The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-02-12
(Continuedl

Contnuedl
 Hadn't been to the Crossing? Then where in Hades did he go? He halted MacLean who was passing him.
 Are you going to the Crossing to- morrow?" Hardin knew he should be too proud to betray his eagerness, but the words ran away with him.
 "Not tomorrow. Mir. Rickard just told me he might not be able to get of until next week."
 Hardins anger sputtered. "Next week. Why does he rush so? Why doesn't he go next year? The Colo rado's so gentle, it'd wait for him, I'm sure. Next week. It's a put-up job, that's what 1t is. Oh, can see through fence with a knothole as big as your } head. He doesn't want to finish the headgate. He wants to put off going until it's too late to go on with it; know him. He'd risk the whole thing, chucked into it, just to start with a clean slate; to get the glory of stop ping the river himself. It turns my stomach; it's a plot" The lower lip shot out.
 MacLean's attention was deferential He had always liked Hardin; all the fellows did. But he was jumping off wrong this time. He'd brought it all on himself.
 "He said something about levee for tn inu 0 before he goes to the front"
 "A levee? Well, wouldn't that jar you?" Hardin addressed the stenog- rapher in the transparent shirtwatst "Does he think we're going to have another flood this season? Thinks it's going to reach the hotel and wet his clothes? Take the starch out of his shirts?" He flung out of his chair, throwing the papers back into the drawer.
 He stamped out of the office, mad clear through. To this crisis they had sent down a dandy, a bookman who wanted to build Ievee. Oh, hell!
 They'll come crawling after me to help them after this fellows buried himself under river mud, come calling to me as they did after Maitland failed. Please, MT. Hardin, won't you come back and finish your gater I'll see them dead first. No, I'll be fool enough to do it. I can't help myself. I'm a Hardin. have to finish what I've be- gun"
 It was not because this was a pei enterprise, the great work of his life that he must eagerly eat humble pie take the buffets, the falls, and come whining back when they whistled tc him. He told himself 1t was because of his debt to the valley, to the ranchers The colonists were about desperate Who could blame them? The last years floods had worked havoc with their crops; this year had been a horror The district they called No. was Q screaming irony of ruin. The last de bauch of the river had made great gashes through the ranches, hat secured deep gorges which had under mined the canals on which the water supply for No. 6 depended. The suit. were piling up against the D. R., dam age suits, and they hold up his gate while he gets the curses of the val ley. And MT. Rickard thinks he'l build levee!
 He flung himself on the couch in tn tent. Gerty was laying a carefu cloth for supper. A brave, determined Smile was arranged on her lips. Tn noon storm had passed. She hummed gay little tune. If there was anythinj Hardin hated it was humming.
 You'll have your dude to dinner al right" her husband announced. He fin town"
 ''Yes, I know" reioined his spouse 'T had letter from him yesterday From Imperial"
 Tom sat up gIaring. He wrote t you from Imperial?'
 His wife misplaced the accent. Sh misunderstood Toms scow1. It wa the old story over again. Wheneve those two men came together the ol feeling of jealousy must be revive again! It was unpleasant, of course very unpleasant. to have men care lik that, but 1t made life exciting. Lif had been getting a lNtie stale lately like a book of obvious, even plo Richards entrance into the story gay new interest, q new twist. Sh hummed an air from new opera tha had set the world waltzing.
 Hardin's thoughts did not touch he at the hem. He was at the headgatt his gate. What the deuce had Rickar gone to Imperial for? If he wasn't tn darnedest ass! Imperial! And th gate hung up!
 ''For Gods sake stop that buzz.as
 The happy little noise was quenchet InEes, entering at that moment, hear the rough order. She looked implo ingiy at her sister-in-law. "Supper's on the table," cried Cert the fixed, determined smile still on ht lips.
 CHAPTER x.