The Ordway new era., 1919-05-30


yet been attacked. His head rested on
a bundle of sacked trees which the
ladies' of the Improvement club had
planned to plant the next day. Deep
snores betrayed his refuge.
"Here. SamI / want you to take
these ladies home. Chase yourself.
They've been working while you've
slept. thought you'd have all these
windows out by now"
Gerty had to supply the courtesy for
two. She told Mr.. Richard in her ap-
pealing way that he had been very
kind; that she would have been
Innes had to say somethingl Good
nightI" The words had an insulting
ring.
The wind covered a 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 q carelessness
of pins or plates. of tapes or dishes. 1t
was far worse; slackness of ethics.
It 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.
Innes' horse loped through the
silent streets.
"Tn run past the levee; perhaps
Tom has come back" 1t occurred to
her that there might be a message at
the hotel. 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 heavy-eyed from u snntched nap.
"Were you looking for meT
The scorn in the girls face told him
that his question was stupid. For
himi
"Has my brother come back"
He said he did not know. you can
see / have been dreaming!" She would |
not smile back at him, but rode OFF |
toward the levee.
Was this the river? West of the |
levee, 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.
''Is Tom back?'
''He's over there, now. Fighting like
all possessed. He'll work till he
drops" Wooster was proud of that |
method.
eve all know Tom" Her pride
sprang up. "But he's got to stop for
while. I'm going up after him."
%Sbs If my names Wooster. I'll 60.
He'll mind me-"
She watched the flowing river. swol-
len with wreckage. She saw, with |
comprehension, u section of q fence
somebody's crop gone. There was
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 a
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, 1t 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 1t 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 indomitable force which had not |
yet known defeat, which had turned |
back explorer and conquIstador. All, |
there was the 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 CO."
"Who won't let youe" But she knew.
"Casey. Says he'll send some one |
else. said as nobody else'd make |
Hardin stop. He said as that was up |
to Hardin"
OF course. he wouldn't let Wooster
goi
"Orders me to bed" spat Wooster.
"Wonder why he didn't order cruel. |
too. It's spite. antagonlsm to Hardin, |
that's what 1t isl" She believed that |