The San Francisco call., 1908-11-08

ana Iney were nal1 way OOWu 10 Inc
siding and the private car before she
spoke again. 1t took some little time
to compass sufficient humility TO make
amends, and even then the admission
came to no more than four words
I'm sorry. Mr.. Ford"
What forT he asked, knowing only
that he was coming to love her more
blindly with every added minute Of
their coripanionship.
"For-for trying to be hateful" IT
was a humber thing than any she had
ever said to man, but the raw sin
cerity of time and place and associa-
ton was beginning to get into her
blood
IF It comes to that. there were two
Of U.S. he rejoined. matching her frank
ness. And, as you remarked a while
back I was certainly the aggressor.
Shall we call it a truce for the pres
ent?"
IF you will be generous enough"
''Oh, L am generosity itself, under
ordinary conditions; but just now III
admit that 1 am fearfully and wonder
fully inhospitable. / can't help wish
ing most fervently that something had
happened to prevent your uncle's COM
ing?"
'Is it uncle who is in the way?-or
the pleasure party?"
Both"
I'VE are negligible" she said, mean
ing the pleasurers.
No, you are not; and neither is your
Uncle Sidney"
rs he still formidable to your she
laughed
He is. indeed. But, worse than that.
he is likely to prove a very consider
able disturbing element If 1 can't keep
him from plunging in upon u.s.
She let half OF the remaining dis
tance to the end OF the steep grade go
underfoot before she said: II like to
help people, sometimes; but 1 don't like
to do 1t in the dark"
He would have explained instantly
to a man for the sake OF gaining an
ally. But he could not bring himself
to the point of telling her the story OF
graft and misrule in which the Mac
Morroghs were the principals, and
North-and her uncle. by implication
the hackers.
So he said TT is rather a long
tory, and you would scarcely under
stand it We have been having con-
slant trouble with the MacMorroghs.
the contractors, and there is bad
state of affairs In the grading camps.
1t has come to a point where 1 shall
have to fight MacMorroghs to some sort
of finish, and-well, to put 1T very
badly. ] don't want to have TO ngnt
the MacMorroghs and the president IN
the same round"
why should Uncle Sidney take the
part of these men, II they are bad men,
Mr.. Ford?"
Because he has always distrusted
my Judgment, and because he Is loyal
to Mr.. North. whom he has made my
superior. Mr.. North tells him tnat l
am to blame"
But 1t must be very dreadful con-
dition of things. II what Mr.. Frisbie
said is all true"
''Frisbie spoke of only one little in
cident Trouble like this were having
today is constantly arising. NO money
making graft is too petty or too I'M
moral for the MacMorroghs to con-
nive at: They rob and starve their
laborers, and cheat the company with
bad work I've got to have free
hand In dealing with them, Or
He stopped abruptly. realizing that he
was talking to her as he might have
talked to a specialist OF his own pro-
fession. Hence he was not disappointed
when she said:
You go too fast for me. But think
1 understand now why our coming is
inopportune. And it's comforting to
know that the reason is business rea-
son."
He put shame to the wall and blurted
out suddenly: TT is only one of the
reasons, Miss Adair. The-the camps
are no fit place for party with women
You-you'll have to be blind and deaf
, IL your uncle persists In taking you
, with him.
1t was said, and he was glad of It,
though he was wiping the perspiration
from his face when the thing was done
She was silent until they were stand
/ ing at the steps OF the side tracked
| private car.
Thank you." she said simply "Ot
course, I'll do what can to keep Un-
Gle Sidney from going-and taking us
What shall you say to him?"
II am going to tell him that our
track isn't safe for the, Nadia-which
> is true enough
Very well. I'll tell Aunt Hetty and
|, Mrs. Van Bruce-which may be more
to the point. But don't be encouraged
by that. 1 have reason to believe that
Uncle Sidney will have his way in
spite OF any or all of u.s.