Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-29
XVII-Continued.

Ford sat gloomily watching the track
ahead as the great engine stormed around
the curves and up the grades The strug.
gle against odds was beginning to tel
on him. The building of this new line
the opening of the new country. was the
real end for which all the planning and
scheming in the financial field had been
only the necessary preliminaries. Fo,
himself he had craved nothing but the
privilege of building the extension; of re.
joicing in his own handiwork and in the
new triumph of progress and civilization
which it would bring to pass. But little
by little the fine fire of workmanlike en-
thusiasm was burning itself out against
the iron barriers of petty spite and malice
thrown up at every turn by North and
the Denver tunta of obstructionists.
He was at no loss to account for
North's motive. 1t was no longer the
contemptuous disregard of a general man.
ager for one of his subordinates who
had shown signs of outgrowing his Job
1t was a fight between rivals-equals-and
Ford knew that II must go on until one
or the other should be driven to the wall
Thus far. his antagonist had scored every
point. The MacMorroghs had been helped
into the saddle and held there. Mr. Col
BIRTH had been won over; the authority
given Ford by his appointment as assist
ant to the president had been annulled by
making North the first vice president with
still higher authority. With firm ally
in the president. and legion of others
in the MacMorroghs' camps, North could
discredit the best engineering corps that
ever took the field and he was doing it
successfully. as Ford had reason to know.
More than once Ford had been on the
point of leaving his pillow in the furrow
while he should go to New York for ore
more battle with the directory-a battle
which should definitely abolish North
and Mr. Colbrith-or himself. Again and
again he had weighed the chances Of win
ming such A battle. With Brewster for a
leader it might he done. The time for
the annual stockholders meeting was ap-
preaching. and an election which should
put the burly copper magnate into the
presidency would be an unmixed blessing
not only for a struggling young chief OF
construction. but for the Pacific South
pay in the end for the present policy of
rule or ruin.
Part of the time it seemed to Ford that
it was clearly his duty to make this
management. North deserved no consid-
Grafton. and while Mr.. Colbrith was hon.
est enough. his blind prejudice and mar
row mentality made him North's unwtt-
ting arcessnry. Three months earlier
Ford you'd not Rave hesitat ed: but in the
Interval q woman Rad come between to
obscure all tI.e ioints of View fight
% she Jeatt against the Colbrith admins
traitor reart ihe- antagonizing Of the
Adajrs-of Alicia, a last. True she had
Spoke T. liEhtiV of her uncla's pcculia rites
hut Ford made sure sne would stand Dy
hiIa ~ the conflict i only for kinship' s
sax"
Al. t4is he vas turning over in his mind
fol tn lIundrc,Nh line While the big 1O12
hammered Ip the Plug Mountain grade
Under the guiding hand oe the giant in
hlue denim Ford; looming cut upon the
lighted stretch ahead. Was once more find
ing tue crucial question answerless.
Should Re draw out of thu losing battle
with North and his fellow grafters. and
thereby save his chance oc winning Ancia
Adair? Or should he sacrifice his love
upon the altar OF ambition, abolish Mr.
Colbrith and the crew of buccaneers his
mistaken policy was sheltering, and win
the industrial success and a quieted con-
science?
His decision was reached by the time
Hector was easing the throttle lever at
the summit of Plug pass. What must be
done should be done quickly.
Right here Is where you begin to run
on your nerves." he said to the big en-
gineer. as the heavy engine and car
lunged over the summit Of the pass and
began to gather gravity momentum on
the downward rush.
Hector nodded and twitched the handle