The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1919-10-11

"HAiousiy 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 COMMENCE
ing to come In.
! 1t was a battle of big numbers. n
duel of great force where time was
the umpire. Any minute hot weather
might fall on those snowy peaks up
| yOnder, and the released waters. rush
| Ing down, would tenr out the dcfenses
as wnve breaks over n child's fort
made of sand. This was n race. and
all knew It. A regular train dispatch
| system was In force that the inrushIng
cars might dr"p their burden of rock
and gravel ali 10 aft after more. The
Dragon was being fed rude meals. its
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 Mt the front for days
ahead Gerry Hardin, too proud TO
tell her astonished family that she
wanted to desert the mess tent. shook
herself from her injury, and "dld up"
MI her lingerie gowns. Mrs. Marshall
was not going to patronze her, even
If her husband had snubbed Tom. 1t
was hot, ironing in her tent, the doors
closed. Everything carried sting
those indoor hours. She was a1ame
with hot vanity. Twice, she had
openly encouraged Richard; twice, he
had flouted her. That was his kind
Men who prefer Mexicans-l she
would never forgive him, neverl
She followed devious channels to in
volve Toms responsibility. There was
Cabal against the wife of Hardin.
necessity. Everything, every one pun
lshed her for that one act Of folly.
Life had caught her. She saw no way,
as she iroped her null ruffles, no way
out of her cage. Her spirit beat wild
wings against her bars. If she could
see way out Nothing to do but to
stay with Tom
Maddening too. that Mt the mess
table, she caught Richards eyes turning
toward. resting on. Innes Hardin. The
girl herself did not seem to notice
artful, subterranean, such stalking
That was why she had come running
back to the Heading That the reason
Of her anger when she had limited of
70 I'm p
Innes. Bitterly she hated Richard.
'"Tom," she said one day He
turned with swift thrill of expecta-
ton, for her voice sounded kind: like
heard that Mr.. Marshall has terribly
strict ideas. / think he ought to hear
of that Mexican woman. 1t IL demon
allzing in camp like this"
II tell Marshall anything against his
pet clerk7" The Hardin lip shot out |
He'd throw me out of the company"
The pretty scene was spoiled To
his dismay. she burst into storm of |
In tatters ut her feet, the pretty fabric |
rent, torn between the rude handling |
Of those two men. She could not have |
reasoned out her injury made 1t con-
built out of dreams as It was,
heartless, scheming dreams. Because
she could not tell II, her sobbing was
the more violent, her complaints inco-
berent. Tom gathered enough frag-
ments to piece the old story. |
Ashamed of him. He had dragged |
her down into his humiliation" His
sweet moment had passed.
He spent few futile moments try.
ng to comfort her.
Don't come near me-" 1t burst
rom her; cry of revulsion. He
stared at her, the woman meeting his
yes In flushed defiance. The hatred
which he saw, her bitterness. corroded
lis pride, scorched his self-love.. Moth
ng would kill his love for her: he
thew that In that blacklist of mo-
nents. He would never forget that
ook Of dread, of hate. He left her
ent.
That night, the cot under the stars
lad no tenant. Hardin had 1t out
With himself down the levee.
That valley might fulfill Estrada's
ision and his labor; might yield the
arvest Of happy homes; but his was
lot there. He had been the sacrifice.