The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1919-04-08
tjon threw his late chief into a rage.

MeX1call Wnere the car OIL exclusives
was isolated.
Hardin, buttoned up to the ears, his
soft hat pulled tight over his forehead,
was waiting impatiently. Here was
something to be done; he coveted the
activity. -
81 thought you were never coming, "
he grumbled.
"Let me take It'll" pleaded the en-.
gineer.
Nonsense, there is no danger" Har'
din saw personal affection in the plea
He put his hand affectionately on the
mans shoulder.
"You go home and catch nap; this
is my job" He was standing on the
step. "Crank her."
There was nothing for Silent to do
but to get out. Hardin pointed the
long nose of the car into the darkness,
She was off like the greyhound she
suggested, missing telegraph. pole by
half an inch.
"Who is in charge here?"a woman's
Voice was piercing the racket Of wind
and wave.
The dawn was breaking. Down the
New river he could see the wind whip
ping the water. into whitecapped fury.
"Vicious," he muttered. "Those heavy
waves play the Old Harry with the
levee."
"Where is my brother?"
'AIiss Hardin!" cried Silent.
"Where is he?" demanded Innes,
Her hair streamed away from her face.
Her cheeks were blanched. Her yellow
eyes, peering into the dusk, looked
owlish. Her wind-spanked skirts clung
to her limbs. To Silent she, looked
boyfsh, as though clipped and trou.
sered. "Where Is my brother?" she re.
peated.
Silent told her without reservations
where he had gone and why. There
was no feminine foolishness about
that sister Of Hardin's. A chip Of the
old block. Funny, the men all thought
of her as Hardin's daughter on &C.
count of the difference Of age. AS to
q comrade, proudly, he Dragged Of the
taking Of the dynamite over that road.
less waste.
"Whom did he leave in his placer"
Silent knew, only, that he himself
was not in charge! Hardin had or.
dered him to bed.
"Maybe Mr.. Estrada" she hGz-
arded. ..-.-.. =
"He is not here, he went down the
road to look after the track. Hardin
went off in such q hurry, guess he
told nobody" chuckled the engineer
still glowing.
"rhen I'm it, cried lines Hardin
"V.ll you take my orders, Silent?"
Sure" he chuckled again.
Through the rush Of the wind and
water came the whistle of u loeomo.
live. .-.-..-....
"A speclal!" cried Silent. Hardln's
sister and his friend looked at each
other, the same thought in mind
Rickard, in from the Heading!
On her face Silent saw the same
spectacular impulse which had flashed
over Hardin's features a.short time
before.
She put her hand on his arm. ISL
lent, you're his friend. Straighten this
out. We can't have him come back
,pying-and find this" She waved her
land toward the disorganized groups
'Td take more ORDERS" suggested
+he engineer.
'Then send a third of them home
tell them to come back tonight at six
Send away the other third, tell them
to come back at noon. Keep the other
shift. Say you'll have coffee sent
from the hotel, tell them Hardin says
to stop wasting stuff. Tell them, oh
tell them anything you can think Of
Silent, before he comes" Her break
down was girlish.
She could hear the signal Of the 10.
comotive; coming closer. Then she
could hear the pant Of the engine as
it worked up the grade. It was
steady gentle climb all the way from
the junction, two hundred feet below
sealevel, to the towns resting at the
level Of the sea. 1t quickened hel
thought Of the power of the river
Nothing between it and the tracks al
Salton. Nothing to stop its flow into
that spectacular new sea whose basin
did not need drop Of the precious
misguided flow. She could hear the
bells; now the train was coming into
the station; she would not wait fol
Silent. She did not want to meet
Richard,
No one saw her as she left the levee
She passed Silent, who was issuing or.
ders. She heard him say, "The boss
says So"
She took the road by the railroad
sheds, to avoid the dismissed shifts
moving downward. At full speed, she
collided with man, rounding the
sheds corner. 1t was Rickard. Her
veil had slipped to her shoulders and
he saw her face.