Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1919-05-09
Continued from Last Week.

ut was true, lnneS was t1lIklhS SHe
had at last stumbled on the rout, but
it was not q matter Of personal, but
moral untidineSs; not q careseSSneSS
of pins or plates, of tapes or dishes. 1t
was far worse; a slackness of ethics.
1t meant more unhappiness for Tom.
Her aching muscles told her that
she could not have slept four hours
when the darby was back, knocking at
her door.
Innes' horse loped through the
silent streets.
I'll run past the leyee; perhaps
Tom has come back" 1t occurred to
her that there might be q message at
the hote!. She pulled on her left rein,
and swept past the deserted adobe.
AS she refined in her horse, Richard
stepped out on the sidewalk. He, too,
was heayy-eyed from a snatched nap
"We-e you looking for me?'
The scorn in the girls face told him
that his question was stupid. For
him!
"Has my brother come back?"
He said he did not know. "You can
see 1 have been dreamingr' She would
not smile back at him, but rode off
toward the levee.
Was this the river? West Of the
levee, a sea of muddy water spread
over the land. There was yet chance
to save the towns, the town, she cor
rected herself, as her eye fell on the
Mexican village across the ditch For
Mexicali was doomed. Some of the
mud huts had already fallen; the wa
ter was running close to the station
house.
She saw Wooster standing near, cal
culating the distance, the time, per-
haps, before the new station would go.
She hailed Wooster. Ruin was pre-
saged in the lines of his forehead.
Pretty bad?' she cried.
He shook his head.
us Tom back?"
Hes over there, now. Fighting like
all possessed. He'll work till he
drops" Wooster was proud of that
method.
eve all know Toni" Her pride
sprang up. "But he's got to stop for
a while. I'm going up after him.
"Not if my names Wooster. I'll go.
He'll mind me-
She watched the flowing river, swol~
len with wreckage. She saw, with
comprehension, section of fence;
somebody's crop gone. There was
railway tie. another! The river was
eating up Estrada's new rGadbed? a
cry broke from her as a mesquit on
the coffee colOred tide caught on Il
buried snag The current sWiried dam
gerously around it. Instantly, the wa
ter rose toward the top of the levee.
Men came running to pry away the
tree. A minute later, it was dancing
down the stream. They raised the
bank against the pressing tapping
waves. There, the tree had struck
again. They ran down the leyee with
their long poles. Each time that hap
pened, unless the obstruction were
swiftly diSlOdged, she knew it meant
an artificial fall somewhere, a quick
securing out of the channel. The men
were working like silent parts of big
machine; the confusion of the first
night was gone. From their faces one
would not guess that their fortunes,
their homes, hung on the subduing of
that ind0ulitabIe force which had not
vet known defeat, which had turned
Eo
there was the lurking fear Of it, Vic
tory still lay to it's credit; the other
column was blank.
She saw Wooster coming toward
ner. His swapping black eyes shot out
sparks of anger.
"IIe won't let me 60"
''Who won't let you?" But she knew.
Casey. Says he'll send some one
else / said as nobody elsed make
Hardin stop. He said as that was up
to Hardin"
OF course, he wouldn't let Wooster
go!
Orders me to bed" spat Wooster.
''Wonder why he didn't order Cruel,
500. It's spite, antagonism to Hardin.
that's what it is p She believed that,
too. Tom was right. Richard did take
advantage of his authority.
She did not see Richard until he
stood by her side.
''I'm sorry not to spare Wooster
Miss Hardin. But there's stiff work
ahead. He's got to be ready for CALL
If Hardin insists on spelling one good
soldier, that's his affair. | can't let
him spoil two"
Wooster shrugged, and left them.
"'Spoiling good soldiersl'
tive taken Bodefeldt off duty. /
told him to relieve Hardin"
Bodefeldt who blushed when anyone
looked at him! He would be about as
persuasive to Tom as q veil to des-