The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-04-17

original survey so that it crossed that of the S. R. and N, midway between the lower bridge over the Salmon river and the glaciers and at that point be- gan the hasty erection of grade.
 It was at the cost of no little ineon- venience that he rushed for-ard a large body of men and supplies and began to lay track across the S. R. and N right of way. If Appleton could hold a hillside, he reasoned, he himself could hold a crossing, if not perma- nently at least for a sufficient length of time to serve his purpose. His action came as disagreeable surprise to Omar. These battles for crossings have been common in the history of railroading, and they have not infre- Quently resulted in sanguinary affrays. X Toward Gordon's stronghold Murray O'Neirs men worked. laying his road bed as straight as an arrow, and ax the intervening distance decreased anxiety and speculation at Omar i'm creased
 Among those who hun2 upon the r1- mors of the approaching clash with greatest interest, was Eliza Appleton. Since Dams departure for the front she had done her modest best to act the E1eALL 14C 4l<1Q 4OICCQ fQHOn 5A0E,E sAUQs III furtherance of their conspiracy she had urged O'Nefls to ful11l his promise of taking her oyer the work
 She was greatly excited when O'NeiI announced one evening:
 sT'm ready to make that trip to the front if you are. have business at Kyak, so after we've seen the glaciers we will go down there. and you can take in the coal felds.''
 s'I'm ready to leave at a moments notice.''
 Then perhaps you'd better help Natalie
 'Natalies' exclaimed Eliza, seeing all her well laid plans tottering. ..Is she. going?'
 "oh. yes. It's an opportunity she shouldn't miss, and thought it would be pleasanter for you if she went with us.''
 O'Neil had puzzled her greatly of late, for at times he seemed wrapped mp in Natalie, and at other times he actually showed preference for Eliza's own company. He was so impartial in his attentions that at one moment the girl would wayer in her determination and in the next would believe herself5 succeeding beyond her hope The game confused her emotions curiousiy. She accused herself of being overboId, and then she noted with horror that she was growing as sensitive to his appar- ent coldness as if she were really in earnest. She had not supposed that the mere acting of.a sentimental role could so obsess her.
 To counteract this tendency she as- sun1ed very professional air when 1.<< e.-1I-- s She was once more Eliza Appleton, the reporter, and O'Nei1 in recognition of this fact explained rapidly the difncul- ties of construction which he had met and overcome. As she began to under stand there came to her fuller appre- Nciation of the man and the work he was doing. Natalie, however. could not seem to grasp the significance of the enterprise. She saw nothing be- yond the even gravel roadbed, the un- interesting trestles and bridges and cuts and fills, the like of which she had seen many times before, and her com ment was childIike. o'NeiI, however, appeared to find her naivete charTnire, and Eliza reflected bi~ecrly:
 If my nose was perfectly chiseled and my eyebrows nice he wouldn't care if my brain was the size of a rabbits Here am l. talking like human being and really understanding him, while she sits like a Greek goddess, wonder ing if her hat is on straight. If ever I find girl uglier than am I'll make her my bosom friend" She jabbed her pencil viciously at her notebook.
 The engine finally stopped. It was in fle midst of a tent village beside which flowed one of the smaller branches of ffQ Salmon TT7st f1o diSfoI,r<, fl,<. stretched out across the level sWamps like a thin, lately healed scar, and along its crest gravel trains were slow 1y creeping. An army of men like a row of ants were toiling upon it, and still farther away shone the white sides of another encampment
 "Ohi That's Gordon's track,'' Eliza cried quickly. "Why, you're nearly up to him How do you intend to get across P
 O'Nen nodded at the long thin line of moiling men in the distance
 There's a loose handle in each one Of those piczs,' he said
 Somebody will be killed in that kind of racket"
 '.That rests with Gordon. I'm going through
 Suppose he had said that when Dan stopped him at the eanyonY'
 eff he'd said 1t and meant it he'd probably have done it. He bluffs, I don't have to go on, he didn't Now lunch is served, and since this is our last glimpse of civilization I advise you to fortify yourselves. From here on we shah see nothing but the wilder ness."
 He led them to a spotless tent which -r~