Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-06-18

headship OF the irrigation project had
merely made him q more conspicuous
target for the man-hunters, Smith
scanted himself Of sleep and redoubled
his efforts to put the new company on
a sound and permanent footing. In
the nature OF things he felt that his
own shift must necessarily be short.
The more or less dramatic coup in
Timanyoni High Line had advertised
him thoroughly. He was rapidly COM
ing to be the best-known man in Brew
ster, and he cherished no Illusions
about lost identities. or the ability to
lose them, In the land where time end
space have been wired and railroaded
pretty well out of existence.
It was needful that he should work
while the day was his in which to
work; and he did work. There was
still much to be done. Williams was
having, threat of labor troubles Mt
the dam, and Stillings had unearthed
another possible flaw in the land titles
dating back to the promotion of GER
tain railroad which had never gotten
far beyond the paper stage and the &C.
Quiring Of some Of its rights Of way.
Smith flung himself masterfully at
the new difficulties as they arose, and
earned his need Of praise from the
men for whom he overcame them. But
under the surface current of the hurry
ing business tide bitter undertow was
beginning to set in. He took his first
decided backward step on the night
when he went into a hardware store
and bought a pistol. The free, fair
fighting spirit which had sent him bare
handed against the three claim-jump-
ers was gone and in it's place there was
a fell determination, underlined as yet,
but keying itself to the barbaric pitch.
It had been day of nagging distrac-
lions. A rumor had been sent afoot-
by Stanton, as Smith made no doubt
limiting that the new dam would be I'M
safe when 1t should be completed that
It's breaking, with the reservoir behind
1t, would carry death and destruction
to the lowlands and even to the city.
rmid stockholders, seeing colossal
damage suits in the bare possibility,
had taken the alarm, and Smith had
spent the greater part of the day in
trying to calm their fears. For this
cause, and some others. he was on the
ragged edge when Baldwin dropped in
on his way home from the dam and
protested.
'Look here, John; you're overriding
this thing world without end! You
break It of short, right now, and go
home with me and get your dinner and
a good nights rest. Get your coat and
hat and come along, or I'll rope you
down and hog-tie you"
For once In way. Smith found that
there was no fight left in him, and he
yielded, telling himself that another
acceptance Of the Baldwin hospitality,
more or less, could make no difference.
But no sooner was the colonel's gray
roadster headed for the bridge across
the Tmanyoni than the exhilarating
reaction set In. In twinkling the
business cares, and the deeper worries
as well, fed away, and in their place
heart-hunger was loosed.
After dinner, meal at which he ate
little and was well content to satisfy
the hunger of his soul by the road Of
the eye, Smith went out to the portico
10 smoke. The most gorgeous Of noun
tain sunsets was painting itself upon
the sky over the western Timanyonis,
but he had no eyes for natural
grandeurs, and no ears for any sound
save one-the footstep he was listen