The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1916-08-24

its utterance she caught her breath In
anger at herself for her own senseless
confusion. which had led her into say
ing the one thing she least OF all had
wanted to voice Even an inane re-
mark concerning the weather would
have been better than that girlish
naivete which she felt seemed to force
upon him. too. a recollection of the
very letter Of a promise which had, no
doubt, long since become In his mind
nothing but a quaint episode not un.
tinged with absurdity.
"Hum-m-mr' pulled Allison. Hum.
m-mw He spoke directly 70 Stephen
O'Mara, who half turned his head nj
the FIRST heavily facetious syllable. 80
you did get my message, eh? I rather
thought that Il wouldn't reach you up
river until today" An ample smile
embraced the tall figure in rivermsn's
earb and his own daughters crimson
countensnce-a most meaningful smile
Of roguery. We'll, from what I've
heard" he stated, "and what I've .
seen. I should say that you are my
man OMara. Mr.. Elliott himself has
informed me that your quite spectacu-
lar success In one or two vital cam
paigns has been entirely due to the
fact that you are an-er-opportunist
] agree with Mr.. Elliott absolutely
that Is. II my first premise is correct"
Barbara's face had cooled a little In
that moment since steve's eyes had
left her face. Now she forgot her
confusion-forgot to be annoyed, even
at her fathers clumsy banter.
"Your man. O'Marar' she exclaimed
Indignantly. "Your man! Why. he
he's my And that was as far as
she went.
Her voice thinned into nothingness,
but words were not necessary to tell
either Caleb or Steve that she had
been about TO assert a prior claim
which dated back years and years.
II have always insisted to Mr.. FL
lott" Steve said, that the solution Of
all the difficulties. which he chooses to
view as gloriously romantic Tits with
Destiny. depends one half upon luck
and the other half on being on the
ground personally when the-affair-
starts" He half faced toward Allison.
IL am O'Mara," he finished very brief
ly: "your man. 0'Mara-if you happen
to be the East Coast Development and
Timber company"
There was at most no more than the
barest suggestion OF II in Steve's crisp
question. but Caleb sensed Immediate
ly that Allison's placid appropriation
OF the blue flannel shirted one as his
own particular property was not mu-
tually accepted status. Dexter, how
ever. failed or chose to read nothing
I'm the drawing question.
I'm It," he agreed jovially-"that IL,
I and two or three others. including
Mr.. Elliott. our esteemed president
I've heard much of you. Mr.. O'Mara.
I've looked forward to this meeting"
he added as he shook hands. Now I
want to tell you that am proud to
know you. And so you didn't get my
message. after all?"
81 had to come down river yester-
day." Steve explained. Your telegram
found me here. and I waited over un-
Ill this morning, as you suggested"
"Surely-surely! I see-I see" Al
lison emphasized his comprehension.
"Not that 1t was anything of vital i'm
portance. Just wanted a short con-
ference with you. that was all"
Would you-would you mind finding
Miss Sarah, Steve?" Caleb asked.
"wnl you tell her. please. that we are
to be subjected to another-neighboriy
imposition
Allison shook his head and led the
way to a chair. 81 didn't know that
you were acquainted with him. Cal.
Have you known him longT
"Um-m-m-yesw Caleb weighed his
reply. "Quite some time. think I
might say"
He shook with scarcely suppressed
laughter, but Allison ignored HIS sense
less mirth.
I'D like TO claim that boy as my
own discovery" he avowed. but l
can't, not without fear OF successful
contradiction on Elllott's part And In
point vi II ich W e"b HsA&A
a boy. either. though I suppose both
Of us are old enough to be his father.
He's Elliott's find. Elliott suggested
him as the one man for this job when
consolidated with the Ainnesley
crowd and they took up the contract
TO move the reserve timber from Thir-
" Mile and the valleys above. Elliott
knew OF him. but I've been looking up
his record pretty closely since he took
hold In earnest.
"He's in his twenties, as near as
can make out, but he's come through
on one OF two Jobs that might well
make an old campaigner envious. He
took a fortune In hard woods out or
San Domingo for a Berlin concern; he
was the only man on the st. Sebastian
river fob who said the construction
was too light. He said II wouldn't
stand when the ice began TO move In
the spring. and it didn't oh. be knows
his business! But II wasn't bis sue
cesses which caught Elliotts eye. It's
the way he has failed couple OF times.
fighting right back to the last ditch.
and fighting and fighting, when all the
rest had auit that made me anxious