Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1915-03-06

blow up the mills. Piotr must be fore
stalled. With an effort he forced his
eyes open and held them so until the
first giddiness passed. He raised his
head; it fell back with a thud-
81 can't do it, he groaned
But the mills-and KaziaI
I've got to do 1t. I must stop him
/ must get to her"
Then began a fight to sit up, to
stand, to beat of the invisible hands
trying to drag him back into the black
ness How long the struggle lasted.
/ by what degrees he progressed, he did
not know; but when it was over he
was leaning weakly against the door
jamb. His brain was Keeling, he
breathed sobbingly, but by bracing him
self desperately with the cane, recov-
cred in the struggle to stand, he man.
aged to hold what he had won
His brain cleared again. a little
steadiness came to the trembling
limbs. Summoning all his will, he
passed with uncertain dragging steps
out of the shed. A cold camp wind
breathed refreshing1y upon him. He
gripped his cane more tightly and
started slowly down the weedy road.
He reached the foot of the hill and
sank down in little rain pool, rested
pantingly and laved his hot face a few
minutes, then staggered to his feet
and Hmped on until weakness over
came him once more and he fell. +. :.
More than an hour later he was still
lurching along the road. Kazia and
the mills! They were in danger, they
were being taken from him; he must
save them.
So he beat his way slowly along
moonlit stretches of rough road,
through darkened ravines where only
instinct found a path, until at last,
rounding a curve, he saw the furnace
looming huge before him.
As hours passed and Mark did
| not return, sense of an approaching
crisis, of danger. came to Kazia. The
squan died away, full darkness fell,
the train she was to have taken with
Piotr rolled to a stop at the station
| and out again, and still he had not re-
turned. The sense grew heavier, pas
sive waiting unbearable. To escape
her foreboding she went out into the
night and walked about again in the
| place she had once thought of as a
! haven. But she quickly left the ram
| bling old village, seen for the first
! time, yet holding so many memories
L
| over to the new Bethel with it's wide
| paved streets and rows of pretty little
| cottages. Many of the cottages were
dark and untenanted as yet, but she
| saw them as they would be when they
were the homes of a happy folk who
| toiled without exhaustion or fear, with
| kindness in their hearts one for an
! other.
She left the cluster of homes-to-be
and retraced her steps over the street
that led past the mills to- the bridge,
started to cross. But at the entrance
she stopped. Everywhere it was the
same, a redolence of him. After all
to her Bethel, the haven, was just
| Mark Truitt
All her fine resolutions and philoso
ply had become insufficient. The sight
of the river, the woods in their au
tumnal glory, the song of the rapids
had revivified the scenes of her one
happiness.
She did not think that there might
be some to see. She was weeping
head bowed on the bridge rail.
"Oh, 1 shouldn't have come. want
him-him. And / have no right tc
have him. 1t would be the cruelesi
thing could do to him-even If he
| cared l was wrong to come.
Thus she told hope-the immortal
1T must not live.
Old Simon had no skill for it and
hence no part in the building of the
mills. But he spent his days watching
them grow. Often at night, wher
Bethel was sleeping, he would sill
across the river to realize again tina.
after SO. many years his dreams wers
coming magniflcently true.
That night he left his seat on the
stoop. where he had been wonderingl,
but patiently awaiting the absen
. Mark, and trudged down to the rive
and across the bridge He saw tn,
figure leaning on the rail at the farthe
! end, but not until he was close did b,
, see it was that OF weeping woman
> He would have turned aside, but j.
perceived that she had heard him an,
i lifted her head.
He stopped short, staring In aston
( ishment at the woman, a sort that ha
r never before come within his ken
> After moments hesitation he wen
2 to her.
/ "Is anything wrong, ma'am?"
She shook her head
i rs there anything kin do fur YET
Q Again the silent gesture.
t IF there Is" he persisted: I'D Iik
1 to do 1t fur ye-"
. She found her voice. TT is notl
!. ing" She tried to smile sSOmetirne