Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1906-12-06
Copyright, 1905, by j. p. Lippincott Coz
CHAPTER VII.-Continued.

''Eow could it be anything else?"
he inquired, mildly
Il don't know. But there was an
explosion; | heard it. Surely Uncle
,Somerville wouldn't"
The secretary shook his head
mo; think you may exonerate Mr..
Darrah, personally; in fact am quite
sure you may"
But someone planned It, You
knew 1t was going to happen-you
were out here watching for it."
Was | ?" The secretary's smile was
a mere barring of the teeth. His blood
was the sycophantic lymph which
flows in the veins of those who do
murder at a great mans nod.
"It is horribly unfair" she went on.
81 understand the sheriff is here.
Couldn't he have prevented this?"
Jastrow's reply was an evasion.
"Oh, it's all legal enough. That bare
place up there is a placer claim. Sup
posing the owners found it necessary
to put in a few sticks of dynamite to
loosen the frozen ground. 1t is Mr.
Winton's misfortune if his railroad
happens to be in the way, don't you
fhink?"
But it was planned beforehand and
you knew of it, she insisted Her
eyes were flashing, and TIE secretary's
desire for possession warmed into
something like admiration.
Did II"
Eyes, you did,
''It would lie impolite to contradict
you"
''It is more impolte not to answer
my question. Couldn't the sheriff
have prevented it?"
''Supposing he didn't want to pre-
vent it? Supposing he brought the
men who did it over on his train last
night"
Then l say again 1t is horribly un-
fair"
The secretary's rejoinder was a
platitude: Everything is fair in love
sor war"
But this IS neither" she retorted.
Think not?" he said, coolly. wait
and you'll see. And a word in your
ear, Miss Carteret: you are one of us,
You know, and you mustn't be dis
loyal. know what you did yesterday
y
Virginia's face became suddenly
wooden. Until that moment it had
not occurred to her that Jastrows mo-
tive in showing her the two kilograms
might have been carefully calculated.
Il have never given you the right
to speak TO me that way Mr.. Jas
strow," she said, with the faintest pos
sible emphasis on the courtesy prefix:
and with that she turned from him
TO focus her field glass on the con-
struction camp below.
At the Utah stronghold all was &C
tivity of the flercest. Winton had
raced back with his news of the catas-
trophe, and the camp was alive with
men clustering like bees and swarm
ing upon the fat cars of the material
train to be taken to the front.
While she looked studiously ignor-
ing the man behind her, Virginia saw
the big octopod engine come clamor-
Ing up the grade, showing the fats be-
fore it, losing itself quickly in the
doubling of the gulch loop to reappear
presently on the scene OF the disaster.
IN twinklinS the men were off and
rang with the battle shout of labor
triumphant-or meaning to be.
Virginia's color rose and the brown
eyes filled swiftly. One part Of her
ideal-her masculine ideal--was cour-
age Of the sort that rises the higher
for reverses. So the prompt counter
gstrokf filled her with Joy, and at the
moment Winton was as near gaining
partisan as the Rajah was to losing
s01e.
In the open compartment of the
Rosemary the waiter was laying the
plates for the early breakfast, and
Bessie and the Reverend Ni!liam were
mt the window, watching the stirring
industry buttle now in full swing on
the opposite slope. Virginia joined
them.
Isn't il n shame!" she said. "Of
course, / want our side to win: but il
seems such a pity that we can't fight
fairly"
The flaxen-haired cousin looked her
entire lack of understanding, and CAL
vert said: isn't what a shame?'
thereby eliciting a crisp explanation
from Virgini in which she set we'll
founded suspicion in the light of fact
toucning the cause of the laadsl de.
The Reverend Billy shook his head
1t was his meter to deprecate vio-
lcnce, and he did it.
"Such things may be within the law
of business; but they will surely
breed bad blood and leaC to reprsals.
/ hope"
The interruption was the Rajah in
his proper person, bustling out fierce
ly to a conference with his myrmi-
sdons. By tacit consent the three at
the window fell silent. There was
battle and murder and sudden death
in the Rajah's eye.
The event for which they waited did
mot linger. There was a hasty muster