hands for any good purpose." "What are you getting at? Some body gone to my shanty?" LaFane nodded. "Who?" "That would only be a guess. I could almost touch him ns he passed but I could only guess." "Well, seems to me that's the time ? man should go." . "That Is for you to decide." Tome nlortg, then, or"- ? hesitating ? "I don't want to drag you Into any Jnm." LaFane tyughed softly. "Hurry," he said, "or you may only guess, too." The sand deadened their footfalls and they went with utmost care. At tho cabin trnll they halted. Steve laying a hand on LaFane's arm. Just the breath of n sound, the merest suggestion of approach, reached them and they snnk together In the high reeds. Some one was cfynlng, itirely, approaching with stealth. He loomed above them so closely that they could bear his breathing, so hear that both could have touched him. He stooped for his canoe with ft light whiff of breath, ns In relief. "Looking for somebody?" Steve's words, so sharp, so unex pected, caused the man to gasp. Hut - he did not turn, did not hesitate. He pitched forward In a lunge for his canoe. Drnko flung out a hnnd to grapple with tho figure before him but he was loo late. The canoe rasped bl.ttom. ivator splashed. Stove floundered, La . Fane behind him. Hln fingers tore it the figure there, clutching the Heavy shirt. Tho move caused an In Articulate syllable to burst from the man'* Hps, all but dragged him from his balance, hut ho tore free. Drake, his hold gone, was falling prone In Inches of water while La Fane Mumbled over him. But a foot hhd foun?J purchase, a ?eg had straightened; under that drlv?> the canoo shot outward and although LiFftno hurled himself forward and stoutly he could not overtake It ?nd an he gav? up the sound of swift paddle utrol.oa reached them mock l?Rly. They, stood still, listening to those sounds grow fainter. Then Steve, reaching Into his pocket for a flash light, turned its beam on his left band. In his palm was a button, torn threads clinging to It ; a plain, brown but ton. , . . "D ? n!" he said. "Come on, T.a Fane, let's have a look at the trail." The light of the torch showed them the cord^and, edging around It, they reached thfe gun. - It was a twelve gauge shotgun, safety off, set for the first unsuspecting traveler on that trail Steve cut the cord, set the safety and ejected the shells. He gave no sign of excitement but when he spoke his voice was somewhat husked. "Buckshot." he said. "It'd have blown my guts out. Much obliged, LaFane. . . . And can I get you to keep this to. yourself? No? use talking until we have somebody to talk to." "That's right," the -man said. "Good night." He went quickly down the trail. Three days later Steve paddled up the lake bound for the wood camp. He wag frowning, tilled with mis giving. That noon LaFane had brought a letter from Kate, written after re ceiving; word that the railroad con struction was blocked. Her despair had touched him profoundly, goaded him to fresh effort. And yet, what to do? No new capital was forthcom ing, no extension of time could be anticipated from Impatient creditors. He was keeping the job alive for a few weeks and that was all, so far. Another canoe rounded a long point nnd came toward him and as the dis tance narrowed Steve's lip quirked. It was Franz, whom he had not seen or heard of since their encounter on the upper river. He pointed his canoe to Drake's. "Howdy," he said In an odd tone, trailing his paddle. "How's Young Jim Fl.vnn today?" A peculiar Inference was In the words and he grinned with something like Insolence. Steve's eyes dropped to the man's clothing and his outfit. The bottom of his canoe was smeared with red clay. "Don't you figure you've crawled about far enough out on this particu lar limb?" Franz asked. A sharp thrill of apprehension ran Drake's body. "Meaning Just what?" he countered. "Principally, that the original Young Jim Flynn Is on his way In ; or will be when he sobers up." The man "Great Hatl" Declared Drake. "How'd You Do It, LaFane?" laughed. "Won't It be Interesting to watch McNally and the rest of these dubs? And to see the real boss, we)l pickled, a shaking, miserable spec tacle. come to take charge of a sink ing ship? "And won't It also be Interesting for you to explain to somebody bow you came to be spending Polaris money so free and easy? Why, you d ? d pretender, he'll have licked up what booze he's got In a few hours; he's out of money ; he'll come to try to do what he was supposed to try to do n month ago! And when he finds you here, playing his part, even