The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-11-23

He seized RdUeli by the throat.
Two names We're used for the only girl
at Overlook. In addressing her the men
of the place always said "Miss War
riner." In mentioning her they often
said "Mary Mite" The reason for this
distinctive difference was revealed by the
sight of Miss Mary Warmer herself as
she sat on high stool behind rude
desk, under a roughly boarded shelter,
and with rapid fingers clicked the key of
a Geographic instrument. There was
perfect poise of quiet self possession
which would have been very impressive
dignity in an older and bigger person,
and which, although here limited by
eighteen years and one hundred pounds,
still made demand for respectful treat
ment. Therefore the men when in her
presence never felt like calling her any
thing else than miss Warmer" If she
had been less like stately damsel in
miniature, and more like such child as
she was in size only; if her employment
had been something not so near to
science as that of biography, and not so
far off from juvenile simplicity; if her
brown hair had been loosely curled in
stead of closely coiled, and if her skirts
had stopped at her ankles instead of
reaching to her feet, then she might
have been nicknamed "Mary Mite" with
in her own hearing, as she was beyond
it by those who described her smallness
in sobriquet. There may have been
variance of opinion among those dwell
ers at Overlook who had made any esti-
mate of her composure, but if there was
one who believed that she merely as
sumed reserve of manner because she
was among two hundred men he had
not yet tried his chances of exceptional
acquaintance.
Overlook was crude and temporary.
The inhabitants were making roadbed
for new railway at spot where the
job was extraordinary, requiring an I'M
commonly large proportion of brain to
Drawn in the work. Those who were
mental laborers in the remarkable 1eat
: of engineering, or were at least bosses
of the physical toll, were the ones who
I had errands at the Geographic shed, and
S for whom Mary sent and received mes
sages over the wires. The isolated COL
L ony of workers was a hundred miles
deep, in a wilderness of mountain and
:, forest, but not as many seconds distant
1 measured by the time necessary for cleo
trical communication from the construc-
ton company's headquarters in a great
e city.
Must you wait for an answer" Mary
|; said, as she clicked the last word of a
message. Its an hour since your first
g telegram went, and they seem in no
hurry to reply"
e Polite Indifference, and nothing else,
was in her clear, gentle voice. There
} was neither boldness nor shyness in the
eyes that opened wide and blue as she
= lifted them from the paper to the man
e whom she questioned. There was no
more of smile than of a pout on the
p mouth that worded that inquiry She
n did not indicate the faintest interest as
Ii to whether he went or staid, although
5, she did suggest that he might as well go.
2 ''Fd rather lounge here, if you don't
mind" was Gerald Heath's answer.
II Here the alertness of the placid girl
was family shown by a quick glance, but
n it was so furtive that the subject of her
r wariness did not know his face was being
S scrutinized, and she was quickly con.
It WINGED that she was not the cause of his
n remaining, for he said, I'll tell you why
'e I'm anxious about the telegram and in a
/ hurry to get it,
b Gerald Heath had been lazily leaning
e against the makeshift desk of the teleg.
rapher as he waited, and for pastime
e had whitfield the smooth birch sapline
S that formed its outer edge. He had
il Clipped and shaved after the manner OF
lie those to whom sharp pocket knife and
ID piece of wood provide solace. There
II had been no conversation except a few
y words concerning the message. But
now he heightened himself to six feet by
d standing erect, and took or the outline:
of a magnificent physique. His proper
\. tons had not been realized before by the
girl at the other side of the counter. She
d comprehended, too, that if his somewhat
unkempt condition were changed to one
A. which included a face cleaned of stub
v born beard, a suit of modish clothes tx
r replace the half worn corduroys, ani
ia the shine of silk hat and polished boot:
"a at his now dusty extremities, he would
\ become young gentleman whose dis
+ regard might be an appreciate slight.
ia That was the conclusion which sht
A. reached without any visible sign tina
" her careless eyes were conveying an,
~ sort of impression to her mind. AS i
II was. he looked an unusually burly spec
a linen of the men to whom isolation from
m city life had impaired an aspect of bar
10 barians Before he had uttered anothe
a word she realized that he was who'll.
70 engrossed in the matter of his telegram
~ and had no thought of the individualit.
10 of the listener. Not only was she no
o. the thing that made him wait, but sh
a might as well have been old, ugly or
saan. if only she had ears to hear.
ID 1t was summer afternoon, and tn
he clear, balmy weather was seasonable
r The removal of protective canvas ha'
left the structure an open shed, over th
front of which hung the boughs of tn
two trees against whose massive trunk
a it leaned Gerald Heath reached u
,e with both hands and held the foliag
aside.
e. "Do you get an unobstructed view?
e he asked. "Now, I've helped lay on
railroads through many place where
80 was shame to let trains go faster tina
nc mile day. I've surveyed routes tina
" ought to provide special trains for pas
sengers with eyes in their heads-train