The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-04-26

EoEIGE0 W1Ln OH1c0 QuCleS TOT many days thereafter. Tom Slater made a congratuIatOry speech-in reality, a mournfu1 adjuration to avoid the pit falls of matrimonial inharmony-and openly confessed that his digestion was now impaired beyond relief. 9th CTS followed him; there were music, laughter and a riotous popping of corks, and over it all O'Nei1 presided with grace and mellowness. Then, after the two young people had been made thor oughIy to feel his good will, he went back to the front and Omar saw him but seldom in the weeks that followed.
 Ts romantic Eliza this self sought se- clusion had but one meaning-the man was broken hearted. She did not con sider that there might be other reasons for his const ant presence at the gla- ciers.
 Of course since the unwelcome pub ication of the North Pass and Yukon story O'Neil had been in close touch with His, and by dint of strong argu ment had convinced the Eng1ishman of his innocence in the affair. A vigor- ous investigation might have proved disastrous; but, fortunately, Curtis Cor dbn lacked leisure in which to follow the matter up The truth was that after his public exposure at EIiza's hands he was far too busy mending his own fences to spare time for attempts upon his rival. Consequently, the story was allowed to die out, and O'Neil was finally relieved to learn that it's effect had been killed. Precisely how His had effected this he did not know nor did he care to inquire His had been forced into an fniquitous bar gain, and, since he had taken the first chance to free himself from it, the question of abstract right or wrong was not a subject for squeamisL con sideratAon.
 It was at about this time that the. sanghinary affray at Beaver canyon began to bear fruit One day a keen faced, quiet stranger presented card at Murraya office with the name ftHenry T. Blaine.''
 Beneath was the address of the Hei- dlemann building in New York, but otherwise the card told nothing. Some thing in MT. B1aine's bearing, however, led Murray to treat him with more than ordinary consideration.
 t'I should like to go over your work, the stranger announced, and O'Nei1 himself acted as guide Together they inspected the huge concrete abutments, then were lowered into the heart of the giant caissons which protruded from the frozen stream. The Salmon lay locked in it's winter slumber now. The glaciers stood as silent and in- active as the snow mant1ed mountains that hemmed them in. Down into the very bowels of the river the men de scended, while O'Neil described the nature of the bottom, the depth and character of his foundations and the measure of his progress He explain ed the character of that bar which lay above the bridge site and pointed out the heavy layers of railroad iron with which his cement work was re-en- forced.
 '1 spent nearly two seasons studying this spot before I began the bridge he continued. stI had men here night and day observing the currents and the action of the ice. Then laid my and re-enforced to withstand any shock
 t'The river is subject to quick rises, I believe,'' suggested Blaine.
 Twenty feet in a few hours.''
 "The volume of ice must be almost irresistible
 Almost Murray smiled. ..Not quite. Our ice breakers were especial 1y designed by Parker to withstand any weight. There's nothing like them anywhere. In fact, there will be noth- ing like this bridge when it's com p1eted.''
 Blaine offered no comment, but his questions searched to the depths of the builders knowledge. When they were back in camp he said:
 "Of course you know why I'm here?''
 EsYour card told me that, but don't 77ood fI7a Hnid1n411arT1S now :"
 eve are prepared to reopen negotia-. tions.v
 ewhy?s
 My people are human; they have feelings. You read Gordon's lies about us and about that fight at Beaver can-' yon? Well, we're used to abuse, and opposition of kind we respect But that man stirred public opinion to such a point that there's no further use of needing it. We're ready to proceed with our plans now, and the public can go to the devil till it understands us better We have several men in jail at Cortez charged with murder. It will cost us a fortune to free the pooC feI. lows First the Heidlemanns were 1 thieves and grafters and 1ooters of the public domain; now they have become assassinsl If this route to the interior proves feasible, well and good; if not wen resume work at Cortez next spring; Kydk, of course, is out of the question"
 '"This route depends upon the bridge.'
 "Exact1y.'
 "sIt's a two years job.''
 "You offered to complete it this win ter, when you talked with MT. Herman Heidlemann.'
 sAnd-I can"
 'HThen we'll consider a reasonable price. But we must know definitely where we stand by next spring. We have a great deal of capital tied up in the interior; we can't wait.''
 ''This delay will cost you something"