Sunday Washington globe., 1901-12-22

CHAPTER VI
TO THE RESCUE.
Bard, foreman Of the works. had had a
hard day
The new aqueduct was decorated for the
dedication exercises; but the men were
sullen. They demanded their pay. Every
moment Of waiting lent strength to the
rumor that Middleton & Blessing were GO
ing to cheat them out of their back wages
AT length, under the leadership of big
Jake Wolf, the chief malcontent, the men
had again turned into frenzied mob and
had hustled Bard away declaring there
should be no dedication, and taking posses
sion of the works.
Wolf jumped on a keg outside the powder
house and harangued the crowd
Are we goin to stand by aud see this
dedication 90 on while ere beat out of our
psy9" he shouted Shall Middleton &
Blessing get wealth and fame though their
Lost River Aqueduct while we, the builders,
starve2 Blessing promised to have the
money here by noon to-day 1t amt here
Neither is he. That shows he's robbed us
Now are we goin' to stand tamel, 1y an see
him do it2"
''Nol No" howled the crowd
Then let's take the law into our own
hands and blow the whole aqueduct into
Lost Riverl"
A yell Of delightfollowed the proposition.
Break into the powder house, some Of
YOU" went on Wolf That's the way
Now out with the kegs and the dynamite
So Now lay the train and in FIVE minutes
the work of Middleton & Blessing will lie
in the bottom of Lost River I'll light the
fuse myself
He stepped down from the keg and strik-
ing match stopped over the fuse.
Stopp
The cry rang out in clear girlish voice.
All turned In the excitement they had
not heard the advancing hoof beats of
hard-ridden horse until Ora galloped into
their midst aud slid exhausted from her
painting horse.
Stopp' she gasped once more
'Whard we stop for1 grumbled Wolf.
Because--because I've got the money!
A mighty roar Of joy rose from the crowd
and hats were thrown in air. Wolf alone
was doubtful.
How do we know she amt lyin ~ he
muttered. 81 bet she hasn't penny of it,"
Most Of you know me, retorted Ora
Have you ever known me to tell lie? All
OF you know Jake Wolf Have you ever
known him to tell the truth"
A shout Of laughter followed the words
If you've got the cash give it to me"
snarled the discounted Wolf
Not on your lifep laughed the girl IF
! did no one else'd get cent MOI My
orders was to give the money to no one but
Bard
But Bards gone away"
Fine him, thenr
Despite VOLTS protests, the whole mob
rushed off in search Of the foreman leaving
Ora alone.
The excitement over she sank listlessly
on the steps of the powder house.
I've saved Bob's honor, anyhow" she
thought, happily, He said twas disgrace
and ruin to him If the works was destroyed.
I'm not educated nor rich, nor anything like
that, and s'pose folks II sneer at him for
marryin' me. But / mean to get books and
teachers aud study hard till I'm as clever
and talk and write as good as those city
girls that laughed at me at the hop last
night He shan't be ashamed of me.
A faint rustliug in the bushes aroused her
from her happy reverie.
Glancing around the corner Of the powder
house she saw Bill Loucks stealthily making
his way toward that building.
He mustn't see mel she thought
There's murder in his eyes He'll stop at
nothin now"
Noiselessly she slipped into the powder
house, closing and barring the door behind
her, but quite oblivious Of the fact that one
of her bonnet strings was caught in the
jamb aud futtered along the outside Of the
Intel
She could hear Bill's stealthy tread as he
neared the space in front Of the powder
house, then his growl Of rage at in1ing no
one there.
Urged by a forlorn hope of getting the
money before it could be handed over to the |
men, Loucks had followed Ora from the
tollgate
He knew that his attempted robbery /
would land him in state prison if he were /
caught, and he had determined on one final /
struggle for the $40, 900 before-he fed.
Rage and despair had driven the man
nearly insane Ora could hear him mutter-
ing curses and threats as he stood irresolute
near the aqueduct Then he spoke uncon-
sciously, his thoughts as he moved nearer
the powder house.
TOO late, f" he grumbled. Shes given
Bard the money. Yes she got here Just on
Time Tor mere > tue poWASN tAhlu All idlu lGhAy [
to blow up the aquednct She will tell
what did at the tollgate Maybe / can
get hold Of her before she tells. If l can
there'li be no tellin by her. Not in this
world But she's gone And I'll have 70
steal a horse and make a break across the
state line before the crowd gets back"
He was moving away when gust Of wind
gently swayed the hanging end Of bonnet
string at the powder house doorway.
The movement caught Louck's eye.
The powder housen he muttered, a saw
age JOY lighting up his face. She's in
there That's her bonnet string. Must
have been waitin here for Bard and saw me
comm and run In there to hide. Then she
has the money after all. She hasn't given
It up yet Twenty thousand dollarsw
He ran up the steps and tried the door.
Locked" he growled
Then he called