The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-03-04

Itlckafd was all over the place. ] Watching every piece of rock that's
 dumped in the river" complained
 Wooster. Believe he marks them at
 night!
 They were preparing for the final
 rush. In a week or two, the work
 would be continuous, night shifts to
 begin when the rock-pouring com
 menced. Large lamps were being sus-
 pended across the, channel. acetyleue . whose .candelpower was that of an arc
 light. Soon there would be no night
 It the break. When the time for the
 quick coup would come, the dam mug.
 be closed without break or slip. One
 mat was down, dropped on the floor
 that had already swallowed two such
 gigantic mOuthfuls; covered with rock; pinned down to the slippery bot
 tom with piles. Another mat was ready to drop rock was waiting to be poured over it; the deepest place in
 the channel was reduced from fifteen
 to seyen feet. Each day the overpour,
 anxiOusIy measured, increased. A third
 steam shovel had been added the rail-
 road sent in several work trains fully
 equipped for service; attracted by the
 excitement, the hobOes were commenc- ing to come in.
 It was a battle of big numbers, &
 duel of great force where time was
 the umpire. Any minute hot weather
 might fall on those snowy peaks up
 wonder, and the released waters, rush. ing down, would tear out the defenses as a wave breaks over a child's fort made of sand. This was race, and
 
 system was in force that the inrushing cars might drop their burden of rock and gravel and be off after more The Dragon was being fed rude meals. it's appetite whetted by the glut of pour Ing rock.
 Tod Marshall came down from Tue
 son in his car. The coming of the Palmyra and Claudia rippled the so-
 cial waters at the front for days
 ahead. Gerty Hardin, too proud to
 tell her astonsshed family that she
 wanted to desert the mess tent. shook
 herself from her injury, and did mp
 all her lingerie gowns. Mrs. Marshall
 was not going to patrcnize her, even
 if her husband had snubbed Tom. It
 was hot, ironing in her tent, the doors
 closed. Everything carried a sting
 those indoor hours. She was aflame
 with hot vanity. Twice, she had
 openly encouraged Rickard; twice, he
 had fouted her. That was his kind
 Men who prefer Mexicans-i She
 would never forgive him, never!
 She followed devious channels to in- volve Toms responsibility There was ! cabaI against the wife of Hardin. Working like a servant she called 1t necessity. Everything, every one pun ished her for that one act of folly.
 Life had caught her. She saw no way.
 as she ironed her null ruff1eS, no way
 out of her cage. Her spirit beat wild
 wings against her bars. If she could see way outl Nothing to do but to
 stay with Tom!
 = Maddening, too, that at the mess table, she caught Richards eyes turning toward, resting on. Innes Hardin. The 7 girl herself did not seem to notice artfuI, subterranean, such stalking ! That was why she had come running 3 back to the Heading! That the reason ' of her anger when she had hinted of
 the MaIdonado. She learned to hate 3 Innes. Bitterly she hated Rickard. 3 "Tom," she said one day. He ] turned with a swift thrill of expecta- . ton, for her voice sounded kind; like e the Gerty of old. q have always ' heard that Mir. Marshall has terribly strict ideas. I think he ought to hear l. of that Mexican woman. It is demor- alizing in a camp like this.'
 T tell Marshall anything against his y pet clerk?" The Hardin lip shot out. s- He'd throw me out of the company N' The pretty scene was spoiled. To U his dismay, she burst into a storm of y tears, tears of self-pity. Her life lay IL In tatters at her feet, the pretty fabric rent, torn between the rude handling u of those two men. She could not have e reasoned out her injury, made it con 5 vincing, built out of dEeams as 1t was J heartless, schemfng dreams. Because l. she could not tell it, her sobbing was } the more violent, her complaints inco- '' herent. Tom gathered enough frag Q ments to piece the old story 'I Ashamed of him. He had dragged
 her down into his humiliation" His 1- sweet moment had passed.
 P He spent few futile moments try. '- Ing to comfort her.
 = "DOnt come near me. It DurSl U from her; a cry of revulsion. He 'e stared at her, the woman meeting his 'l eyes in flushed defiance. The hatred o which he saw, her bitterness, corroded ' his pride scorched his self-love. Moth 'A Ing would kill his love for her; he knew that in that blackest of mo ments. He would never forget that , look of dread, of hate. He left hel tent.
 That night, the cot under the stars s had no tenant. Hardin had 1t out '1 with himself down the levee
 s That valley might fulfill Estrada's
 vision and his labor; might yield the - harvest of happy homes; but his wal =, not there. He had been the sacrifice. ,e (Continued Tomorrow.)