The San Francisco call., 1908-11-08
CHAPTER XIV
An UnwfIIinr Host

Plug pass. on the old snow crust
which. even in midsummer. never
entirely disappears at altitude
10000 feet they could look away west
ward over a billowing sea of mountain
and mesa and valley breaking in far
distant crystalline space against the
mighty rampant Of the Wasatch range,
-vU and other miles nearer the sunset
IL was an outlook both inspiring and
Christening; with the scenic grandeurs
10 give the exalted uplift and the STILL
gray green face OF the vast noun
famous desert to shrink the beholder
10 microscopic littleness in the face of
ITS stupendous heights and depths, its
lmmeasurable bulks and interspaces.
MISS Alicia said something like this to
Ford, in broken exclamations. when
sne. had taken her first quailing eye
plunge from the lofty viewpoint
Yes, quite So" Ford acquiesced. in
the unresponsive tone Of one who says
what he must rather than what he
would Ike to say. 1t is all the things
you have been saying, and more
When one has the time and the mind
TO be enthusiastic about it"
Miss Adair stood up very straight.
ana her chin was a protest in Praxi-
pelean harmOnies. She knew very well
now reluctantly her companion was
(doing the hOnors Of the mountain
businesses; how fun Of wrath he was
because President Colbrith had seen
fit 20 precipitate the Nadia and
private car party into the midst OF the
strenuous building battle on the west
ern extension. But she argued that
this was no reason why he should be
crustily impossible with her. Where
fore she said. merely TO see him boil
over:
IT sl,o,.1a .,,s,,,- -, ,--o-,,7 ,,,,,o -,
here often for this glorious view, Mr.
Ford. You do, don't your
Come up here for tile view? Oh,
yes; i presume ] have climbed up here
a hundred times, first and last, and
always for the sake OF the view. l
began ii the first winter ] spent in
saints Rest. when the snow shoeing
was at its best. Really to appreciate
the scenery you should take three
hours for the approach from the basin
down yonder. dragging a pair of Ca
madam raquettes by the toe straps.
The young woman laughed inwardly
at the broadsword slash Of his .sar-
casu. II was so like the man; big
and vigorous and energetic. and quite
for the insignihcance of the thing to
be obHterated- But she would not
spare him.
How enthusiastic you are," she
commented 7 don't believe ] should
be equal to a hundred times, first and
last or 10 the snow shoes. But 1 can
admire such zeal in other people i'm
mensely."
do YOU really think so small of a
mans work in the world. Miss Adair?"
he demanded, not very coherently.
I'm not saying that the scenery
doesn't move me. 1t does; and the
first time I stood here on this summit.
presume ] felt just as you do now.
But my comings and gOings have been
chiefly concerned with this'-kicking
the rail OF the new track which thread
ed the shallow valley of the pass. 1 m
- trying TO build a railroad; to build II
quickly. and as well as 1 can When L
get it finished I may have time 10 ad-
mire the scenery.
Tt was a little appeal for sympathy,
apparent enough in spite Of Its Indirect
ness: but Miss Adair was still mind
ful Of Ford's too evident Willingness
10 leave her behind at the deserted
grading camp half way down TO
saints Rest. where the Nadia was
temporarily sidetracked-
Another ideal gone she lamented,
ia mock despair All those tramplhss
and toilings up this magnificent noun
tain merely TO prepare for the laying
Of some logs Of wood in row, with
two strands Of iron to fasten them
together"
He smiled at her definition of his
railroad. and the keen edge Of his
ANNOYANCE was little blunted. He
bad been telling himself that she
might be "A or possibly %; but eyi-
IDENTIFY she was only child, with
cbild's appreciation of very consider
able industrial triumph. Old engineers,
one OF them an assistant on his own
stan. had shaken their heads and de-
rfared that the running Of a standard
gauge railroad over Plug pass was
sheer impossibility. Yet he had
done it.
u suspect / owe you an apology" he
said. Welding little to the love which
was lighting with discouragement and
righteous anger for the first place in
his heart I'm afraid / have been TAX
ing you too seriously, all along
Her laugh was delicious little rip
.,le Of exultation. She had succeeded
in avenging herself
y can forgive you now" she said,
and tAe blue eyes were dancing. But
YOU must admit that you were the ag-
gressor ! have never been made so
Dotntedly unwelcome in all my life. I
believe you were going TO refuse to let
ne walk up here with you II Uncle
sidney had not commanded you to-"
This time his smile was a grin, but
It was not I'll natured.
II should, indeed" he confessed quite
frankly. ITO be brutally candid, had
a decided attack OF the 'unwelcomes'
when I received Mr.. COlbriths wire an
nouncing his intention Of bringing his
picnic party out here into the midst OF
things We have little time. and none
81 the civilized conveniences for enter
tanning company"
Il think we all understand that" she
made haste to say. Aunt Hetty tried
70 dissuade Uncle Sidney, but he was
beut on showing US how modern rail-
road building IS rushed at the front
is that the right word?-and so here
we are.
A small frown gathered between
Fordfs eyes He was far enough from
suspecting that this was the outwork
ing Of Kenneth's notion" that Mr..
t.oibrith's annual inspection tour over
The Pacific Southwestern had been ex-
tended TO cover the new line at Ken
nefh's sucgestion-a suggestion aris-
ing out Of purely reformatory motives.
Nor would il have helped matters much
n he had known kenneths genuine
distress when II transpired that the
suggestion bade fair to result IN pre-
,.f--ifaffre 2 private carload of pleas