The Benson signal., 1917-06-16


equally interested, searching the crowd
with his glance, also.
There was nothing in the town to at
tract Helen out of the car. She had
visited West and Southwest many
times. Colonel Illingworth, with Rod
ney and Severence, there left the train.
Miss Illingworth decided to go into the
hills and get away from the arid and
heated plains. A siding had been built
near the steel arch under the slope of
the hill from which the huge mesa
arose, within two miles of the dam,
and the car was to be placed there.
| The men left behind would use the pri-
vate car of the division superintendent
of the railroad when they had ended
their several tasks.
It had been raining dismally during
the afternoon, and when the car was
detached and switched to the siding
| and left up in the hills some twenty
miles from the town, it was too wet
and uncomfortable to leave it. Dis
regarding the downpour, however, Cur
tiss, who had come up with it, made
a very careful investigation Of the
completed bridge, which more than
surpassed his expectations in its ap-
pearance of sturdy grace, as well as
in the evidences of careful workman
ship in it's erection.
That evening the special engine
| pushed the other private car up from
the valley, bringing the people who
had inspected the bridge. A few more
weeks would complete the great via
duct. Everything was proceeding in
the most satisfactory way and Colonel
IllingwOrth was very much elated over
the situation.
''Who would have thought" he said
as they sat down to dinner in the
brightly lighted observation room,
shat it would rain in this country at
this season of the year?"
'Tt will probably be over by tomor-
row morning." observed Rodney.
IF it continued long enough and
rained hard enough, that dam would
have to be looked after. Well go over
and see it tomorrow" said the colonel
cheerfully.
"What would happen if 1t gave
way?" asked his daughter.
1T would flood the valley, sweep
away the town, and" he paused.
"Well, fatherY"
"Ruin the bridge"
"We can't afford to have another
failure after the International" said
Severance.
Now there was newcomer at the
table, big rancher named Winters,
whom Rodney had met in the town
and had introduced to Colonel Hing
worth. The latter had invited him to
dinner and to stay the night in the
extra sleeper, and Winters, who had
particular reasons for wanting to talk
with Rodney and to meet Miss Hing
worth, had accepted.
| "YOu can count on it's stopping" he
said at last. "My ranch is hundred
miles to the north Of here. I heard
Rodney was with your party, and as
he was an old classmate of mine-in
fact, my best friend at Harvard along
with Bert Meade"-and the mention of
the forbidden name caused quick
glances to be passed around the table,
but raised no comment-"the chance of
seeing him brought me down here. !
know the weather along this whole
section of the country; it's the dryest
place on earth, and I would almost Of
fer to swallow all the rain that will
fall after this storm spends ITSELF"
"Well, that's good" said Curtiss, "be-
cause I've heard that the dam lacks
very little of completion, but that the
spillway has been delayed"
'You'll find that the storm has bro
ken in the morning" said Winters con-
fdently.
After dinner Colonel Illingworth, de-
sirous of talking business, called the
men Of the party, except Rodney and
Winters, back into the observation
room of the other car, leaving the two
men with Helen.
'Mr. Shurtliff," said Helen, as the
men stepped out on the platform, the
secretary following, since his employer
had intimated his services might be
needed, "if you can, I wish you would
come back here as soon as possible" )"
"Certainly, Miss Illingworth," said
the secretary, Immediately, if your
father finds that he does not need me" D."
"Rod," said Winters when they were
alone, 'Td go a long way to see you,
but I might as well be frank. I did
not come down these hundred miles,
leaving my ranch in the dead of winter
with all it's possibilities Of mishap to
the cattle, simply to see you, or even
Miss nlingworth here, although she is
worth it," he went on with the frank
bluntness of a western man.
"Of course you didn't" said Rodney,
smiling. 81 know I'm not sufficient
! attraction"
81 came to talk about Meade"
''Mr. Winters" said Helen, clasping
her hands over her knees and lean
ing forward, "if you know anything
about him, where he is, what he is