The Huttig news., 1909-07-31
SYNOPSIS.

the railroad tracks at Smoky Creek
 CHAPTER II. -McCloud a young road superintendent, caught Sinclair and his men in the act of footing the wrecked train Sinclair pleaded innocence. declar- ing it only amounted to d small sum-a treat for the men McCloud discharged the whole outfit and ordered the wreck age burned.
 CHAPTER Mecloud became ae- quainted with Dielssie IDunning, girl of the west, who came to look at the wreck She gave him q message for Sinclair
 CHAPTER Iv.-"whisporing" Gordon Smith told President Bucks of the rail- road. of McCloud's brave fight against 4 gang of erazed miners and that was the ment to his high office. McCloud ar ranged to board at the boarding house of Mrs Sinclair, the ex-foremans desert- ed wife.
 CH HAPTER v.-Dicksie Cunning was the daughter of the late Richard Dun ming. who had died of a broken heart shortly after his wife's demise. which occurred after one year of married life.
 CHAPTER yI.-Sinelair visited Marion Sinclairs shop and fight between him and MeGloud was narrowly averted.
 CHAPTER VII-=smolsy Cheek bridge was mysteriously burned McCloud pre- Bucks notified Smith that he had work ahead.
 Every one is talking about 1t yet" Dicksie was saving If l haa lost my best friend I couldn't have felt worse; you know. my father built it. ] rode over there the day of the fire. and down into the creek. so I could look np where if stood never realized before how high and how long it was: and when l remembered how proud father always was of his work tbere-Gousin Lance has often told mel sat down right on the ground and cried How times have changed in rairoading. haven't they? Mir. Sinclair was over just the other night, and he said if they kept using this new coal in the engines they would burn up everything on the di- vision. Do you know, l have been wait iug in town three or four hours now for Cousin LaRee2 I feel almost like tramp. He is coming from the west with the stock train. It was due here hours ago, but they never seem to know when anything is to get here the way things are run on the railroad now. l want to give Cousin Lance some mail before he goes through
 The passenger trains crossed the creek over the switchbaeks hours ago. and they say the emergency grades are first-rate.' said Marion Sinclair. on the defensive. The stock trains must have followed right along Yonr cousin is sure to be here pretty soon Prob ably MT. McCloud will know which train he is on. and Mir Lee telephaned that Mir. McCloud would be over here Tt three o'clock for his dinner He ought to be here now
 "Oh. dear. then must go.''
 Tut he can probably tell you just when your cousin will be in."
 q wouldn't meet him for worlds.s
 You wouldn't? Why. Mir McCloud ia delightful"
 "Oh, not for worlds, Marion, You know he is discharging all the best of the older men, the men that have made the road everything it is. and of course we cant help sympathizing with them over our way. For my part I think it is terrible. after a man has given all of his life to building up a railroad, that he should be thrown out to starye in that way by new man  agers, Marion
 McCloud felt himself shrinking within his weary clothes. Resentment seemed to have died. He felt too ex hausted to undertake controversy yen if ii were to be thought O, and 1t was not
 Nothing further was needed to com 
 plete his humiliation. He picked up his hat and with the thought of get ting out as quietly as he had come in. In rising he swept tumbier at his elbow from the table. The glass broke on the floor, and Marion exclaimed. What is that?" and started for the dining room.
 It was too late to get away. Me l Cloud stepped to the portieres of the trimming room door and pushed them aside Marion stood with hat in her hand, and Dicksie, sitting at the table, was looking directly at the intruder as he appeared in the doorway. She saw in him her pleasant acquaintance of the wreck at Smoky Creek, whose name she had not learned. In her sur prise, she rose to her feet, and Marion ] spoke quickly; "Oh, MT. McCloud, is 1t you? l did not hear you come in" Dcksie's face, which had lighted. became a spectacle of confusion after she heard the name. MeCloud, con scious of the awkwardness of hts po- sition and the disorder of his garb, sail the worst thing at once: "l fear I am inadvertently overhearihg your conversation"
 Ie locked at Dicksie as he spoke, chiefly because he could not help it, and this made matters hopeless.
 She flushed more deeply. "I can not conceive why our conversation should invite a listener
 Her words did not, of course, help to steady him. q tried to get away, 2 he stammered, when realized I was part of It."
 ''In any event" she exclaimed. hasti- ly, If you are Mir. MeCloud I think it unpardonable to do anything like thati"
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