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homestead at the edge of town。 This was a rather pretentious two…
story brick structure； in the old solid； square architecture；
surrounded by a small orchard； some hickories； and a garden。 Orde's
father had built it when he arrived in the pioneer country from New
England forty years before。 At that time it was considered well out
in the country。 Since then the town had crept to it； so that the
row of grand old maples in front shaded a stone…guttered street。 A
little patch of corn opposite； and many still vacant lots above；
placed it； however； as about the present limit of growth。
Jack Orde was the youngest and most energetic of a large family that
had long since scattered to diverse cities and industries。 He and
Grandpa and Grandma Orde dwelt now in the big； echoing； old…
fashioned house alone； save for the one girl who called herself the
〃help〃 rather than the servant。 Grandpa Orde； now above sixty； was
tall； straight； slender。 His hair was quite white； and worn a
little long。 His features were finely chiselled and aquiline。 From
them looked a pair of piercing； young； or； standing aside from the doorway。
Newmark entered the cool； dusky interior； and was shown to the left
into a dim； long room。 He perched on a mahogany chair； and had time
to notice the bookcases with the white owl atop； the old piano with
the yellowing keys； the haircloth sofa and chairs； the steel
engravings； and the two oil portraits； when Orde's large figure
darkened the door。
For an instant the young man； who must just have come in from the
outside sunshine； blinked into the dimness。 Newmark； too； blinked
back； although he could by this time see perfectly well。
Newmark had known Orde only as a riverman。 Like most Easterners；
then and now； he was unable to imagine a man in rough clothes as
being anything but essentially a rough man。 The figure he saw
before him was decently and correctly dressed in what was then the
proper Sunday costume。 His big figure set off the cloth to
advantage； and even his wind…reddened face seemed toned down and
refined by the change in costume and surroundings。
〃Oh； it's you； Mr。 Newmark！〃 cried Orde in his hearty way； and
holding out his hand。 〃I'm glad to see you。 Where you been？ Come
on out of there。 This is the 'company place。'〃 Without awaiting a
reply； he led the way into the narrow hall； whence the two entered
another； brighter room； in which Grandma Orde sat； the canary
singing above her head。
〃Mother；〃 said Orde； 〃this is Mr。 Newmark； w drive the logs for these ten firms
at so much a
thousand； do you suppose it would get the business？〃
〃It would depend on the driving firm；〃 said Orde。 〃You see； mill
men have got to have their logs。 They can't afford to take chances。
It wouldn't pay。〃
〃Then that's all right；〃 agreed Newmark； with a gleam of
satisfaction across his thin face。 〃Would you form a partnership
with me having such an object in view？〃
Orde threw back his head and laughed with genuine amusement。
〃I guess you don't realise the situation；〃 said he。 〃We'd have to
have a few little things like distributing booms； and tugs； and a
lot of tools and supplies and works of various kinds。〃
〃Well； we'd get them。〃
It was now Orde's turn to ask questions。
〃How much are you worth？〃 he inquired bluntly。
〃About twenty thousand dollars；〃 replied Newmark。
〃Well； if I raise very much black eyes。 In his time；
Grandpa Orde had been a mighty breaker of the wilderness； but his
time had passed； and with the advent of a more intensive
civilisation he had fallen upon somewhat straitened ways。 Grandma
Orde； on the other hand； was a very small； spry old lady； with a
small face； a small figure； small hands and feet。 She dressed in
the then usual cap and black silk of old ladies。 Half her time she
spent at her housekeeping； which she loved； jingling about from
cellar to attic store…room； seeing that Amanda； the 〃help；〃 had
everything in order。 The other half she sat in a wooden 〃Dutch〃
rocking…chair by a window overlooking the garden。 Her silk…shod
feet rested neatly side by side on a carpet…covered hassock； her
back against a gay tapestried cushion。 Near her purred big Jim； a
maltese rumoured to weigh fifteen pounds。 Above her twittered a
canary。
