The newspaper., 1907-03-01
which made her uncle what he is, she
stood her ground.


sense OF his incompleteness and went
in to finish his ablutions against the
opening of the battle actual.
At first Virginia thought she would
follow him. When Mercury Jastrow
should return with the officer of the
law there would be trouble of some
sort, and the woman in her shrank
from the Witnessing of it. But at the
same instant the blood of the fighting
Carterets asserted itself and she re-
solved to stay.
81 wonder what uncle hopes to be
able to do?" she mused. viii little
town constable with a bit of signed
paper from some justice of the peace
be mighty enough to stop all that fu-
rious activity over there? It's more
than Incredible
From that she fell to watching the
activity and the orderly purpose of it.
A length of steel, with men clustering
like bees upon it, would slide from its
place on the hand-car to fall with a
frosty clang on the cross ties. In
stantly the hammermen would pounce
upon 1t. One would fall upon hands
and knees to sight" it into place; two
gauge along its inner edge: a quar-
tette, working like the component
parts of faultless mechanism, would
tap the fixing spikes into the wood;
and then at a signal dozen of the
heavy pointed hammers swung aloft
and rhythmic volley of resounding
blows clamped the rail into perma-
nence on its wooden bed.
Ahead of the steel layers were the
italians placing the cross ties in posi-
ton to receive the track, and here the
forman's badge of Office and scepter
was a pick handle Above all the
clamor and the shoutings Virginia
could hear the bull-bellow Of this fore
man roaring out his commands-in
terms happily not understandable to
her; and once she drew back with "A
little cry of w1manly shrinking when
the pick handle thwacked upon the
shoulders Of one who Jagged.
It was this bit of brutality which
enabled her TO single out Winton in
the thr'ns Of workers. He heard the
blow, and the oath that went. with IT.
and she saw him run forward to
wrench the hludseon from the bullv's
hands and fling it afar. What words
emphasized the act she could not hear.
but the little deed of swift iust'ca
thrilled her curiouslv. and her heart
warmed TO him as it had when he had
thrown off his coat to fall to work or
the derai'ed ensine of the Limited 3"
THAT was ine," she said to herself
Most men in his nlace wouldn't care
so long as the work was done. and
done quickly. wonder if-oh. YOU
startled me-"
1t was Mr.. Somerville Darrah again,
clothed upon and in his right mind:
otherwise the mind of a master of men
who will brook neither defeat at the
hands of an antagonist nor disobe-
dience on the part of his following.
He was scowling fiercely across at the
Utah activities when she spoke. but at
her exclamation the frown softened
into smile for his favorite niece
Startled you. Ell? Pahdon me. my
deah Virginia. But as I am about to
startle someone else, perhaps you
would better go in to your aunt
She put her hand on his arm
please let me stay out here. Uncle
I S0merville." she sail. IN be good
and not get in the way"
/ lie shook his head. rather IN aeare-
/ cation thaA refusal.
An .M,er VIII be here IzL s'oIr
I now 10 L.L..e an ~..-... .-.t. -..-.I
] 0e a h n. o. al .e-s, .lsa-.a II
/ you w>~--4t J.-re .- --- ..-..
rs its il AIr M.-,---. Sea- ---..e1.
He NODDED.
What has he been uoins besides
being The Enemy
The RaJah smile was terocious.
Just now he is tres passing, and di-
recting Others TO tres yass, upon pri-
yate property. Do you see that dump
up there on the mountain9-the hole
that looks like a mouth with a long
gray beard hanging below it? That is
mine. and its claim runs down across
the track where Misteh Winton is just
now spiking his rails
But the right of way: | don't un-
derstand," she began: then she stopped
short and chung to the strong arm. A
man in wide-flapped hat and cow
boy chapparajoes, with revolver on
/ either hip, was crossing the stream on
the ice bridge to scramble up the en-
/ bankment of the new line.
m. Il !