The Dermott news. (Dermott, Ark.) 1910-1977, 1917-09-13

~ reserved, lrlElUly COlu ana Sel1-cOn-
tanned, had work TO do at his desk
The woman and the two young men
were for the dam.
After an early breakfast. therefore,
the second car was uncoupled. and the
engine backed II down around the mesa
toward the viaduct twenty miles below.
Rodney and Winters prepared to 20
with Miss Illingworth 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. a 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 disintegrated 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 unfrcQuented
and in bad repair, but practicable II
the traveller was prepared for a 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 Ii through the big ravine
and cross 1t TO the lower end, less than
yrxsrN ,Y,tl
easy descent to the dam.
And II you get caught In the rain"
said the conductor. (which amt likely,
for It's already rained more in the last
twentyfour hours than In the last
twenty-four years. II 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
fine sight from there. 1t was in pretty
fair shape when l visited II last year.
and you can find shelter there. It's
nj the highest point on the mesa. You
can see long way up the gulch there,
and longer way down and up the
Picket Wire valley. Above the dam 1t
used to show level. fertile stretch
between the hills. but it's all a lake
now"
Shurtliff. OF course, declined Miss
Illingworth's 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 as TO whether their
theories as to the possible effect OF
Miss Illingworths action would be JUS
titled. so they carefully avoided the
secretary. letting the leaven work II Il
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 Che woman ever
to sleep soundly again, he thought
certainly not until her future had been
settled and her relations TO Meade
finally determined. Shurtlifs 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-
Il sIA int ~ hAu the
younger Meade would take II IL he
told the truth, ne slept not Mt all.
Into Helen nlingworth's mind also
had come. although, 10 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 interposition in behalf of Shurt-
III might move his gratitude and that
he might at last vouchsafe her the help
which she felt more certain than ever
he alone could give. She was glad
when the thought came to her that she
could look herself squarely in the face
and declare TO her conscience that II
had not been back of her action.
which had been purely spontaneous.
The possibility, although faint one,
that Meade might be working on the
dam and that she might see him on
the morrow would have sufticed TO give
her wakeful night. Rodney was "A more
careful observer than Winters. but
even the cattlemnn noticed that she
looked worn and strained as he helped
her out of the car for their tramp
across the mesa to the dam.
"You know" he said, with rough
and-ready sympathy, 1--WE haven't the
least assurance that Meade is there.
It's only chance. and probably long
one"
II shall never rest until 1t is decided
absolutely one way or the other" said
the woman.
"Well. I'm not much of walker"
said the cattleman. II generally pre-
fer to get over the ground astride Of a
broncho. but / guess l can keep up
with the party for two miles, II that's
the distance"