Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1917-03-01

strong for letting my timber lie for
the grubs to lunch ON if had to square
myself?'
Quite naturally" Until then Steve's
face had kept its preternatural gravi-
ty. He grinned ever SO family now.
Every naturally you'd want to save
your winter cut"
"Then I'd like to have 'em build a
bridge someWhereS along the river I
aimed to drive-a bridge and a nice
dirt embankment, all dressed up with
rails and ties and things on top. Pm
allowed to suppose I've got an awful
long standin' score, amt l, along with
all this timber? Well, that's what I'd
like to have 'em do. then. And when
l opened her up few miles up river
and she began to roar. when that first
head of water hit the bridge and the
sticks begun to grind, | suppose I'd
take up my position on the bank
where l could watch real we'll. I'd
light me q long, black cigar and MUIR
muir sort of languid and sympathetic,
There goes your railroad. gents"
"Such a move in itself would be out
side the letter Of the contract" Steve
expostulated. "Why, they wouldn't
dare do anything They Wouldn't dare
to begin driving the river before your
time was up, much less do damage to
your completed work. What excuse
what legal eXcuse-cOuld they give,
even though they were morally certain
x-,>I, vraro hound N foil ~
Very slowly, almost pityingly, Joe
turned toward him.
Legal he droned MORALE And
then he laughed his clear tenor out
burst which barely escaped being a
giggle Dear child, judiciously speak
ing, law and lumber and morals and
mill feet don't mix. They don't mix
at all in this section Of the country.
If they wanted to bother their heads
with an alibi they could say it was top
of flood and they weren't eager to be
hung up just because brass butt0ncd
conductor promised 'em through ex-
press in the morning. They could
say But what good would eXplana-
tons do US, huh, if they sent Il half
million logs sky hootin' into our bridge?
1t wouldn't save our construction.
would it?"
He wheeled back to Steve. his man.
ner brisk.
do we leave that stretch open?" he
asked. "Is that the way you have it
figured?"
"Tm afraid we'd better Steve said.
That was as close as they came to
anything resembling discussion Of
the change which was growing more
and more noticeable in the bearing of
the men at Thirty Mile. AS far as all
outward ey idence was concerned, Steve
seemed to ignore it utterly to retreat
oftener ana OftCncr behind his habit
of silence which even Fat zoe, after
! several unsuccessful GarrulOuS at
| tempts gave over trying to penetrate
It was not the hunger Of his own
| heart: it was neither intolerance OF re-
straint nor mental rebellion against
the duties which were holding him so
close upriver that had caused the chief
engineer Of the East Coast work to
withdraw so completely within him
self. although many times each day
his eyes did wander toward the south
and Morrison. During that bleak pc
Rod Stevc's thoughts were often Of
Barbara. bot fhey were net Somber
thoughts The very hardness of his
life schooling had taught him too we'll
how little Of wisdom there is in fret
| ting against tho day Of action when
| that day cannot be hurried nor con
trollcd GtcaGfaStly he refused to let
himself brood If he could not go
to her he would not, nevertheless, al
low himself to dwell upon that imDOs-
| sibility Instead his spirit ranged
ahead to hopeful, more or less in
| definite ana not too distant date when
his absence might not seem to threat
en- TOO great q cost 80 those whose mat
| tcrs law in his trUst-
DNTINJED NEXT WEEK.