Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1907-01-24
Copyright, 1905 bv ]. p. Llppincott Coz
CHAPTER xI.-Continued.

your company 10 breakfast In the
Rosemary, Misteh Winton-you and
Misteh Adams. No? Then | bid you
vehy good morning. gentlemen, and
hope to see you latch" And he swung
up to the steps of the private car.
Half an hour afterwards, the snow
still whirling dismally, Winton and
Adams were covering over a handful
of Kissing embers, drinking their COM
missary coffee and munching the camp
cooks poor excuse for a breakfast.
"Jig's up pretty definitely, don't you
think?" said the Technologian, with
a glance around at the idle track
force budding for shelter under the
lee of the flats and the decapod.
Wi:ton shook his head and groaned.
I'm a ruined man. Morty."
Adams found his cigarette case.
'T guess that's So" he said, quite
heartlessly. Then: "Hello! what is
our friend the enemy up to now?"
McGrath's fireman was uncoupling
the engine from the Rosemary, and
Mr.. Darrah, complacently lighting his
after-breakfast cigar, came across to
the Kissing ember fire.
"a word with you, gentlemen, if
you will faveh me-" he began. Il am
about to run down to Argentine on my
engine, and | propose leaving the Ia
dies in your cha'ge Misteh Winton.
Will you give me your word of honeh,
sch, that they will not be annoyed in
my absence?"
Winton sprang up, losing his tenn
per again.
'Its-well, it's blessed lucky that
you know your man, Mr.. Darrah" he
exploded GO ON about your busi-
ness-which is to bring another army
of deputy sheriffs down on us, take
it. You know we'll enough that no
man of mine will lay hand on your
car so long as the ladies are in it."
The Rajah thanked him, dismissed
the matter with Chesterfieldian
wave of his hand, climbed to his place
in the cab, and the engine shrilled
away around the curve and disap-
peared in the snow-wreaths.
Adams rose and stretched himself
"By Jove! when it comes to cheek,
pure and unadulterated. commend me
to Virginia gentleman who has ac-
quired the proper modicum of west
ern bluff" he laughed. Then, with
cavernous yawn dating back to the
sleepless night: "Since there is moth
ing Immediately pressing. l believe I'll
go and call on the ladies. Won't you
come along?"
"No!" said Winton, savagely; and
the Technologian lounged off by him
self.
Some little time afterward Winton.
glooming over his handful of splitting
embers. saw Adams and Virginia come
out to stand together on the observa-
tion platform of the Rosemary. They
talked long and earnestly, and when
Winton was beginning to add the dull
,pang of unreasoning jealousy to his
other hurtings Adams beckoned him.
81 should think you might come and
say Good morning to me, Mr.. Win
ton. I'm not Uncle Somerville," said
Miss Carteret.
Winton said Good morning." not
too graciously, and Adams mocked
him.
Besides being bear with a sore
head, Miss Carteret thinks you're not
much of a hustler" he said, coolly.
"She knows the situation; knows that
you were stupid enough to promise
not to lay hands on the car when we
could have pushed it out of the way
without annoying anybody. None the
less, she thinks that you might find
a way to go on building your railroad
without breaking your word to Mr..
Darrah."
Winton put his sore-heartedness far
enough behind him to smile and say:
Perhaps Miss Virginia will be good
enough to tell me how"
Il don't know how" she reioined,
quickly "And you'd only laugh at
me- if | should tell you what
thought Of"
You might try it and see," he ven
tured. I'm desperate enough to take
suggestions from anyone"
Tell me something first Is your
railroad obliged to run straight along
in the middle of this nice little ridge
you've been making for it?"
''Why-no; temporarily, it can run
anywhere. But the problem is to get
the track laid beyond this crossing be-
1ore your uncle gets back with train
load of armed guards"
"Any kind of track would do,
wouldn't it?-just to secure the cross
ing?"
Certainly; anything that would
hold the weight of the decapod. We
shall have to rebuild most of the line,
anyway, as soon as the frost comes
out of the ground in spring"
The brown eyes became far-seeing.
81 was thinking" she said, musing-
fy, there is no time to make an
other nice lutte ridge. But you have
piles and piles of logs over there
she meant the cross-ties couldn't
you build a sort of cobhouse ridge
with those between your track and
nncle's and cross behind the car?