And the interior of the house itself was in keeping。 The low
ceilings； the slight irregularities of structure peculiar to the
rather rule…of…thumb methods of the earlier builders； the deep
window embrasures due to the thickness of the walls； the unexpected
passages leading to unsuspected rooms； and the fact that many of
these apartments were approached by a step or so up or a step or so
downthese lent to it a quaint； old…fashioned atmosphere enhanced
further by the steel engravings； the antique furnishings； the many…
paned windows； and all the belongings of old people who have passed
from a previous generation untouched by modern ideas。
To this house and these people Orde came direct from the greatness
of the wilderness and the ferocity of Hell's Half…Mile。 Such
contrasts were possible even ten or fifteen years ago。 The untamed
country lay at the doors of the most modern civilisation。
Newmark； reappearing one Sunday afternoon at the end of the two
weeks； was apparently bothered。 He examined the Orde place for some
moments； walked on beyond it； finding nothing there； he returned；
and after some hesitation turned in up the tar sidewalk and pulled
at the old…fashioned wire bell…pull。 Grandma Orde herself answered
the door。
At sight of her fine features； her dainty lace cap and mitts； and
the stiffness of her rustling black silks； Newmark took off his gray
felt hat。
〃Good…afternoon；〃 said he。 〃Will you kindly tell me where Mr。 Orde
lives？〃
〃This is Mr。 Orde's；〃 replied the little old lady。
〃Pardon me；〃 persisted Newmark； 〃I am looking for Mr。 Jack Orde； and
I was directed here。 I am sorry to have troubled you。〃
〃Mr。 Jack Orde lives here；〃 returned Grandma Orde。 〃He is my son。
Would you like to see him？〃
〃If you please；〃 assented Newmark gravely； his thin； shrewd face
masking itself with its usual expression of quizzical cynicism。
〃Step this way； please； and I'll call him；〃 requested his
interlocutho was with us on the
drive this spring。〃
Grandma Orde laid her gold…bowed glasses and her black leather Bible
on the stand beside her。
〃Mr。 Newmark and I spoke at the door；〃 said she； extending her frail
hand with dignity。 〃If you were on the drive； Mr。 Newmark； you must
have been one of the High Privates in this dreadful war we all read
about。〃
Newmark laughed and made some appropriate reply。 A few moments
later； at Orde's suggestion； the two passed out a side door and back
into the remains of the old orchard。
〃It's pretty nice here under the trees；〃 said Orde。 〃Sit down and
light up。 Where you been for the last couple of weeks？〃
〃I caught Johnson's drive and went on down river with him to the
lake；〃 replied Newmark； thrusting the offered cigar in one corner of
his mouth and shaking his head at Orde's proffer of a light。
〃You must like camp life。〃
〃I do not like it at all；〃 negatived Newmark emphatically； 〃but the
drive interested me。 It interested me so much that I've come back
to talk to you about it。〃
〃Fire ahead；〃 acquiesced Orde。
〃I'm going to ask you a few questions about yourself； and you can
answer them or not； just as you please。〃
〃Oh； I'm not bashful about my career；〃 laughed Orde。
〃How old are you？〃 inquired Newmark abruptly。
〃Thirty。〃
〃How long have you been doing that sort of thingdriving； I mean？〃
〃Off and on； about six years。〃
〃Why did you go into that particular sort of thing？〃
Orde selected a twig and carefully threw it at a lump in the turf。
〃Because there's nothing ahead of shovelling but dirt；〃 he replied
with a quaint grin。
〃I see；〃 said Newmark； after a pause。 〃Then you think there's more
future to that sort of thing than the sort of thing the rest of your
friends go in forlaw； and wholesale groceries； and banking and the
rest of it？〃
〃There is for me；〃 replied Orde simply。
〃Yet you're merely river…driving on a salary at thirty。〃
Orde flushed slowly； and shifted his position。
〃Exactly soMr。 District Attorney；〃 he said drily。
Newmark started from his absorption in his questioning and shifted
his unlighted cigar。
〃Does sound like it；〃 he admitted； 〃but I'm not asking all this out
of idle curiosity。 I've got a scheme in my head that I think may
work out big for us both。〃
〃Well；〃 assented Orde reservedly； 〃in that caseI'm foreman on this
drive because my outfit went kerplunk two years ago； and I'm making
a fresh go at it