Putnam patriot., 1916-08-11


 Eliza fancied the beat must he sta tionary until glaneln. at the river banks. she saw them racing past like the panor4mie scenery "a mel0- drama. Tho same glance showed her that tAes were 1zsAias a5eeeale ta- ward the upper uuTarJs ol 5aGESon glacier. IS if for aa assault 0at here lu the current therc were vaves. and these increased in Stze as the he'd of Inc Salmon grew stesEer uut.I the pol Ing h3lt h6aeu e. Fear and lap like 8
 riehfeael hurse. Fhc e'eamiuz wall shead rose hi'er Wjtt every Instant
 t ayerhuns a eianl cruu bling elin imresine traacberaas Then the
 stream turned at H4ht angles; they vege swogt alaHg p8ratCl wiJh the ice
 ace. and mead oe thm for three miles stnetebfl tbe samret The tot .eriug wall Sceme5 almost within reacume distance; it's breath was cold and damp and rlamWF 0'NeE stecd erect and powerful u the stern. sway 'ng to the antics ef the raft his weight u1eon the sweep. his eyes fixed npon the thing overhead The Nor weelaa strained af bis cars while the
 v-eat ran down iHfa his open shirt The eaal lmcel and widowed des- ~eyatelv. rising on end falling with rrediefous slnuS dTpuehing the eccu- nauts with sprav. Tt was splendid terrifying. Eliza elung to her seat pnd let her heartheats smuthering her Occasionally the oarSman turn ed. staring past her with round fright ened eyes and afforjiug her glimpse of face working with mingled fear aud exultatinn.
 Thus far the glacier had not disput- ed their passage. it maintained the silence and the immohility of marble. Nothing but the snarl of the surging flood re-echoed from its face. But with the suddenness eff a rifle shot there came detonation, louder. sharp CT than any blast of powder. The Norwegian cursed; the helmsman dropped his eyes 10 the white faee in the bow and smiled.
 Half T mile ahead of them a mass of Ice came rumhlins down. and the whole valley rocked with the sound. Onward the little craft fed. Il dancing speck beneath the majesty of that frozen giant. an atom threatened by the weight of mountains. At last through che opening ef the gorge be low came a giimFse of the flats that led to the sea. X moment later fhe boat swung into an eddE and came to rest. bumrin against tae tawlders.
 0Neil sat down, Wi9lug his wet face.
 Well. was it worth your trouble, Miss Kiek-oyer-fhe-tf tfaees5 r He asked
 "Oh. it was glorious, I'll never for get it Eli2as cheeks were burning now. her aehing hands relaxed their hold, and she drew deep breath-the
 first of which she had been conscious since the start, fifteen minutes before.
 NOW. on with your boots and your sweater Wen have an hours wait for Natalie"
 She gaze cry ef surprise and of fered him glimpse of trim ankle and dripping foot
 See, They're wet and l wriggied my toes light through iny stockings. l never was SD eXeited.s
 Tie boatman fastened the painter and resumed bis outer clothing. 0'Neil | it eigur and asked.
 Tell ne, why did you insist on com ingT'
 q was afraid something might hap pen to you" He raised his brows, and she flushed Don't you understand | Dan would never have forgiven me, and-and-I just had to come, that's all It's corking material for me-I thought you might upset, and I-I don't know why l insisted" She bent over her stubborn boots, hiding her | face She was flaming to the ears, for | suddenly she knew the reason that had prompted her. It rushed upon her like a sense of great shame. She recalled | the desperate grip at her heart when she had seen him ready to leave, the wildness of her longing to share his danger, the black fear that he might meet disaster alone It had all come without warning, and there had been no time for self consciousness, but now she realized the truth. The poign- ant pain of it made her fingers clumsy | and sent that flood of scarlet to her | neck and ears.
 When Natalie arrived they cast off and the remaining miles were made in | few hours.
 Appleton joined them for lunch in | the tent they remembered so well and professed to be shocked at the report of his sisters foolhardiness. But what ever may have been Natalie's fear of ridieule 1t promptly disappeared under his complete indorsement of her wis 1 dom in refraining from such a mad ad- venture As if to put her even more at ease O'Neil was especially attentive | to her, and Eliza reflected gloomily that men. after all, dislike brayado in women that a trapeze artist or lady balloonist inspires only a qualified ad miration.
 During O'Neil's absence work had | progressed steadily. On his return he | found the grade completed to within c few yards of Gordon's right of way Although be was still unable to walk he insisted upon going to the front whither he was helped by Appleton I and Happy Tom
 Into the narrow space between the l end of his embankment and that of his rivals gravel train was spilllng ifs | burden and hundred pick and shove men were busy The opposing forces also seemed hard at work, but their ac tivity was largely pretense, and they ! showed plainly that they were waiting