Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-01
EMPIRE BUILDERS
By FRANCIS LYNDE.
Copyright. 1907. by Francis Lynde.
XVIII-Continued.

new revelation-an unsupported facet of
the precious gem. He could hardly De-
Iieye that this steady-voiced. far-seelng
young woman was the insoucant, school
g:rlish-though none the less lovable-
Young person with whom he had tramped
to the wind-swept summit of Plug pass
in the golden heart of yesterday.
You mean" he began.
Il mean that you will be discredted:
disgraced if possible. Are you sure you
haven't been doing anything over here
that YOU wouldn't want Uncle Sidney to
find out?'
Not consciously, you may be sure" he
asserted. unhesitatingly.
Think. think hard" she urged. rs
there nothing at ALP
He could not help smiling lovingly at
her scarce-concealed anXiety-thOugh it
was merely the anxiety of a noble soul
unwilling to stand by and see injustice
done
My methods never get very far under
ground" he averred. Not far enough
for my own safety. Frisbie says. If l had
been keeping diary. l think 1 should be
I quite willing to let Mr.. Colbrith read it
or print il. if he cared to-
And yet there is something. she as
serted. and the straight brows went to-
gether in a little frown of perplexity
You don't ask me how I know; I'm go
ing to tell you. Mr.. Ford-thouGh it's
rather shameful. Three days ago. while
we were in Denver. Mr.. North came down
to the car to see Uncle Sidney.
| ''YeS?' he encouraged.
''They Were closeted in Uncle Sidney's
stateroom for a long time" she went on.
| II was walking with Miss Van Bruce
up and down on the station platform be-
side the Nadia. Uncle Sidney had told
me not to go very far away because we
were likely to start at any moment. The
the car windows were open
Her emba ARA ssment was growing pain
fully apparent. and Ford came to the
| rescue.
"You were not even constructively to
| blame he hastened to say. They must
surely have seen you passing and repass-
ing. and if they wished for privacy they
might have closed the windows
| Il didn't hear much. only word or
two. now and then. They were talking
about you and brother, and She stop
I ped short and laid her hand the
throttle lever of the big engine: What
did you say this was for?' she asked. in
| genuOusly.
Ford's up-glance of surprise was an
swered by a glimpse of Penfield saunter-
1 ing past on the other side of the track.
/ She could not have seen, but she had
| doubtless heard his footsteps on the
gravel.
ITS the throttle" said Ford. answering
her question. And then: please go on;
! he is out of hearing.
| They were speaking of you and brother
and-and of me. L can't repeat single
sentence entire. but ! know Mr.. North
| was accusing you in some way. and APP
parently duplicating me- Perhaps l lis
tened in self-defense. Do you think l did,
Mr.. FOrd?''
| You certainly had a good right to-
! said Ford. who would have sworn in her
behalf that the morally black was spot
lessly white. But how could you be inn
| plicated?"
That was what puzzled me then-and
it is puzzing me still. They said-or
rather Mr.. North said-that you-that you
| had bought me.''
| Ford did not say that he would like to
| buy. beg. borrow steal any kind of
| right, to call her. his own. but if his lips
did not form the words they were lying
at the bottom of the steady gray eyes
| for her to take or leave she chose.
| II am sure you couldn't have heard that
part of it quite straight he said, almost
RESPECTFULLY.
Mr.. North insisted that you had bought
me. and / didn't like the way in which
he said it, either. He called me the lit
tie Alicia"
What" said Ford. and then flood of
| light burst in upon at least one of the
dark places. IT'S only a mine" he said.
sheepishly. And l did buy it. half
of it,
She was regarding him. accusngly now.
| Did you-did you name it?' she asked.
and there was the merest breath of frost
| in the air.
He was glad to be able to tell the truth
without fnching
NO. it is one of the earliest of the
Copah prospects and 1 suppose the, dis
| coverer named it. / willing to de-
| fend his choice, though. He couldn't
| have found Q prettier name.
She went back to the matter in hand
| with womanly swiftneSs. But the mine;
you had right to buy IT. didn't you?"
Il should suppose so. L paid for 1t with
| my own money. anyway.
Then why should Mr.. North use it as
an argument against you in speaking to
Uncle Sidney? He did that am sure he
did that
Now the water has grown too deep for.
me- said Ford. why. North, himself, is
interested in Copah. openly. He owns
half dozen claims"
! Near yours?" she queried.
Ford stopped 70 consider. ITO tell the
truth. l don't know where mine is ne
confessed. Il bought 1t the school
boys trade pocket knives-sght unseen.
You wouldn't believe it of a grown man,
would you?"
What made you buy it at alp
Again he told the simple truth-and tried
not to finch.
name attracted me? 1 thought mine
or anything. that bore your name. ought
to be good and-and desirable. And it is
r good mine: or it will be. by and by
Some morning | shall wake up and find
myself rich AT least that is what my
partner Grigsby. assures me: and be
lieve him when l happen to remember
it
/ She neither approved nor dsapproved
When she spoke it was OF the present
necessity I'VE must go back to the others
now" she said. "Or at least I must.
Do you know what is to be done today?'
Ford spread his hands.
Your uncle will set the pace.
wouldn't venture guess after last
night
| He was handing her down from the en-
CINE step and she went back in word
to the former contention
"You haven't promised me yet that you
| will not resign under fire-you are under
fire. you know
Am To-
| Brother thinks you are.
| Once more he took the pessimistic view
| Your brother isn't losing any sleep over
| the Pacific Southwestern situation. You
! said ne was in England didn't you?"
/ Il said he was in London when he
| wrote
! London is long way off, and what
| do must be done today or tomorrow. Mr..
| North will force the fighting now that
YOUR uncle is on the ground and your
brother safely on the opposite side of the
earth. And / can't afford to fight this
time Miss Alicia"
! why can't your
They were walking slowly back toward
| the Nadia when he said: Because
victory would cost me more than / am
willing to pay. There is no longer room