Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-12-22

plot isn't his"
Again she took time 10 consider.
and when she spoke they were nearing
the scene Of strenuous activities at
the moving ~track-end.
You don't think you could post
pona ito she asked, almost visit
fully. he thought. Il think-I hope
my brother will become interested
again. 1t is YOU farlt THAT he lest
interest. Mr.. FORD
MY fault:.' reprcaeh fnlly.
Certainly. You didn't give him
enough 70 do. He was happy and
%contented while you kept him hard at
work. But after The bonds were
placed and The none raised
I'm a miserable %sinner!" Ford con.
fessed. And mad promised you. too!
Rut the battle has been so fierce at
this end of the line: and | couldn't be
i'll two places at one time. Your
brother should have been made first
|'vice-president. instead of North. Per-
haps we can bring it about yeti
you don't call it all off,
There it is again She retortad.
You are dragging me in-and trying
to bride me, too"
God Forbid he said, so earnestly
that she forgave him. And then: II
wish your brother were herc-now.''
so do l." she admitted. Then she
told him Of The wire summons sent
from Denver, and OF The st.aGowy hope
she had based upon it.
Where vas your brother them" he
asked.
Il don't know positively. | hope he
was in New York. He was to come
owe in the Campania, in time for the
shooting at Mount Ptarmigan?"
You've had no word from him?'
None
They were up with The t~rack-iayers,
now, in g country OF huge bare hills
and high-lying. waterless valleys: and
the president has halted the caravan
TO give his guests a chance to see a
modern railroad in the actual throes
of evolution.
In a specialist in the trade, Ford's
genius might have invoked enthus.
iasm. Speed was the end to which all
OF the Young engineers inventive
powers had Eeen directed; and the
pace was furious. On the leveled
grade ahead of the tracklaying train
an army Of sweating laborers marched
and counter-marched like trained sol
diers, placing the cross-ties in posi-
ton On a train of specially con
structsd hst-cars another army was
boiling together a long section OF
track, clamping the double line q
gauge. Al the word. Ready" a
hauling chain, passing through an an
chored pulley-block far up the grads
and back to the freed engine of the
construction train. was made fast &c
the forward end Of the bolted section;
: a second word OF command. and the
engine backed swiftly. dragging the
prepared section OF over the rollers Of
the fat-cars and into place on the
ties. With the changing of the fina'
pair Of rails. a third army, ~spike-driv
ers these. fell upon the newly placed
steel. shouting their chantey as they
swung the great pointed hammers;
and in the midst of this fresh tur
MOL the train, with its brigade Of
boilers deity preparing another sec
ton. was slowly pushed TO the g
front for another advance.
"It is like clockwork.'' was Miss
Alicia's enthusiastic comment. 'Dic
you invent it, Mr.. Ford:"
Now the combination OF lat-cal
bolting-table. and the shifting and lay
ing by sections. was F'ord's invention
but he modestly stood from under.
"Frisbie gets the medal" he said
cts all in the drill-every MAJ
knowing what he has TO do. and doing
5 it at the proper moment. I'd give
something ii / had Dicks knack il
5 detail organizing"
she looked up, laughing. "Yo1
have the funniest way OF ducking t.
cover if you think a bit OF honest ap
probation is coming your way, Mr.
, Ford. You know you told Mr.. Fris
t bic how to do it."
did l? 7 suppose il wouldn't bt
polite TO contradict you"
"Or any use. Is Mr. Frisbie here
now?-Oh, yes: there he is Ant
then, in a half-awed whisper: who i,
+ that dreadful. Grand-O pera-illial
looking man he is talking to-"
Ford's eyes sought and found Fris
bic. He was standing a little apar
from the turmoil. talking to a man Oh
L~CI6cGdCh, O hidH WIN Hdlt-CloScb
; beady. black eyes, dropping mnstache4
and a face reptilian in its repulsive
] ness.
That is Mexican George the Mao
Morrogh Brothers Killer" said For
evenly. Have you ever heard OF
professional man-killer, Miss Adair;
man whose calling is that of a hire
assassin
She s%huddered. You are testing
: know. But the word Ats his face so ae
c%urately. | saw him lounging abou
the store at the camp yesterday, an
: it gave me the creeping shivers ever,
time looked at him. Do you eve
e have such instantaneous and unres
soning hatreds at first sigbt?'
Now and then: yes. But I was no
testing about Mexican George. He i
| precisely what the word implies; i
hired ior it and paid for it. Noinina
", he guards the commissary an
stores, and it the p~aymaster's arme
y escort. Really. it is his duty to shoe
n down any desperate laborer who, i
| the MacMorroghs' judgment, needs t