The Pulaskian., 1919-04-25

Sam was discovered asleep m the only room where the windows had not yet been attacked His head rested on a bundle of sacked trees which the ladies of the Improvement club had planned to plant the next day. Deep snores betrayed his refuge.
 ''Here, Sam I want you to take these ladies home. Chase yourself. They've been working while you've slept. I thought you'd have all these windows out by now"
 Gerty had to supply the courtesy for two. She told Mir. Rickard in her ap- pealing way that he had been very kind; that she would have been frightened to death to go home alone"
 Innes had to say something Good night!" The words had an insulting ring.
 The wind covered passionate si- lence, as the two women, followed by Sam, yawning and stretching, made their way down the shrieking street. Tt was true," Innes was thinking. She had at last stumbled on the rout, but it was not matter of personal, but moral untidiness; not n carelessness of pins or plates, of tapes or dishes. It was far worse; q slackness of ethics. It meant more unhappiness for Tom.
 Her aching muscles told her that she could not have slept four hours when the darky was back, knocking at her door.
 Innes' horse loped through the silent streets.
 'Tll run past the levee; perhaps Tom has come back" It occurred to her that there might be message at the hotel. She pulled on her left rein, and swept past the deserted adobe.
 As she reined in her horse, Rickard stepped out on the sidewalk. He, too, was heavy-eyed from q snatched nap.
 'Were you looking for mel"
 The scorn in the girls face told him that lis question was stupid. For him!
 ''Has my brother come back?"
 He said he did not know. "You can see have been dreamingr' She would not smile baclzeat him, but rode off toward the levee.
 Was this the river? West of the levee, a sea of muddy water spread over the land There was yet chance to save the towns, the town, she cor rected herself, as her eye fell on the Mexican village across the ditch. For Mexicall was doomed. Some of the mud huts had already fallen; the wa ter was running close to the station house.
 She saw Wooster standing near, cal culating the distance, the time, per- haps, before the new station would go. She hailed Wooster. Ruin was pre- saged in the lines of his forehead
 Pretty bad?" she cried. He shook his head.
 'Is Tom back?"
 "He's over there. now Fighting like all possessed. He'll work till he drops" Wooster was proud of that method.
 ''We all know Tomr' Her pride sprang up. But he's got to stop for while. I'm going up after him."
 ''Not if my names Wooster. I'll go. He'll mind me-"
 She watched the flowing river, swol- len with wreckage. She saw, with comprehension, section of a fence {; somebody's crop gone. There was a railway tie, anotherl The river was eating up Estrada's new roadbed? A cry broke from her as mesquit on the coffee-colored tide caught on a buried snag. The current swirled dan gerously around 1t. Instantly. the wa ter rose toward the top of the levee. Men came running to pry away the tree. A minute later, 1t was dancing down the stream. They raised the bank against the pressing tapping waves. There, the tree had struck again. They ran down the levee with their long poles. Each time that hap pened, unless the obstruction were swiftly dislodged, she knew it meant an artificial fall somewhere, a quick securing out of the channel. The men were working like silent parts of big machine; the confusion of the first night was gone. From their faces one would not guess that their fortunes, their homes, hung on the subduing of that indomitable force which had not yet known defeat, which had turned back explorer and conquistador An, there was the lurking fear of it! Vic tory still lay to it's credit; the other column was blank. She saw Wooster coming toward her. His snapping black eyes shot out sparks of anger.
 ''He won't let me gO."
 "Who won't let you2" But she knew.
 "Casey. Says he'll send some one else. said as nobody else'd make Hardin stop. He said as that was up to Hardin"
 Of course. he wouldn't let Wooster goI