The newspaper., 1907-02-01
CHAPTER

III was DecemDer mOrnlHe-lue
Missouri December of mild tempera-
lures and saturated skies-and the
Chicago & Atoms fast train. dripping
from the rush through the wet night.
had steamed briskly TO it's terminal in
the Union station at Kansas City.
Two men. one smoking a short pipe
and the other swapping the ash from
scented cigarette. stood aloof from the
hurrying throngs on the platform
looking on with the measured interest
OF those who are in a melee but not
OF It.
More delay" said the cigarettist,
glancing at his watch. We are over
an hour late now. DO we get any OF
It back on the run TO Denver"
The pipe smoker shook his head.
Hardly. should say. The Limited
Is a pretty heavy train TO pick up lost
time. Bu; 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"
Mr.. Morton P Adams flung away the
rnburned half OF his cigarette and
masked yawn behind his hand.
Its no end of a bore. Winton. and
that is the plain. unlscquered fact, he
protested I think the governor owes
me something. 1 worried through the
Tech because he insisted that should
have profession; and now / am go
Ing in for field work with yoa in
bowling winter wilderness because he
Insists on a practical demonstration.
] shall ossify out there in those noun
tains. Its written in the book"
"Humph, it's too bad about you"
said the other. ironically. He was
OF figure of a man. clean-cut and Wig
orous, from the steadfast outlook of
the gray eyes and the close clip of the
Van Dyck beard 10 the square finger
tips OF the strong hands. and his smile
was of good-natured contempt. AS
you say. II is an outrage on 1lial com
plaisance. All the same. with tn right
of-way eight in prospect. Quart Creek
canyon may not pro.e to be such
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 out
bound track to a coupling with the
Transcontinental Limited" Adams
stepped back and let 1t miss him by
a hand s. breadth. and as the car was
passing winton read the name on the
panell'ng.
THE Rosemary somebody's 20
ton private outfit. That cooks our last
chance OF making up any lost time be-
tween this ari tomorrow"
He broke off abruptly, On the square
rear observation platform of the pri-
vate car were three ladies. One OF
them was small and blue-eyed. with
wavy little puts of snowy hair peep
ing out under her dainty widows cap.
Another was small and blue-eyed. with
wavy masses of fiaxen hair caught up
from face which might have served
- model for the most exquisite
1isque figure that ever came out OF
france. But W1nton saw only the
bhird.
She was taller than either of her
pompanions-tal and straight and
0the; q charming embodiment Of
hsalth and strength and beauty: clear
skinned, brown-eyed-a very goddess
kresh from the bath. in Winton's in
Dtant summing-up of her. and her
hrown Of red gold hair helped out the
pdmils.
Now thus far in his thirty-year pill
krimages John Winton. man and boy.
Aad lived the intense life of a work.
ing hermit 30 far as the social gods
and goddesses were concerned. Yet
As had n pang-of disappointment or
pointed jealousy. or something akin to
ooth-when Adams lifted his hat to
this particular goddess. and was re-
warded by little cry of recognition,
and stepped up to the platform to be