The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1916-09-21

ou the wire. Sue tudukS you SWeetly
and says she'll wait"
"A woman! A newspaper woman!"
ONeil rose and seized the instrument
roughly. His voice was freezing as he
said: Hello! ! refuse to be interview
ed. Yes! There's no use His tone
suddenly altered. Miss Appleton. |
beg your pardon. I'll be right down"
Turning to his subordinates. he an
nounced with a wry smile: This seems
to terminate our interview. She's Dan
A~ppleton's sister. and therefore, He
shrugged resignedly. Now run along.
I'll see you in the morning"
His boys" made their way down to
the street, talking guardedly as they
went.
O'Neil entered the ladies' parlor with
a feeling of extreme annoyance. X
pecting to meet an inquisitive. bold
young woman ben upon exploiting his
plans and his personality in the usual
inane journalistic fashion. He was
surprised and offended that Dan Apple
ton, in whom he had reposed the ut
most faith, should have betrayed his
secret. Publicity was n thing he de
tested at all times, and at present he
particularly dreaded its effect. But he
was agreeably surprised in the girl
who came toward him briskly with
hand outstretched.
Miss Appleton was her brothers dou-
BILE. She had his frank blue eyes. his
straw gold hair, his humorous smile
and wide awake look. She was not by
any means beautiful her features
were too irregular, her nose too tip
tilted, her mouth too generous for that
but she seemed crisp, clean cut and
wholesome. What first struck O'Neil
was her effect Of boyiShness. From
the crown Of her plain straw sailor
10 the soles OF her sensible warKing
boots there was no suggestion of femi
nine frippery. She wore a plain shirt
waist and n tailored skirt, and bel
hair was arranged simply. The wave
in its pale gold was the only conces
sion to mere prettincss. Yet she gave
no impression of deliberate maSculini
ty. She struck one as merely not in
tereSted in clothes, inStinctively ex
pressing in her dress her own D0yisl
directneSs and her busineSSlike ABSORB
ton in her work.
You're furious, of curse. Anybod.
would be- she began, then laughed 81
frankly that his eyes softened II tn
wrinkles at their corners ~deepened.
II fear ! was rude before | Learned
you were Dams sister," he ~apologized
but you see I'm a bit afraid Of news
paper people"
Il knew you'd struggle, although Dal
described you as a perfectly angeli
person"
"Indeedr'
But I'm a real reporter, SO l won
detain you long. | don't care wher
you were born or where you went t
school or what patent breakfast foo
you eat. Tell me, are you going t
build another railroadY"
II nope so. I'm always building
roads when my bids are low enough t
secure the contracts. That's my bust
ness"
Are you going to build one in Alas
ka?"
Possibly. There seems to be an or
portunity there, but Dan has probabl,
4 told you as much about that as | al
at liberty to tell. He's been over tn
ground"
She pursed her lips at him. "Yo'
know very well, or you ought to know
that Dan wouldn't tell me a thin'
while he's working for you. He hasn'
said a word. but Is that why yo'
came in frowning like Il thunder
cloud? Did you think he set me OIL
your trail?"
Il think ! do know that he wouldn'
do anything really indiscreet." Nun
ray regarded her with growing favor
There was something about this boyisl
girl which awakened the same spon
taneous liking he had felt upon hi
first meeting with her brother. Ii
surprised her by confessing boldly:
: 81 am building n ~railroad-to the IN
terror Of Alaska. I've been east an
, raised the money. My men are here
Well begin operations at once"
:. 1udL WIdl MI bOiuoi Ioiu III
about his scheme. but he hasn't don
, much SO far
My line will put his out Of bus
ness; also that of the trust and tn
various wildcat promoters"
Where does your road start from!
1.-THE town Of Omar, on King Philli
' sound. near Hope and CorteZ. 1t wi
run up the Salmon river and past tn
u glaciers which those other men re
fused to tackle"
, IF ] weep it Is for joy said tn
girl. II don't like Curtis Gordon.
call him Simon Legree."
Why"
"Well. he impresses me as a real oil
time villain with the riding boots an
the whip and all that. Uncle Tom
! Cabin is my favorite play; it's SO fuI