Putnam patriot., 1916-08-11

own company. He was so impartial in his attentions that at one moment the girl would waver in her determination and in the next would believe herself succeeding beyond her hope. The game confused her emotions cumouslY. She accused herself of being overbold. 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 sentimental role could so obsess her.
 To counteract this tendency she as Sumed a very professional air when they set out on the following morning. She was once more Eliza Appleton, the reporter, and O'Neil in recognition of this fact explained rapidly the difficult ties of construction which he had met and overcome. As she began to under stand there came to her a fuller appre- ciation 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 childlike. O.Neil. however. appeared to find her naivete charming and Eliza reflected bitterly:
 If my nose was perfectly ehiseled 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 I am I'll make her my bosom friend" She iabbed her pencil vieiously at her notebook
 The engine finally stopped. It was in the midst of tent village beside which flowed one of the smaller branches of the Salmon. Tn the distance the grade stretched out across the level sWamps like thin, lately healed scar. and along it's crest gravel trains were slow J creeping. An army of men like q TOW of ants were toiling upon it, and still farther away shone the white sides of anotIter encampment.
 "Ohl That's Gordons track Eliza lried quickly. "Why. you're nearly up to him. How do you intend to get across?'
 O'Neil nodded at the long thin line of moiling men ill the distance.
 "There's a loose handle in each one of those picks" he said
 Somebody will be killed in that kind of a racket
 That rests with Gordon. I'm going through"
 Suppose he had said that when Dan stopped him at the canyonf"
 If he'd said it and meant il he'd probably have done 1t. He bluffs, l don't. have to go on, he didn't. Now lunch is served. and since this is our last glimpse of civilization l advise you to fortify yourselves. From here on we shall see nothing but the wilder ness''
 He led them to a spotless tent which had been newly erected at the edge of the spruce It was smoothly stretched upon a framework of timber, it's walls and floor were of dressed lumber, and within were two cots. all in clean lin en- There were twin washtands also, and dressers and rocking chairs, ta- ble and a stove. On the floor beside the beds lay a number of deep, sott bear rugs 4 meal was spread amid glass and figured china and fresh new napery.
 "IIow coy! Why, it's a perfect dear of a houser exclaimed Natalie.
 "You will leave everything but your uecessaries here, for we arc going light" Murray told them You will stop here on our way back to kyak' and I'll warrant youH be glad to see the place by that time"
 ''You built this just for us" Eliza said, accusingly.
 'Yes: but it didn't take long. phoned this morning that you were coming" He ran a critical eye over the place to see that its equipment was complete. then drew out their chairs for them
 A white coated cook boy served luncheon in courses, the quality of which astonished the visitors. for there was soup, a roast. delicious vege- tables, crisp salad. a camembert which O'Neil had imported for his own pri- vate use, and his own particular blend of coffee
 At last the party reached Jackson glacier. Murray O'Neil had seen the glacier many times, but always he ex- perienced the same feeling of awe, of personal insignificance. as when he first came stumbling up that gorge more than year before.
 For a long time the girls stood gazing without a word. They seemed to have forgotten his presence.
 'WellT' he said at last.
 Isn't it big?' Natalie faltered, with round eyes. twill it fall over on usf
 He shook his head. 'The river is too wide for that, but when particularly big mass drops il makes waves large enough 10 sweep everything before them. This bank on our right Is sixty feet high, but I've seen 1t inundated"
 Turning to Eliza, he inquired:
 What do you think of itE
 Her face as she met his was strange ly glorified, her eyes were shining, her fingers tightly interlocked.
 ''I-Fd like to cry or-or swear she said uncertainty
 "Why. Elizar' Natalie regarded her friend in shocked amazement, but Mur- ray laughed.
 the river shore was paved with smooth
 T