Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1919-04-11

ne naQ SuppanIeQ. Inc tnOuSHl
crossed his mind that perhaps Hardin
had taken to drinking. 1t made ms
answer curt.
II don't know"
"You don't know!'
81 have no report to make, Mr.. Har-
din, until | see the gate"
"AnG you went to the Crossing with
out going down to the headgate?" Har-
din did not try to conceal his disgust.
II did not go to the Crossing"
Didn't go-!" Hardin's mouth was
agape. Then he rudely swiveed his
chair. The door slammed behind Rick
ard
Hadn't been to the Crossing? Then
where in Hades did he go? He halted
MacLean who was passing him.
care you going to the Crossing to-
morrow" Hardin knew he should be
too proud to betray his eagerness, but
the words ran away with him.
"Not tomorrow. Mr.. Richard Just
told me he might not be able to get off
until next week.
Hardin's anger sputtered. "Next
week. Why does he rush so? Why
doesn't he go next year? The Colo
radios SO gentle. it'd wait for him, I'm
sure. Next week It's a put-up job,
that's what it is. Oh can see through
fence with a knothOle as big as your
head. He doesn't want to finish the
headgate. He wants to put off going
until it's too late to go on with it; |
know him. He'd risk the whole thing,
and all the money the o. p. has
chucked into it, just to start with a
clean slate; to get the glory of stop
ping the river himself. 1t turns my
stomach; it's plot" The lower lip
shot out.
MacLean's attention was deferential.
He had always liked Hardin; all the
fellows did. But he was jumping off
wrong this time. He'd brought it all
on himself
He said something about levee for
the towns. He's got to investigate that
before he goes to the front"
ga levee? We'll, wouldn't that jar
you?" Hardin addressed the stenog
rapher in the transparent skirtwaist.
Does he think we're going to have
another flood this season? Thinks it's
going to reach the hotel and wet his
clothes? Take the starch out CT his
shirts?" He flung out of his chair,
throwing the papers back into the
drawer.
He stamped out of the office, mad
clear through. To this crisis they had
sent down a dandy, bookman who
wanted to build levee Oh, hell!
They'll come crawling after ME to
help them after this fellows buried
himself under river mud, come calling
to me as they did after Maitland failed.
please, Mr.. Hardin, won't you come
back and finish your CATER I'll see
them dead first. No, I'll be fool enough
to do it. / can't help myself I'm a
Hardin. | have to finish what I've be-
gum
1t was not because this was a pet
enterprise, the great work of his life,
that he must eagerly eat humble pie,
take the buffets, the falls, and come
whining back when they whistled to
him. Tte told himself it was because of
his debt to the valley, to the ranchers.
The cOlOnists We're about desperate.
Who could blame them? The last years
floods had worked havoc with their
crops: this year had been a horror.
The district they called No, 6 was
screaming irony of ruin. The last de-
bauch Of the river had made great
gashes through the ranches, had
secured deep gorges which had under
mined the canals on which the water
supply for No. 6 depended. The suits
were piling up against the d. r., dam
age suits, and they hold up his gate.
while he gets the curses of the val
ley. And Mr.. Richard thinks he'll
build levee
He flung himself on the couch In the
tent Gerty was laying careful
cloth for supper. A brave, determined
smile was arranged on her lips. The
noon storm had passed. She hummed a
gay little tune. If there was anything
Hardin hated it was humming.
you'll have your dude to dinner all
right" her husband announced. Hes
in town."
Eyes, / know" rejoined his spouse.
II had letter from him yesterday.
From Imperial"
Tom sat up glaring. "He wrote to
you from Imperial?"
His wife misplaced the accent. She
misunderstood Toms scowl. 1t was
the old story over again. Whenever
those two men came together the old
feeling of jealousy must be revived
again! 1t was unpleasant, of course,
very unpleasant, to have men care like
that, but it made life exciting. Life
had been getting little stale lately
like book of obvious, even plot.
Richards entrance into the story gave
new interest, new twist. She
hummed an air from a new opera that
had set the world waltzing.
Hardins thoughts did not touch her