Courier Democrat., 1916-08-10
CHAPTER XXI.
Finai Preparations.

Fina Preparations.
~ n the following day Happy Tom
q arrived With fifty men.
II got the last mothers son
| could find he explained as
he warmed himself at O'Nei!'s stove
Did you go to Hope?'
Il did, and | saw the Splavvus him.
self"
"Gordon:"
He's worse than we thought" Tom
tapped his shining forehead significant
| ly. Loft to let.'
'What-insane?"
Nothing but echoes in his dome
The towns us empty as his bonnet,
too, and the streets are full of snow.
It's u sight"
Tell me about Mrs. Gordon
Shes quite Il person." said Slater
slowly. She surprised me. She's
there, alone with him and IL watchman
She does all the work, even to Juggling
in the wood and coal-hes too busy
to help, but she won't leave him. She
told me that Dan and Natalie wanted
her to come over here, but she couldn't
bring herself to do it or let them assist
in any way. Gordon spends all his
time at his desk. promoting writing
ads. and prospectuses. He's got Il
grand scheme. He's found that Hope
| Consolidated is full of rich ore, but
the trouble is in getting it out, 50 he's
working on Il new process of eXtrac-
ton. It's 4 wonderful proccss-you'd
never guess what it is. He smokes it
out. He says all he needs is plenty OF
smoke. That bothered him until he hit
on the idea of burning feathers Now
he's planning to raise ducks, because
they've got so much down. Isn't that
the limit? She'll have to fit him into a
padded cell sooner or later"
Poor devil." said O'Neil I'm sor-
ry. He had an unusual mind"
Slater shifted. 81 think its pretty
soft for him myself. He's made better
than a standoff-he lost his memory.
but he saved his skin. It's funny how
some men can't fall. If they slip on
a banana peel somebody shoves a
cushion under 'em before they light.
never got the best of anything. If
dropped asleep in church my wife
would divorce me and I'd so to the
electric chair. Gordon robs widows
and orphans right and left, then ends
up with a loving woman to take care
of him in his old age. Why, if l even
robbed a blind puppy of biscuit I'd
| INN, wi II; ~
dogs mother would turn out to be Il
bloodhound. Anyhow, I'd spend my
declining years nestled up to a rock
pile with a mallet in my mitt and a
low broWed gentleman scoWling at me
from the top of a wall He'd lean on
his shotgun and say: Hurry up, Fat
ty. It's getting late. and there's a ton
of oakum to pick 1t just goes to
show that some of US are born behind
the game and never set even, while
Others like Gordon. quit winner, no
matter how much they lose" Having
relieved himself of this fervid homily,
Happy Tom unrolled a package Of
gum and thrust three sticks into his
mouth. speaking of bad luck" he
continued. "When are you going to get
married, Murray"
O'Neil started. "Why-never. 1t
isn't the same kind of proposition as
building bridge, you know. There's
little matter of youth and good looks
that counts considerably in the mar
riage business. No woman would
have an old chap like me-
Slater took Il mournfuI inventory of
his chiefs person. then said doubtful
ly: You might put it over, Murray. I
amt strictly handsome myself. but I
did"
AS ONeil slipped into his fur coat.
after the fat man had Siouched out, he
caught sight of himself in the glass of
his bureau and paused. He leaned
forward and studied the careworn
countenancc that peered forth at him.
then shook his head. He saw that the
hair was growing grayer, that the face
was very plain, and-yes, unquestion-
ably it was no longer youthful. OF
course he didn't feel old. but the evi-
dencc that he was so admitted Of no
disproof. and it was evidence of sort
which no woman could disregard.
For a week the ice rose slowly, a
foot day. and in spite of the greatest
watchfulness it took the false work
with it here and there But concen-
trated effort at the critical points saved
the structure from serious injury.
Then the jam in front Of Jackson gla-
cier went out, at least in part. and the
ice began to fall. Down it settled.
smoothly. swiftly. until it rested once
more upon the shores. 1t was still as
firm as in midwinter and showed no
sign of breaking; nor had it moved
downstream hairs breadth. O'Neil
gathered his forces for the final on
slaught
On April the last of the steel for
span No. reached the front, and erec-
ton was begun. The men fell to with
vim and an enthusiasm impossible to
describe With incredible rapidity the
heavy sections were laid in place. The