Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1921-02-17


many details to go into. and 1t was
half-past five befor he knew il
Look here" said Miss HARRISON,
directly. we have a lot to talk about.
Suppose you come up to the house
after dinner and Wen get on with the
work. live at Is Cherry Street--it's
easy to find About eight good after
noon !"
Owen repaired to Is Cherry street
at the time suggested II was cool
looking house with a cool-looking YER
anda and a lot of coollooklng chairs
and Miss HARRISON was there to meet
him in cool-looking frock and he
met her mother, who was nice old
lady, evidently very proud Of her
daughter; and for many hours the
two of them set up and discussed esti-
mates and time clauses and bonuses
and penalties and such things and at
y O'Clock Owen Went back to the hotel
tired hut at peace With the world. He
was sure that he would be able To put
the contract through In fine style; and
he had lost his fear OF the confer
enceS ina the hot. smoky offices. Spring
Valley didn't seem such bad place
after all.
For the rest Of the week he was
very busy putting the final details
into shape and he left FOR New York
on Saturday with the contract in his
pocket, after a very pleasant evening
spent in calling, unoficially. on ] Her
bison highway commissioners. His
chief congratulated him.
81 suppose you're glad to he back
from that hole in the ground, he said
"Well-to tell you the truth. chief,
| was hoping you'd let me 90 up there
again. I'd like to see the work start
ed, at least-and I know the ground,
and-and-" he finished lamely.
The chief looked at him for mo-
ment through half-shut eyes, then
laughed "All right, Bob, he chuekled.
You're the doctor If you want to 20
back there and die of the heat, go
ahead. No one else wants the job"
So it was that for the next three
months Mr.. Robert owen. representa-
tive Of the Perfection Bridge and Con
struction company, found himself sit
uated at Spring Valley, Spring county,
Pennsylvania, spending as much of his
time as possible in the company of Miss
Joan HARRISON, highway commissioner
And as the weeks slipped by and the
construction got well under way, Mr.
owen found it more and more neces-
sary TO 20 TO number Is Cherry street
for conferences.
That some of these conferences were
not entirely official in character might
have been shown by The fact that
passersby heard, sometimes, the music
Of a guitar, very well played. coming
from the veranda in the evenings; Mr..
owen had played on his college man
dolin club, ii appeared But as the
work progressed with great rapidity,
there could be no possible ground for
carping on the part of village critics
One evening in early September Miss
Joan HARRISON and Mr. Robert Owen
went out to Bell River bridge in Miss
HarDison's little runabout 10 take
look at their completed work. To
morrow the bridge would be OPENED
with appropriate ceremonies; the town
council and the mayor would make
speeches, and there would be band.
and generally a good time would be
had by all.
But In the twilight the bridge was
peaceful and quiet as it gracefully
spanned the stream the two on the
Miss HARRISON with a sense of pro-
prietorship, for the bridge would be
monument to her work as highway
commissioner owen with an air Of
regarding good piece of work. They
were silent for few moments then
owen, stepping from the machine, In
yited his companion to sit beside him
on a order.
"Well, it's finished" he said after
pause.
yes" Miss HARRISON sighed.
whats the matter2 Arc you sorry
TIA over2"
"No--that is, yes. l mean I'm not
sorry, and still-well, / am"
Thus the official, efficient highway
commissioner. The highly impersonal
and very businesslike Robert owen
could find nothing to say but Are
your" which did not seem 70 have any
direct bearing on the subject More
silence.
TIN going away tomorrow" offered
Robert after time.
"Are your I'm sorryr'
The words slipped out before Miss
HARRISON realized their import and q
deep blush oversp-ead her face. But
Robert Owen, regardless Of the scan
dalized faces of couple Of country
people who happened to drive by that
way at that time, impetuously caught
the efficient Miss HARRISON In his arms
and saba great many things with
which we have no concern whatever.
But they must have been satisfactory
for Miss HARRISON seemed TO agree
with every one of them.
The country people drove on. The
twilight deepened. The Bell River
bridge stood contemplative. while the
water beneath II flowed on az water
has been In the habit 0g dnipg fba