he'll run you off so fast It'll make your head swim !" Steve's hend did swim then, for nil Instant. It was not thought of what Young Jim Flynn might do that caused con fusion. The factor In the situation which loomed high In his conscious ness w?s the effect on a blinded girl, hundreds of miles away, that the ar rival of the one with true authority might have. Ills feeling of obiigntion to tho family had oddly shifted from father to daughter. Steve had kept the Job alive by his ability to give men confldec" In his leadership. This was no feeling of solf-satlsfactlon, of conceit ; It was simply the fact. Hut Young .Tim's advent would send the fragile structure of Polaris hopes crumbling. The Important mntter be foro Drnke now was to nenl Franz's lips, to prevent spread of the news tho man bore because, should the rumor that he was only n pretender spread and should he he questioned, he would be forced to admit the truth. That would be enough to put everything In n sorry tangle. He studied the other closely, noting the deep pockets In the hrenst of his shirt. He raised a hand to fumble In one of his own pockets, fingers closing on that whleh reposed there. "Franr., you're untidy," he sntd. The man looked hard at him nnd laughed, "Wlyit're you driving at, now?" lie asked. "A lot of Interest ydu've got In how I look." "Not a great deal, that's true. But a man who's careless about where he leaves buttons from his clothing is likely to stir up tntefbst In other I folks' minds." The other sneered. "Buttons I" 4 Yes. Like this one.** Steve opened his hand, displaying a smooth, brown button. "You see, this one happens to belong under the flap of your right hand shirt pocket. No button there; this one's mate In on the other pocket. "And even If it weren't for this button, '? Drake went on, "I have plenty on you. I took a lot of pains In handling that Bhotgun." "Shotgun? I don't know what you're talking about I" "You'd naturally say that. But It's n good gun. It had been well cared for. There's plenty of gun oil on It to keep the rust off, and to take the print of a man's fingers !" "I don't know what you're talking about, I tell you 1" "Then you're a lot dumber than I'd figured on! You see, Franz, It's one of these air-tight cases. You've a double motive to raise the devil with me. Twenty men saw me knock you for a row of something on my first night here at headquarters. It spilled a lot of beans jou'd taken a lot of pains to gather. Old man Wolf and Mary would be believed In court If they told what happened op above the other day. When one man Inter feres between another man and his girl that also establishes motive, doesn't It? v "So much for reasons. Added to thnt, I've a witness who heard a man land at the foot of my trail the other night and warned me to be cagey and was with me when this skulker was Interrupted slightly In his get-away. I made a grab for him. The witness saw it. All I got was a button, but It's this particular button. No good In court, likely but It convinces me, you see. "Right after we tried to get more than a buttonhold on this bird, this witness and I found a gun set In my trail, loaded and ready to blow me to kingdom come. That gun Is covered with finger-prints." The other's face paled. "Talk !" he snarled. "Bunk! If you think you can tie me up to something I don't know about you've got a flock of guesses coming!" But the paddle, held lightly in one of his hands, rat tled against. the gunwale. On that Steve grinned easily. "I'll make you this promise, Fran,. : one word from you about the game I'm playing? which I admit to you freely, now? or about another man said to be Young Jim Flynn In this country, and I'll have the sheriff on you and an attempted murder charge against you. Don t think I'm stalling becnune I don't go through with thla thing now. A whole lot depends on keeping what you and I know to ourselves. "I'm not promising to let this set gun case drop. Nothing like that. But I'll make no move In It so long as I'm convinced It's advisable to keep on playing the gnme I'v* been playing j since the start . . . that Is. unless you start folks guessing. So If you want to find out Just how quick and how hard I'll bear down, Just let your tongue run. I don't care where the story comes from; If It so much as starts I'll put the clamps on vou. Oct that?" Franz caught his breath to reply. "Hold It! I don't wnnt to hear an other d? d word from you ! We seem to understand each other plenty and using up more words now Is . jnsf using up more words!" He resumed his way, leaving Franz