Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1919-05-14

'Don't look so unhappy. dearest"
whispered the man at her side. I'm
going TO make you happy, dear"
She flushed p brilliant, finished smile
at him. Yes. she was proud of him.
He satisfied her sense of romance, or
would, later, when she was away from
here dull pain pricking at her DELHI
crate planning. Godfrey found her
young. young and distracting. His
life had been hungry, too; the wife,
up there in Canada somewhere, had
never understood him. Godfrey was
ambitious, ambitious as she was. She
would be his wife: she would see the
cities of the world with him, the well
coined wife of Godfrey; she would
share the plaudits his wonderful voice
won.
His eyes were on her now, she knew,
questioning, not quite sure of her. She
had worried him yesterday because
she would not pledge herself to marry
him If he sued for his divorce. She
had told him to ask her that after the
courts had set him free. She could
not have him sure of her.
An exclamation from him recalled
her. She found that he was no longer
staring at her; his eyes were fixed on
the trembling structure over which a
"battleship," laden with rock, was
creeping.
Il want to stay with you. you know
that dearest. But 1t doesn't feel right
to see them all working like niggers
and me loafing here. You don't mind?'
Oh, no, Gerty did not mind She
was tired, anyway She was going
back to her tent
He thrust yellow paper into her
hands. Il sent that off today. Per-
haps you will be glad?"
She flung another of her inscrutable
smiles at him, and went up the bank,
the paper unread in her hands.
The long afternoon wore away. They
were now dynamiting the largest rocks
on the cars before unloading them.
The heavy loads could not be emptied
quickly enough. Not dribbled, the rock,
but dumped simultaneously, else the
gravel and rock might be washed
down stream faster than they could be
put together. Many cars must be UNI
loaded at once; the din on Silent's
train was terrific. His crew looked
like devils, drenched from the spray
which rose from the river each time
the rock-pour began; blackened by the
smoke from the belching engine. The
river was ugly in its wrath. 1t was
humping itself for its final stand
against the absurdity of human inten-
ton; its yellow tail swished through
the bents of the trestle.
The order came for more speed
Richard moved from bank to raft
knee deep in water, screaming orders
through the din; directing the gangs
speeding the rock trains. Hardin oscil-
lated between the levee and dams, tax.
ing orders, giving orders. His energy
was superb. 1t bad grown dark, but
no one yet had thought of the lights
the great Wells burners stretched
across the channel. Suddenly, the
lights flared out brightly.
Not one of those who labored OF
watched would ever forget that night
The spirit of recklessHess entered
even into the stolfd native. The men
of the Reclamation forgot this was not
their enterprise; the Hardin faction
jumped to Richards orders. The
watchers on the bank sat tense
thrilled out of recognition of aching
muscles, or the midnight creeping chill
No one would go home.
To Innes the struggle was vested
in two men, Richard running down
yonder with that light foot of his, and
Hardin with the fighting mouth tense
And somewhere, she remembered
working with the rest. was Estrada
Those three were fighting for the justi
tication of yision-an idea was al
stake, a hope for the future
Richard passed and repassed her
, And had not seen her. Not during
those hours would he think of her, MOI
, until the idea failed, or was trium.
plant, would he turn to look for her
Visibly, the drama moved toward its
climax. Before many hours passed the
river would be captured or the idea
forever Knocked. Each time a belchlng
engine pulled across that hazardous
track it flung a credit TO the man-side
Each time the waters, slowly rising
hurled their weight against the creak
ing trestles where the rock was thin
4 point was gained by, the militant riv'
er. Its roar sounded like the last cry
of wounded animal in lines ear
the Dragon was reality that night as
1t spent its rage against the shackles
of puny men.
Molly Silent had seen her husbands
train pull in. She watched for it tC
go out again. The whistle blew twice
Something was wrong. She left hel
; place In time to see Silent, his face
shining CHASTITY pale under the SCOT
pull himself up from the "battleship'
where he had been leaning Estrada
sent by Richard TO find out why tbs
train did not pull out, saw MIN the
same instant as did Molly. Silenl
swayed, waving them back unseeingly
like man who is drunk.
"God. man, you can't go like that ?
cried Estrada.
! who's gOing?" demanded Silent, his
= tongue thick with thirst and exhaus
ton The whistle blew again.
81 Wilt" The train moved out Oh
the trestle. as the whistle blew angrily
twice. Only Molly and Silent saw Es
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