Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1916-12-28

Somehow he seemed 30 share the feel
ings Of both.
Early OH the following morning Eliza
was awakened by a sound of shouting
outside her window She lay half
dazed for "A moment or Two uniil The
significance Of the uproar made itself
apparent hen she leaped from her
bed
Men were crying.
There she goes
shes going OUT"
Doors Wcrc ,lamming there was the
rustic ami scun OF flying feet, and In
tile next room Dan was evidently
throwing himself into his clothes like
a fireman. Eliza called 10 him, but he
did not answer. and the next moment
ne had fed upsettins some article Of
furniture iu his haste. Drawing her
curtains aside. tile girl saw ia the
Frightening dawn Men pouring down
the street dressing as they went. They
seemed half demcuted They were
yelling at one another, but SHE could
not gather from thcir words whether
il was Tie Ice which was mOy ing or
iili NllNlEf liz ilN-t hAt INHNl
lility set her to dressing with tremu-
louS fingers. Der heart sick with fear
she called to Natalie, but scarcely rec
ogulzed her own voice.
II don know. came The muillcd
reply to her question 1T sounds like
something terrible M afraid Dan
will fall IA or-get hurt The cOnfu-
sion in the street was growing. Eliza
NMalic's voice was tragic
What is H. dear
'lI-help me quick"
How
IL can't lind my other shoe.
But Eliza was sitting on The floor.
lacing mp her own stout boots. and
an instant later she followed her broth.
cr, pursued hy a wall Of diSmay from
the adjoining chamber Through the
chill morning light size hurried. asking
many questions but receiving no CO.
hereut reply from the racing men.
Then after endless moments OF Sts-
pcnsc. she saw with relief that The
massive Superstructure OF the bridge
was still standing Above the shout
Ing She heard another sound. indi~-
iinct. bul iusiStcnt Ii filled the air
with whispering movement. il WAS
puncuated at intervals by dull ram
bling and grinding She found thc
river bank black with forms but ike
a cal She wormed her way through the
crowd until the whole panorama lacy
before her
The bridge stood rs she had seen il
OH the yesterday strong. su-
perb in the simplicity OF les splendid
outline, but beneath il and as far as
her eyes could follow the river she
saw. not the solid >ucad of white to
which she had become accustomed but
Il moving cXpanSc Of foes ~ FIRST The
winter burden slipped past in huge
masses acres n-eXtemt. but soon thc~.
began 10 be rent apart Irregular hiH
Eeams ran through them, opened clos
ed and threw up ridges of ice shaying~
rs they ground together The Hoes
We're rubbing against tie banks they
came sliding out over Tie dry shore
like tremendous sheets Of cardboard
manipulated 10y unseen hands ANA not
until their nine foot edges were expos
eel 90 view did the mind grasp tho 40
palliue significance of their movement
They swept down in phalanXes upon
the WcdgeliSe ice breakers which stood
guard above the bridge piers th"n hey
halted. separated. and the armOred cut
Ting edges shcared through them like
blades
HnI l...f,
flung itself headong against the uppel
wing of Jackson glacier the floating
ice was checked by the narrowed pas
sageway. There Jam was forming
and as the river heaved and tore at it,
growing burden "A spectacular struggle
went ON. The sound OF II came family
but impressiyely 10 The Watchers
grinding and crushing Of bergs, roar
OF escaping waters Fragments were
upended, masses were rearing them
selves edeewiSe into the air, were over
turning and collapsins They were
wedging themselves into every cOncciy-
able angle. and the crOwdine process
sion from above was adding TO tine bar
rier momentarily. AS the passagcway
river piled itself up SO swiftly that
the eye could note It's rise along the
banks.
But the attention OF the crowd was
divided between the jam and some
thing far ont on the bridge itself AT
nrst glance Eliza did not comprehend
then she heard a man explaining:
He was going out when we got
here and now he won't come back"
The girl gasped. for she recognized
the distant figure ~ man. dwarfed
TO puny proportions by the bulk or he
structure in the mazcs OF which he
stood. The man was O'Ncil. he was
perched upon one OF the girders near
the center Of the longest span. where
he could watch the attack upon the
pyramidal ice breakers beneath him.
Hes fool" said some one az
ELIAS back That lam is getting
bigger.
He'd better let the bridge take care
OF itself"
She turned aud began 10 force her
way through the press OF people be.
tween her and the south abutment.
She arrived there disheveled and pant
ing. 10 find slater. Mellen and Parker
standing I'm the approach. In front Of
them extended the long skeleton tun
mel into which Murray hal gone