with a hafTled look on his face In which a helpless rage and great relief min gled. Drake went on to the wood camp, pondering this new complication! Young Jim's coming would mean more than disaster for the operation of the property; Just as surely as it would precipitate trouble here, it would eventually mean heartbreak for Kate Flynn and this, oddly, seemed to him to he of greater Importance than thn effect on such Items as production and credit. As Steve came abreast of LaFanc'* cabin on his return he saw the mau and bis children in the dooryard. More, the great dog. Duke, was with them, walking slowly about and on his either side walked a child. "Kvenlng!" Steve Hailed ashore and I'M Fa no saluted gravely. As Drake stepped ashore be saw the dog's Hps draw back, exposing the long, white fangs and then the ar.l mal, as if reminded of some Im portant matter that had been tem porarily forgotten, looked up Into La Dane's face. La Fane was lookin* toward Steve but tho dog's threatened snarl did not materialize, he licked his chops as If In chagrin and the tip of bis tall waggled ever so slightly. "Walk up and touch him." La Fane said, amusement In his face. "Hullo, Duke," Steve muttered, stepping forward, hand extended. The dog lowered his head, stopped bis leisurely panting nn() RtlfTened. But when the band touched him in light caress he flopped his bushy tall and let his tongue loll again. "OJrent hat I" declared Drake "How'd you do It. LaFane?" The other chuckled, then, as one will whoso pride has been fed. "There are ways," he said. "Take him down the beach, chlldron." The three little girls scampered along the sand, the eldest .ailing to the dog to follow. Duke still sat ther* but he stared eagerly at hit master ears cocked expectantly. "Go on I" the man said. "Oo <*, Take care of 'em, Duke!" (TO ?? Of>NTINU?t?.) TRAINING CHILD IN FIRST YEARS "The Earliest School Is the Family." ? Froebel. By HILDA HITCHCOMB, National Kindergarten Association, New York City. Mrs. Wood, a young mother whose children would soon start to public school, was anxious to know what she could do to help them. At the beginning of the previous scliool year she had seen her noighboi, almost dally, bribing, coaxing and arguing to get her twin sons started with the | other children. "What was wrong there that they did not want to go?" asked Mrs. Wood of the primary teaoher whose class the twins attended. "Too much 'sugar coating' at home," answered MlssDoane, frankly. This, she went on to say, was not good for any child. .This mother had I never allowed her boys to feel that j there- were hard tasks to be per formed and dlfllcult lessons to be learned In the first years of their lives, and so they had not formed the habit of attack and had missed the Joy of achievement. She had I waited on them, had paid them for each little service and had tried to eliminate every hardship from their young lives. Miss Doane said the children best prepared for school en ti ce were those who had learned to wait on themselves, to sit quietly for short periods of time when there I were guests, to perform little errands and chores without being rewarded for each act, and who knew how to work and play with others. "This," she added, "Is what boys and girls learn in kindergarten. I wish we had one here." So Mrs. Wood conducted a little survey of herself and her children to check up on the various Items. She found that she was waiting on her children more than was necessary and was "paying" them In pennies and treats much too frequently. On the other hand she had many strong points to her credit, as she had al i ways talked with them about school in a very happy way, speaking of it | as being a great pleasure and one to which they would be admitted when they were sufficiently big and bravq, | and strong. She had been firm In I not allowing them "treats" that would upset digestion ? a frequent cause of naughtiness In school? and she had seen to U that tl.ey were fair and generally unselfish in their play. So with this good foundation on which to build she gradually elim inated the other habits not so desir able. She played .school with the ' children, representing it as a very de lightful ^experience and she gave them specific duties, Including keep j ing their play desks in good order, j At other times she set them tasks in the kitchen and dining room. And. , although It made considerable extra | work, she Invited many other boys I and girls to the house to play. She soon saw a great change In tiie chil dren. She had tried to keep them j