Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1922-09-23

cross toward MN ana hing herself OIL
her knees beside him.
He clenched his fists; but somehow
the violence that relieved his feelings
usually seemed to have no place here
He couldn't understand. He went
home slowly across the portage.
The factor looked up when Molly en-.
/ tered, and was aStonished to see the
tears upon her face When she kneeled
down he put his hand clumsily upon
her hair
What has happened, lassT he
asked was it win Carruthers ys
quarreled wlth?"
lie viii never come here again.
said Molly.
a dun fire burned in the factors
eyes. lie seemed to be struggling he
tween two Impulses: One was to com.
fort his daughter; the other, his graft.
fication.
"Ah weel, lass, yen find another" he
said.
But he ahased his head before her
indignant glance. Al that moment the
girl felt that her father and she were
farther apart than they had ever been
When Wilton reached his shack he
TOOK off his coat aud flung himself
down on his bed, He would not specu-
late on Aloly's motives He would not
Trims of her at ALL He would neither
condemn her nor pity himself
He forced his mind back TO his tasa.
The trestle--he would lay down a
corduroy-he would drive the men all
the summer if need be, for Joes sake
Poor Joe The presence of the dead
man seemed TO fill the camp just as
Of Old Joe was the guiding spirit OF
this work He had loved Joe more
truly than 1t seemed possible to love
any woman.
He completed the few routine duties
of the Office and went to bed He had
dozed off TO sleep when something
made him start up in bed and listen in
tently. He thought he had heard a
slight sound in the Office.
1t was so slight that even his trained
ears sent the message to his brain
doubtfully. But it came again. Some
one had very softly clicked back the
catch Of one Of the windows.
lie had the sense Of a listener be-
meath It. and, all alert, Wilton crept
noiselessly to his feet and stood listen
ing In the darkness. Now there was no
doubt. rhe window was being pushed
very softly open. It was the window
between the safe and his bedroom
door. IN the moonlight Wilton could
see that it was opening by inches.
His own door was slightly ajar, and
inch by inch, he pushed It open. too
He saw a pair of hands white, not
work-r0uehened, placed against the
bottom of the wind0w-frame. A face
appeared and was thrust cautiously in
side the room in reconnaissance. VIII
ton recognized Lee Chambers
Satisfied, apparently, that Wilton
was asleep in the next room, Chambers
began to climb over the sill. Wilton
waited till he was balanced there, and
then, leaping forward, he drove his fist
with all his force into his face. He
felt the bone of the nose smash under
his hand.
With a muffled cry Lee Chambers
and fell As Wilton ran to the window
the ex-enginecr le0ped up and raced
toward the trees The thought Of his
treachery. came into Wilton's mind and
turned his sardonic humOr into red
rage. lie reached into his desk drawer
and pulled out the loaded revolver
which be kept there. But by the time
he was at the window again Chambers
was gone.
Three months later an engine pusheo
two ballast trucks from the west TO
the east shore Of Big Musbeg The
swamp was spauned. The corduroy
had been laid upon the sinkhoIes ard
had borne the bqlastiug The trestliug
ran from bank 30 bank aud carried the
metals 6.mlg but The foundation was
only as yet laid halfway, and The final
proof had get 70 be made.
However, Wilton had no doubts OF
The result. He had tried out the dam
zer-sp8ts. The Ues-le would contain
the ballast. His work had been accom-
Fl shed.
After the subsistence he had paid
living VISIT 10 Clayton He had not
eea Kitty. ana Kis y had not returned
% tie camp. bur he had had q stormy
meeting with The directors and as he