The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-08-04
(Continued.)

suppose, Joe," he pursued lazily- suppose you had contracted with a railroad-an infant road too young even to be named-to move for you more timber than either of us will ever own, contracted in apparent good faith, when all along in your heart you were certain that the. railroad itself would never be able to fulfill its half of the bargain. Granting such state of affairs, Joe, what do you suppose you would do7''
 Maybe I'd hire me a red headed river dog" came Joe's answer, pat. Maybe I'd hire me a bully boy boss of white water to build me some skid ways to the nearest flood water, SOS I could teach the infant railroad you mention that business was business, contract or no contract"
 "Of course you wouldr' Steve agreed instantly, and he might have been com plimenting a first primer favorite so pleased was his tone. "Of course you would. I'm afraid that was too easy for you, wasn't 1t, Joe? But now SUD- pose you were bent on proving to everybody. and particularly to those who had fathered it. what an unfor- tunate weakling this immature, un- named child of constructive silence really was. In that event how do you figure you'd conduct yourselfT'
 Joe smiled oddly. little balefully. It was magic quick, that change in his expression, as swift as was the thought behind it.
 "Td have my logs all cut and ready to haul as an excuse, wouldn't IY' he inquired, with simulated anxiety. "Could I tell folks, through the news papers, for instance. that I wasn't strong for letting my timber lie for the grubs to lunch on if I had to square myselfT'
 Quite naturally" Until then Steve's face had kept it's preternatural gravi- ty. He grinned ever so faintIy now. Every naturally you'd want to save your winter cut"
 "Then I'd like to have lem build . bridge somewheres along the river I aimed to drive-a bridge and nice dirt embankment. all dressed up with rails and ties and things on top. I'm allowed to suppose I've Eot an awful long standin' score, ain't l, along with all this timber? Well, that's what I'd like to have lem do, then. And when I opened her up a few miles up river O pd Sho hooon fo roor wbov, fhof frot head of water hit the bridge and the sticks begun to grind, I suppose I'd take up my position on the bank where could watch real well. I'd light me long, black cigar and mur- mur sort of languid and sympathetic, There goes your railroad, gentsv'
 "Such move in itself would be out side the letter of the contract" Steve eRpostulated. Why. they wouldn't dare do anything. They wouldn't dare to begin driving the river before your ume was up, much less do damage to your completed work. What excuse what legal excuse se-could they give. even though they were morally certain that you were bound to fail?"
 Very slowly, almost pityingly, Joe turned toward him.
 "Legalv' he droned. Moral" And then he laughed his clear tenor out burst which barely escaped being a giggle. Dear child, judiciously speak ing, law and lumber and morals and mill feet don't mix. They don't mix at all in this section of the country. If they wanted to bother their heads with an alibi they could say it was top of flood and they weren't eager to be hung up just because brass buttoned conductor promised lem a through ex- press in the morning. They could say But what good would explana- tions do us, huh, if they sent half million logs sky hootin' into our bridge? It wouldn't save our construction, would it?"
 He wheeled back to Steve. his man. her brisk
 Do we leave that stretch open7" he asked. 'Ts that the way you have 1t fgured?"
 "Pm afraid we'd better" Steve said.
 That was as close as they came to any thih8 ICSCAuOlA1I6 oAc~SS>~~ VI the change which was growing more and more noticeable in the bearing or the men at Thirty Mile. As far as all outward evidence was concerned, Steve seemed to ignore it utterly, to retreat oftener and oftener behind his habit of silence which even Tat Joe, after several unsuccessful garrulous at- tempts, gave over trying to penetrate.
 It was not the hunger of his own heart; 1t was neither intolerance of re- straint nor mental rebellion against the duties which were holding him so close upriver that had caused the chief engineer of the East Coast work to withdraw so completely within him. self, although many times each day his eyes did wander toward the south and Morrison. During that bleak pc riod Steve's thoughts were often or Barbara, but they were not somber thoughts. The very hardness of his life schooling had taught him too well how little of wisdom there is in fret ting against the day of action when that day cannot be hurried nor con- trolled. Steadfastly he refused to let himself brood. If he could not 20