The Arvada enterprise., 1917-06-28

ly reserved, frigidly cold and self-con-
tained. had work to do at his desk.
The woman and the two young men
were for the dam.
After IN early breakfast, therefore,
the second car was uncoupled. and the
engine backed 1t down around the mesa
toward the viaduct twenty miles below.
Rodney and Winters prepared to 90
with Miss 1llingworth across the wood
ed island, with Its cresting of stone,
so to speak, that lay between the ra-
vine and the valley. The conductor
Of the train. local employee of the
railroad. told them that the shortest
way was directly over the mesa. The
sandstone Of which this huge mound
was mainly composed had been broken
and dislntegrated on all sides by CEN
turtles Of erosion and weathering, and
there were practicable ascents and de-
scents at both ends. The nearest ascent
was at the side Of the big tableland d.
rectly opposite which the car was
placed.
The trails through the pines which
covered the hill up to the very foot
Of the big butte were unfrequented
and in bad repair. but practicable II
the traveller was prepared for q wet
ting. The shortest and on the whole
the easiest way to the dam would be
to make their way to the foot of the
mesa, climb 1t through the big ravine
and cross 1t to the lower end. less than
two miles away, where there was an
easy descent to the dam.
"And If you get caught in the rain,"
said the conductor. (which amt likely,
for It's already ralned more In the last
twenty-fOur hours than In the last
twenty-fOur years. It seems to me,
there's hut. half stone and half tim
Der. up on the mesa that campers
sometimes make use Of when they want
to see the sun rise, which Is mighty
nne sight from there. 1t was in pretty
fair shape when visited it last year,
and you can find shelter there. It's
ut the highest point on the mesa. You
can see long way up the gulch there,
and q longer way down and up the
Picket Wire valley. Above the dam It
used to show a level, fertile stretch
between the hills, but it's all a lake
now"
Shurtlin, Of course, declined Miss
Illingworths invitation to accompany
the party on plea of urgent duties and
important papers to prepare. He had
spoken no words to Rodney or Winters
and those gentlemen made no effort
to engage him In conversation. They
were. In truth. little ashamed Of their
actions Of the night before. They were
exceedingly anxious AZ to whether their
theories as to the possible effect Of
Miss nlingworth's action would be JUS
tilted, SO they carefully avoided the
secretary, letting the leaven work II It
would. To their disappointment, It
gave no sign Of life or action.
OF the four most interested In Meade,
Winters was the only one who had
slept soundly that night. Rodney was
too much In love with the woman ever
to sleep soundly again. he thought
certainly not until her future had been
settled and her relations to Meade
finally determined. Shurtliff's feelings
were painful In the extreme. Torn be-
tween the old habit Of affection for
the dead, his new habit Of affection
for the woman. his oft-recurring COM
junction Of conscience. his immediate
resentment Of the treatment of the two
men. his acknowledgment Of the splen-
did action Of the woman. his suspi-
cions. his uncertainty. as to how the
younger Meade would take It II he
told the truth, he slept not at all.
Into Helen Iingworth's mind also
had come, although. to her credit be II
said. not until she had retired and had
thought over her action in the light Of
the hints given, that perhaps her gen.
erous lnterp0sItion In behalf Of Shurt-
In might move his gratitude and TINT
he might ut Inst vouchsnfe her the help
which she felt more certain than ever
he alone could give. She WINS glad
when the thought came to her that she
could look herself squnrely In the face
and declare TO her conscience that II
had not been back Of her action,
which Ind been purely spontaneous.
The possibility, although faint one.
that Meade might be working on tho
dam and TINT she might see him on
the morrow would have suiiiced TO give
her wnkeful night. Rodney was n more
careful observer thnn Winters. but
even the cnttlcman noticed TINT she
looked worn and strained AZ he helped
her ont Of the car for their tramp
across tho mesh 10 the dnm.
"You know" he said, with rough.
nnd-ready sympathy. 1--WE haven't the
least assurance that Meade In there.
It's only chance, nnd probably long
one"
II shnll never rest until It IL decided
absolutely one why or the other" snld
the woman.
"Wcll. I'm not much Of a walker"
snid the cnttl,1nnn. ~ generally pre-
fer TO get over the ground nstride Of n
broncho. but / guess I cnn keep up
with the pnrty for two miles. II that's
the Distance"
II WINS dark and dnnp and wet under
the pines. Although the two men