The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-04-07

of his financial standing, and his crit ics were put down as pessimists who had some personal grudge against him
 It was up to the raw, new village of Hope, with it's odor of fresh cut fir and undried paint, that the freight steamer, with Natalie Gerard and ''the Irish prince" aboard, came gingerIy one evening.
 Even before the ship had tied up he had identified the tall, impressive man on the dock as the genius and founder of Hope and the dark haired, well formed woman beside him as Natalie's mother. It was not until they were close at hand that the daughter made her presence known; then, unable to restrain herself longer, she shrieked her greeting down over the rail. Mrs. Gerard started, then stared upward as if at an apparition. She stretched out a groping hand to Gordon, who stood as if frozen in his tracks.
 O'Nen remained in the background, like an uncomfortab ble bridegroom, con scious meanwhile of the searching and hostile regard of Curtis Gordon. But at last his protegee managed to gasp out in a more or less coherent man ner the main facts of the shipwreck and her rescue, whereupon Gordon's attitude abruptly altered.
 "My God:'' he calculated. -sYou were not on the Nebraska ?"
 ssYes, yes, yesr' cried Natalie. '"The hfeboats went off and left me all alone in the dark-with the ship sinking! MT. O'Neil saved me. He took me up and jumped just as the ship sank, and we were all night in the freezing wa Tar arIU fod dr11f To Tainted, and so did I, mummie, dear it was so cold. He held me up until we were rescued, though, and then there wasn't room in the Hfeboat for both of us. But he made them take me in, just the same, while he stayed in the water. He was unconscious when he reached the shore. Oh, it was spIendidi''
 O'Neil's identity being established and the nature of his service becoming apparent, Curtis Gordon took his hand in crushing grip and thanked him in away, that might have warmed the heart of a stone gargoyle. The man was transformed now that he under stood. He became a geyser of elo- quence. He poured forth his appreci- ation in Founded sentences. His splen- did musical voice softened and swelled and broke with a magnificent and touching emotion. Through it all the Irish contractor remained uncomforta- bly, silent, for he could not help think ing that this fulsome outburst was aroused rather by the man who had built the North Pass and Yukon than by the rescuer of Mrs. Gerard's daugh- ter.
 Curtis Gordon's respect for his guest increased as they walked up the dock. for before they had taken many steps out from the crowd which had gath cred to watch the ships arrival step ped one of his foremen. This fellow shook hands warmly with O'NeiI, whereupon others followed one by one miners, day laborers, trough necks'' of many nationalities. They doffed their hats, something they never did for Gordon, and stretched out griny hands, their faces lighting up with smiles. O'Neil accepted their greetings with genuine pleasure and called them by name.
 Unexpected as these salutations had been, O'Neil's greatest surprise came a moment later as he passed the first of the company buildings. There he heard his name pronounced in voice
  way he beheld a huge loose hung man of tremendous girth, with war bag in his hand and a wide black hat thrust back from a shiny forehead
 'fWhy, Tomr' he exclaimed. sHTom Slaterr'
 Gordon groaned and went on with the women, saying: Come up to the house when you escape, MT. O'NeiI I shall have dinner served '' MT. Slater came forward slowly. dragging his clothes bag with him. The two shook hands.
 What in the world are you doing here, Tom?"
 Nothing" said Slater. He had a melancholy cast of feature, utterly out of keeping with his rotund form In his eye was the somber glow of a soul at war with the flesh.
 .'Nothing?''
 q had a good job, putting in a pow CT plant for his nibs''-he indicated the l retreating Gordon with a disrespectful jerk of the thumb-''but quit.'' Mot enough pay?"
 Best wages I ever got. He pays well.''
 Poor grub?''
 "Grub's fne.''
 What made you Quit?'
 q haven't exactly quit, but Pm go4 ing to. When I saw you coming up the dock I said: There's the chief! Now he'll want me- So began to pack The speaker dangled his partly filled war bag as evidence. In an even sour CT tone he murmured; 'tAin't that just me? I ain't had days luck since Lin eoln was shot. The minute I get a good job along you come and spoil 1t.''
 ''I don't want you" laughed O'Neil-
 But Slater was not convinced. He shook his head.
 "Oh, yes, you do! You've got some thing on or you wouldn't be here. I've been drawing pay from you now for over i've minutes"
 O'Neil made gesture of impatfence. T.. Aann.