The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-01-19
BY CAROLINE LocKHART.

the hill to the bridge with an unmis-
taxable air Of determination. In the
exact center of the bridge she knelt
and began to saw on the big log sup
porting the small cross poles which
formed the structure.
Stout was aghast. Who would have
believed the woman capable of such
vindictiveness? S. B. Bates was going
to saw the bridge in two and move
away her half! Stout knew that ex-
pOstulatiOns were useless, and he had
no notion of exposing himself to an at
tack with the wire clippers. He could
only stand gloOmily watching the
strong, machine-like motion of her arm
as she drove the saw through the wood
while the girl from the Half Way
house chartered at mis- side like a mag
pie.
When the log was cut, and that side
of the bridge sagged into the water,
she began with equal vigOr upon the
log supporting the other end Of the
cross poles. She sawed with a feroci-
ty which, was formidable even at a
distance Could it be that she was so
| intent upon revenge that the thought
of disaster to herself did not occur to
her?
There was nothing of the cool, level
headed S. B. Bates in the painting, eX-
cited woman who sawed on savagely
upon the hardwood beam. In her jea-
lousy she was truly feminine. Infu-
rated by the sight of the girl from the
Half Way HOUSE, flirting with Stout as
she supposed, perhaps ridfculing her
self, she had only one thought and that
was to prevent the girl from crossing
the bridge, and at the same time to
prove cOnclusivelY. to Stout that she
was done with him forever. Blinded
with rage as she was, her ordinarily
/ good judgment fOrsOOk her. She meant
to retreat in good time, but she in
/ tended also to thoroughly destroy the
/ bridge as she could before she went.
| While Stout strained his eyes in the
| intensity of his interest the log sud-
| denly parted, and, even from his door
| step, he could see the splash which
| followed the disappearance Of S. B.
Bates into the river.
Stouts long legs stood him in good
stead; he ran as he never had run be-
| fore, the shrilI, despairing cries from
the river acting upan him like spurs.
He reached the bank just in time to
see S. B. Bates head bobbing around
] the bend. She was clinging TO two OF
] the bridge poles and shrieking as she
went Stout ran along the river bank
| calling to her to keep up! that he was
coming that he would save her! AS
| he turned the bend an inarticulate cry
of relief broke from him-S. B. Bates
/ had washed into the wire fence! Her
rudy face was white and she looked
at him piteously, ali the anger gone
! from her black eyes.
Hang on" Stout begged.
Don't come in" cried S. B. Bates.
! Get a pole. I can hold on a little
/ longer"
Panic-stricken. the girl from the
| Half Way House left her horse and
ran in order to get to the river quick
! er. Historically and exhausted, she
dropped to the ground before she
! reached the wire fence.
! Don't go in! You'll drOwn'di Please,
! please don't go in" she screamed. But
| Stout did not even hear her He
rushed to and fro until he found a tall
! saplng, and this he literally pulled up
| by the roots. He waded into the wa
| ter as long as he could keep his feet
/ and then he cautiously pushed OUT the
/ end Of the pole. Trusting to him, she
/ let go her hold on the fence and Stout,
wading slowly ashore, deposited S. 3.
/ Bates upon the bank.
IF you had drowned, s. b." he ex-
| claimed, and with the reaction from
| his fright came a fit of trembling
Would you have cared?" asked IS.
B." wistfully, looking at him with
| softened eyes
/ Cared ?" StOut's voice choked.
"As much as if it had been her?'
/ demanded "S. B." with more energy,
| jerking her head toward the still by
sterical girl from the Half Way
| House.
"'S. b." exclaimed Stout. IS. B.'I
/ You were jealOusl" The sudden under
standing which flashed upon him il
| lumined his face and-in a courage
/ born of a new and delicious sense Of
| impOrtance-he took the unresisting
| hand.
| Wen build up the bridge asNsoon
as the crick goes dOwn-Walter," an
swered S. B. Bates cOyly.
(COpyrighted)