babies before, now she put emphasis I on their development and the Joy of added responsibilities. "How did you know all these things r ' she asked the teacher who had guided her. Miss Doane laugh ingly answered, "I have dealt with babyish children too long not to know or not to have the desire to help when I can." The teacher was always eager that the little pupils who came to her shou'd get the very most nut of their j first school year, and that was what the properly prepared children tisu t ally did. Hope, but Keep Working The fact Is, says a writer in Lon I don Answers, that the beautiful word "hope" Is misused by thousands, who make of it a narcotic, a mental and physical sleeping-draught. W ilk ins Mlcawber, you remember, was a great "hoper." lie lived on hope. Hoping was his daily and hourly or cupatlon. He was always hoping something would turn up to make his ; fortune, to end It's acute state of lm pecunloslty, but he never stirred a finger to help it to materialize. Hoping for t lie best is good, on or raslon, but working for the best is better, nnd tnurh more likely to pro ?luce results. Hope which is passive ) Is more a vice than a virtue. It is closely related to Indolence. Hut hope which Is active, purposeful dynamic moves the world. T>r. Pierco'i Favorite Prescription make* wenk women strong. No alcohol. Sold by dmggints in tablets or liquid. ? Adv. Bleated Are the Meek "Here's one name on the commit tee that I never heard of." "Oh, that's probably the person who actually does the work."- Trap pers Maga^-no. ONE WAY OR OTHER Why do little birds lu their nests agree? They have to or they'd fall out. LONG AND SHORT Son ? Dud, what's a monosyllable? Dad ? A long term for a short word, my son. Thousands have Ended their Bowel Worries by taking this advice! Can constipation safely be relieved? "Yes!" say medical men. "Yes!" say the many thousands who have followed their advice and know. You are not likely to cure your constipation with salts, pills, tablets or any of the habit-forming cathar tics. But you can safely relieve this condition by gentle regulation with a suitable liquid laxative. THE LIQUID TEST: First: select a properly prepared liquid laxative. Second: take the dose you find suited to your system. Third: gradually rcduce the dose until bowels are moving of their own accord. Simple, isn't it? And it works! The right liquid laxative brings thorough bowel action without using force. An approved liquid laxative (one which is most widely used for both adults and children) is Dr. Caldwell's Syrup Pepsin. It it a doctor's prescription, and perfectly safe. Its laxative action is based on senna, a natural laxative; the dose can be measured, and the action thus regulated to suit your individual need. If there are children in your household, don't give them any fad form of laxative, but use a health ful, helpful preparation like Dr. Caldwell's Syrup Pepsin. Its very taste will tell you it is wholesome, and agreeable to the stomach. De lightful taste, and delightful action; there is no discomfort at the time, or after. Ask your druggist for Dr. Caldwell's Syrup Pepsin, all ready to take. A Frank Statement Concerning Dr. Caldwell's Syrup Pepsin We believe the use of pills and tablets containing mineral drugs is rapidly giv ing way to gentle regulation of the bowels with a liquid laxative. We believe Dr. Caldwell's original prescription of fresh herbs, pure pepsin, and senna is the ideal family laxative. And we know it is a safe preparation for children and expectant mothers becausc it does not cause bowel strain or irritate the kidneys. Note of Caution Hp sure of your aim In life before moving into n glass house. Up to Him Adversity toughens a man, l*ut not unless he conquers ll. THIS CROSS TELLS YOU It Means the REAL ARTICLE GENUINE ASPIRIN Of Bayer Manufacture When you go tofc>uy aspirin, just remember this: Every tablet of real aspirin of Bayer manufacture is stamped with this cross. No tablet without this cross is GENUINE Bayer Aspirin. Remember this for your own protection. Tell your friends about it for their protection. Demand and get Genuine BayerAspirin.j Safe relief for headache, colds, sore throat, pains of rheumatism and neuritis, etc. Genuine Bayer Aspirin Does Not Harm*the Heart MEMBER N. R. A. Watted Sympathy How wo h:i to to soe another man fooled, although lie wants to he. Keep One on Hand dictionary In the house prevent many a dispute. Two things I wanted-] "...and It was all so simple when 1 found out my trouble. 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