Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1920-07-16
CHAPTER xVIII-Contibued.

Zu--
ooh, my love" he cried happily. ~
hadn't dared dream of such happiness
until taday. You were so unattain'
able-the obstacles between us were
so many and so great"
"Why today, Bryce?' she interrupt
ed him.
He took her adorable little nose In
his great thumb and forefnger and
twenked 1t gently. "The light began
to dawn yesterday, my dear little en-
envy, following an interesting half
hour which I put In with his honor the
mayor. Acting upon suspicion only,
I told Poundstone was prepared to
send him - the rock pile II he didn't
behave himself In the matter Of my
permanent franchise for the N. c. o.
and the oily old invertebrate wept and
promised me anything II wouldn't
disgrace him. So promised wouldn't
do anything until the franchise mat
ter should be definitely settled-after
which ! returned to my office, to find
awaiting me there no less person
than the right-Of-way man for the
Northwestern Pacific. He was per-
fectly delightful young fellow, and he
had n proposition to unfold. 1t seems
the Northwestern Pacific has decided
to build up from Willis, and all that
powwow and publicity of Buck Ogil-
vys about the N. c. o. was In all
probability the very thing that spurred
them to action. They figured the
C. NJ. & st. =. was back of the N. G. O.
that 1t was to be the first link In n
chain of coast roads TO be connected
ultimately with the terminus of the
c. NJ. Il st. p. on Gray's Harbor, Wash
IngtOn. And If the n. C. o. should be
built 1t meant that rival road would
get the edge on them in the matter
of every stick of Humboldt and Del
Norte redwood-nnd they'd be left
holding the sack"
"Why did they think that, deary
"That amazing rascal, Buck Ogilvy,
used to be c. NJ. & st. Z. man; they
thought they traced IN analogy, dare
say. Perhaps Buck flbbed to them. AT
any rate this right-of-way man was
mighty anxious to know whether or
not the n. C. o. had purchased from
the Cardigan Redwood Lumber com
pany n site for terminus on tide
water 1--WE control all the deep-water
frontage on the bay), and when ] told
him the deal had not yet been closed
he started to close one with me-"
"Dld you closer
"My dear girl, will duck swim?
OF course closed sold three-quar-
ters of all we had, for three-quarters
of million dollars, and an hour ago
/ received wire from my attorney In
San Francisco informing me that the
money had been deposited In escrow
there awaiting formal deed. That
money puts the Cardigan Redwood
lumber company In the clear-no re-
ceivership for us now, my dear one.
And I'm going right ahead with the
building of the n. c. O.-while our
holdings down on the San Hedrln
double in value, for the reason that
within three years they will be acces-
sible and can be logged over the rails
of the Northwestern Pacific"
Bryce" Shirley declared, haven't
/ always told you I'd never permit you
10 build the N. c. OF"
"Of course" he replied, "but surely
you're going to withdraw your objec-
tons now"
81 am not. You must choose be-
tween the N. c. o. and me-" And she
met his surprised gaze unfinchingly.
SHIRLEY You don't mean it?'
81 do mean 1t. have always meant
1t. | love you, dear, but for all that
you must not build that road"
He stood up and lowered above her
sternly. 81 must build it, Shirley. I've
contracted to do 1t, and must keep
faith with Gregory of the Trinidad