The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1919-04-11

ladies' OF the Improvement Clup huu
planned to plant the next day. Deep
snores betrayed his refuge.
"Here, Sam! 1 want you to take
these ladies home. Chase yourself.
They've been working while, you've
slept. I thought you'd have all these
windows out by now"
Gerty had to supply the courtesy for
two. She told Mr.. Rickard in her ap-
pealing way that he had been very
kind; that she "would have been
frightened to death to go home alone"
Innes had to say something! "Good-
night" The words had an insulting
ring.
The wind covered q passionate ST.
lence, as the two women, followed by
Sam, yawning and stretching, made
their way down the shrieking street.
"It was true" Innes was thinking. She
had at last stumbled on the rout, but
it was not matter Of personal, but
moral untidiness; not a carelessness
of pins or plates, Of tapes or dishes. 1t
was far worse; slackness Of ethics.
1t meant more unhappiness for Tom.
Her aching muscles told her that
she could not have slept four hours
when the darky was back, knocking at
her door. "' ~r"
1nnes' horse loped through the
silent streets. - ''''
"I'll run past the levee; perhaps
Tom has come back" 1t occurred to
her that there might be message at
the hotel. She pulled on her left rein,
and swept past the deserted adobe. |
AS she reined insher horse, Rickard
stepped out on the sidewalk. He, too,
was heavy-eyed from snatched nap. :,
"Were you looking for me?" J
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. "sYou can
see have been dreaming" She would
not smile back at him, but rode of
tOWuFu Tue leSee. !
Was this the river? West Of the
levee, a sea Of muddy water spread
over the land: There was yet a 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 60.
She hailed Wooster. Ruin was pre-
saged in the lines Of his forehead.
"Pretty bad?" she cried.
He shook his head.
"Is Tom back?"
"He's over there, now. Fighting Ike
all possessed. He'll work till he
drops" Wooster was proud Of that
method.
awe all. know TOM" Her pride
sprang up. "But he's got to stop for
q 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, d section Of a fence;
somebody's crop gone. There was a
railway tie. another! The river was
eating up Estrada's new roadbed? A
cry broke from her as a mesQuit on
the coffee-colored tide caught on
buried snag. The current swirled 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 levee 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 a 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 indomitable force which had not
yet known defeat, which had turned
back explorer and conquistador. All,
there was tie lurking fear Of it! Vic
tory still lay to its credit; the other
column was blank.
She saw Wooster coming toward
her. His swapping black eyes shot out
sparks of anger.
"He won't let me 60"
"Who won't let you?" But she knew.
"Casey. Says he'll send some one
aase. I said as nobody else'd max
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,