The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1906-08-30
CHAPTER /

Q
from the rush through the wet night.
had steamed brisk!y TO its terminal in
the Union station at Kansas City.
Two men. one smoking short pipe
and the other swapping the ash from d
scented cigarette, stood aloof from the
hurrying throngs on the platform
looking on with the measured interest
of those who are in melee but not
Of it.
More delay" said the cigarettist,
glancing at his watch. I'VE are over
an hour late now. Do we get any of
1t back on the run to Denver?"
The pipe smoker shook his head.
Hardly, should say. The Limited
is pretty heavy train to pick up lost
time. Blu; it won't make any particu-
lar difference. The western connec-
tions all wait for the Limited. and
we shall reach the seat of war to-
morrow night, according to the Boston
itinerary"
MIR. Morton p. Adams flung away the
unburned half OF his cigarette and
masked yawn behind his hand.
ITS no end of bore. Winton, and
that is the plain, unlacquered fact he
protested. Il think the governor owes
me something. l worried through the
Tech because he insisted that should
nave n profeSSion; and now | am GO
Ing in for field work with you in a
bowling winter wilderness because he
insists on practical demonstration.
l shall ossify out there in those noun
tains. It's written in the book"
"Humph! it's too bad about you"
said the other, ironically. He was a
tit figure OF man, clean-cut and Wig
orous. from the steadfast outlook OF
the gray eyes and the close clip of the
Van Dyck beard to the square finger
tips OF the strong hands, and his smile
was OF good-natured contempt LAS
you say. IT is an outrage on filial COM
plaisance. All the same, with the right
of-way fight in prospect, Quartz Creek
canyon may not prove to be such n
valley OF dry bones as Look out,
there!"
The shifting engine had cut car
from the rear of the lately arrived AL
ton. and was sending it down the ont
bound track to n coupling with tire
Transcontinental Limited" Adams
stepped back and let it miss him by
4 band's-breadth. and as the car was
passing Winton read the name on the
panellinG.
lie rosemary, somebody's 20
ton private outfit. That cooks our last
chance of making up any lost time be-
tween this and Tomorrow"
He broke. off abruptly On the square
rear observation platform of the Dri-
Vate car were three ladies. One of
them was small and blue-eyed, with
wavy little puffs of snowy hair peep
ing out under her dainty widows can
Another
wavy masses of faxen hair caught IN
from Il face which might have served
as model for the most exquisite
bisque figure that ever came out OF
France. But Winton saw only the
third.
She was taller than either of her
companions-tall and straight and
1.-THE: charming embodiment OF
health and strength and beauty: clear
skinned, brown-eyed-a very goddess
fresh from the bath, in Winton's in
slant summing-up of her. and her
crown of Ted-gold hair helped out the
smile.
Now thus Tar in his thirty-year nil
Erimages John Winton, man and boy
had lived the intense life of work
Ing hermit so far as the social gods
and SoddesseS were concerned. We,
he had a pang-of disappointment or
pointed jealousy, or something akin to
both-when Adams lifted his hat tn
this particular goddess, and was re-
warded by a little cry of recognition
and stepped up to the platform to he
presented to the elder and younger
biSques.
So, as We say. Winton turned and
walked away as one left out, feeling
one moment as though he had been
defrauded OF natural right, and de-
riding himself the next, as a sensfbIs
man should. After a bit he was able
to laugh at the sudden attack" as he
phrased 1t. hut later. when he ann
Adams were settled for the day-,ony
run in the Denver sleeper. and the
Limited" was clanking out over the
switches. he brought the talk around
with carefully assumed air of lack
interest to the party in the private
car.
She is a friend of yours, then ?" he
said. when Adams had taken the b.i+-
ed hook open-eyed.
The technologian modified the as
sumption.
Not quite in your sense of the word
l fancy l met her a number of rirnes
at the houses of mutual friends in
Boston She was studying at the con-
servatory-"
But she isn't a Por-o,5,