Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-12-05
OTTUMWA COURIER

| it,
! Miss Affair stood up very straight,
and her chin was a protest in Praxi.
telean harrlonies. She knew very well
| how reluctantly her companion was
doing the hcnors of the mountain vast
! nesses: how full of wrath he was be.
cause President Colbrith had seen fit
/ to precipitate the Nadia and a pri
vate-car party into the midst Of the
| strenuous building battle on the
western extension. But she argued
! that this was no reason WHY he
should be crustily impossible with
her. Wherefore she said, merely to
see him boil over:
Il should think you would come up
mere often for this glorious view, Mr..
Ford. You do, don't your
Come up here for the view? Oh,
yes; ! presume | have climbed UP
here hundred times, first and last,
and always for the sake Of the view
began it the first winter I 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 raqrettes by the oe-straps."
me young woman laughed inwardk
at the broadsword slash of his sar.
casm. II was SO like the man: big and
vigorous and energetic, and quite
without regard for consequences or
for the insignif1cance of the thing to
be oblitera;ed. But she would not
spare him
How enthusiastic you are she
commented. II don't believe should
be equal 10 "a hundred times, first
and last, o. to the snow shoes. But
| can admire such zeal in other reople
immensely"
DO you really think so small of a
mans work In the world. Miss
Adsir?' he demanded, not very co
nerently. I'm not saying that the
scenery doesn't move me. 1t does: ami
the first time stood here on this
summit. presume | felt Just as You
40 now. Eut my comings and goings
nave been chiefly concerned with
TINS kicking the rail of the new
track which threaded the shallow Val.
ley or the Lass. 81 am trying to build
railroad; to build it quickly. and as
weir as | can. When | get it finished.
may have time to admire the
scenery"
IL was little appeal for sympathy.
apparent enough in spite of it's in
dlrectness: but Miss Adair was sill,
mindful of Ford's too evident willing
ness to leave her behind at the de-
serted grading camp half wav dove
TO- Saints Rest where the Nadia was
temporarily sidetracked.
Another idaaI ,o,,r ~, :,
III mock despair. "All those tramn.
lngs and toilings up this mapnif,cent
,i'o.liltain merely to prepare for the
laying Of some logs Of wood in row.
WIZ, WIN TWO strands of iron to fasten
them together!"
lie smiled at her definition of his
railroad, and the keen edge Of his an.
noyance was little blunted. He had
Deen telling himself that she might
ne tWenty-four, or possibly twenty
1iVe; bat evidently she was only ;,
chl'd, With chtlds appreciation of a
verv considerable Industrial triumph.
oid engineers, one OF them an assist.
ant on his own staff. had shaken
'helr Meals and declared that the
'ulhing OF standard gauge railroad
over Plug Pass was a sheer impossi.
h'ilfy. Yet he had done it.
suspect ! owe YOU an aDoloer"
he said yielding little to the love
which was fighting with discourage.
menc and righteous anger for the frst
place in his heart. I'm afraid 7 have
been taking you too seriously. all
along" -
Her laugh was delicious little rim
pie or exultation. She had succeeded
in 'avenging herself.
I can forgive you now" she said.
and the blue eyes were dancing "pu,
you must admit that YOU were the
aggfessor. have never been, made
SO polntedlv unwelcolne in all nv life.
oelleVe you were going to refuse 10
let me walk UP here with YOU If
Uncle Sidney had not commanded Won
to-" 80
This time his smile was a. grin b,,;
it was not ill-natured.
Il should, indeed" he confessed
cutie frankly. ITO be brutaIly candid
had decided attack of the sunwe,-
comes whcE received Mr.. Colbrith.s
wire announcing his intention of
bringing his picnic party out here into
the midst Of things. We have little
S-'''S' 'iio 'i'iiS VI lHt- civilized con-
Veniences, for entertaining company.
Il think We all understand that"
she made Taste to say. "Aunt Hetty
tried to dissuade Uncle Sidney but
he was bent on showing us how
modern railroad building is rushed al
the FRONTS that the right word p
and SO here we are
A small frown gathered between
Ford's eyes He was far enough from
suspecting that this was the outwork
Ing of Kenneth's notion that Mr..
Colbrith's annual inspection tour
over the Pacific Southwestern had
been extended to cover the new line
at Kennetf's suggestion--a sugges.
ton arising out Of purely reformatory
motives. Nor would It have helped
matters much If he had known Ker.
neth's genuine distress when it tran
spired tina. the suggestion babe fair
10 result in precipitating private
carload of pleasures into the pande.
rnonium of the grading camps.
But the pleasures were as yet only
upon the borders of the pandemonium