Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1922-08-18

money to loop It, Tell Joe I'm oper
to terms. And say Tn going to have
them Tell him he won't live forever
heaps Of men forget that-and ash
him who in thunder will 60 ahead or
the Missatibi when Joe Bostock's
gone!
He could not have ficked Wilton OF
the raw more surely II he had known
Joe was dead. The reference was like
new stab in his wound. And Wilton
had the momentary impression thai
Bowyer did know Of Joe's death and
was playing with him.
you be id" he shouted, unleash.
ing his suppressed anger. '"That's my
message to you, and that's Joe Bos
+. tock's. You'll never get your fingers
In the Missatibi. No! That's all
| just that-no!''
| An ugly sneer fitted across Bow
yer's face Seems to me you're speak
ing for a good many people today,
Carruthers !" he shouted angrily, shak-
ing his fist in Wilton's face. "First
1t was for Miss Mcdonald, and now
It's for Joe Bostock. Though, maybe,
you have the right to speak for both
Of them, judging from appearances"
And he added a foul insult, half vi
ciously, half loosely.
| He got no further, for W1lton's
fist shot out and landed fairly on
| Bowyer's mouth. Wilton put all the
strength he could muster into the
blow. Tom Bowyer, taken by surprise,
stumbled and fell. For a moment he
sat upon the floor, looking up at Will
ton in stupefaction. Then he leaped
to his feet and ran at him, his fists
whirling. But before he could strike
him Molly came running in, followed
by Lee Chambers. She sprang be-
tween them.
"You coward!" she cried. "Are you
going to strike Mr.. Carruthers in that
condition. You coward, Tom Bow
yerr'
"He struck me-" yelled Bowyer In
fury. Hes the coward, not I. Wait
till he gets well Just wait! I'll fix
you, Carruthers"
He glared about him In an evil rage,
and then, without word, pushed past
Molly and strobe from the store, with
Chambers at his heels. A few minutes
later the sleigh was whirling back
along the southwark road toward
Cold Junction, the nearest point Of the
New Northern.
Wilton groaned with pain in his
broken arm, caused by the twist Of
his body as he delivered the blow. For
an instant the room swan about him.
Then the scene cleared, and Molly
was holding him.
Her eyes, fixed on his, were filed
with pity, and maternal yearning
over him that touched him unspeak-
ably. Her face was very near his own.
Wilton realized Of a sudden what he
had known In dim way even before
his fourth arrival at the portage
that Molly Mcdonald was the one girl
In the world for him.
He drew her to him and bent his
lips to hers. Then, because he was
not very well versed In many things
of the world, In spite Of his thirty
years, he looked as If he had commit
ted an objectionable insult. But Mol
ly opened her shut lids, and the eyes
that smiled into Wilton's did not show
signs of anger, nor even Of surprise.
"This isn't Winnipeg, WILL" she
said, with little happy catch in her
voice.
The marvel Of their love transfig-
ured them In each others sight. They
were hardly aware Of Bowyers depar-
ture. 1t was not until Molly realized
that there was the supper to prepare
that she became practical once more.
why must you go tomorrow" she
asked, wistfully. "a message could be
sent to kitty"
ats more than that, Molly" said
Wilton. tits the line itself-Joe's
work-that is at stake, and I've got
to be at the shareholders meeting on
Monday morning. You see, It's this
way" he went on to explain.
I'VE laid out our route to cross Big
Muskeg at this point, and miles have
been completed. But our surveyors
were either too optimistic or had been
bought by Bowyer. We found, when
1t was too late to change our plans
that Big Muskeg was harder propo-
sition than anyone had suspected.
There's forty feet and more Of quick
mud where we believed bedrock to
exist few feet down. The records
lied. And you can't lay permanent
way upon mud.
"The shareholders are frightened,
and Phayre, of the Bank of New
North Manitoba, who Is an influential
one and represents Bowyer, has had
the tip from him to make trouble
Bowyer didn't want the line till the
transcontinental route was shifted
northward. Now he does, partly be-
cause we shall ultimately link up with
1t and become a valuable property.
And I think he suspects that there's
something in our territory worth the