The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1919-08-30

that's what It Ia. oh. I can see through
n fence with n knothole as big Ms your
head. He doesn't want to finish the
headgate. He wants to put Off going
until It's too late to 20 on with II. !
know him. He'd risk the whole thing,
and all the money the O. Z. has
chucked into II, Just to start with n
clean slate; to get the glory of stop
ping the river himself. II turns my
stomach It's n 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 1t all
on himself.
"1ie said something about n leyee for
the towns. He's got 10 investigate that
before he goes 70 the front"
"a levee? Wen. wouldn't that lar
your Hardin addressed the stenog
rnrller In the transparent shirtwalst.
Does he think we're going to have
another flood this %season7 Thinks it's
going to reach the hotel and wet his
clothes? Take the starch out of his
shlrts2' He flung out Of his chair.
throwing the papers back into the
drawer.
lie stamped out of the Office. mad
clear through. To this crisis they had
sent down Il dandy, a bookman who
wanted to build n levee. oh, hell
They'll come crawling after me to
help them after this fellows buried
himself under river mud, come calling
to ms as they did after Maitland failed.
Please, Mr.. Hardin, won't you come
back and finish your gater I'll see
them dead first. No. I'll be fool enough
to do 1t. | can't help myself. I'm n
Hardin. | have to finish what I've be
gun"
1t was not because this was u 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 vhistled to
him. He told himself It was because of
his debt to the valley. to the ranchers.
att 3NAGAtt'tf N3ht hf'lt titTjti itta |
Who could blame them? The last years
floods had worked havoc with their
crops this year had been n horror.
The district they called No. g was q
screaming irony Of ruin. The last de
bnuch 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. q depended. The suits
were piling UP against the u. 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 q leyeel
He flung himself on the couch In the
tent. Gerty was laying a 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 II was humming.
you'll have your dude to dinner all
her husband announced. Hes
In town"
"Yes. l know rejoined his spouse.
II had a letter from him yesterday.
From Imperial"
Tom sat up glarIng. "He wrote to
you from 1mperial7'
His wife misplaced the accent. She
misunderstood Toms scowl. II was
the old story owe again. Whenever
those two men anne together the old
Of jealousy must be revived
It was unpleasant, Of course,
very unpleasant, to have men care like
that. bat II made life exciting. Life
had been getting a little stale lately
like q book OF obvious, even plot.
Richards entrance into the story gave
d new interest. a new twist. She
hummed an air from a new opera that
had set the world Waiting.
Hardin's thoughts did not touch her
at the hem. He was ut the headgate,
his gate. What the deuce had Richard
eone to Imperial fort II be wasn't tbs