The Adair County news., 1922-06-20
awhat are you thinking Of. wtlr'


tion, Il think you are the pluckiest
woman in the world"
"Why, WiIton7"
ITO come up here and put up with
these hardships, just because Of Joe."
She blushed family and lowered her
eyes. at was you who let me come,
WILL" she said.
But you wanted to come because
Joe would have liked it, Kitty. It's |
like you to hide your real feeling"
She laughed and made a little face |
at him. But after supper she grew |
serious as he spoke Of the work and |
his success, about which he had writ |
ten her.
Wilton asked her if she would walk
over to the portage to see Molly.
'TOnight?" she asked dOubtfully.
"Not if you're tired, Kitty"
81 thought you might be content to
sit here and chat"
'T should be, Kitty. But told her
l was coming. And said l had sur
prise for her. Can't you imagine how
pleased she'll be to see your"
"Why, of course I'll come with you,
WILL" she answered.
And they strolled down side by side
and made their way to the trading
store. They went in and, at the sound
Of their entrance, Molly came running
downstairs, stopped short at the bot
tom and stared at Kitty as if she had
seen a ghost. She put her hand to her
xDR
Molly, this is the surprise prom
ised yOu," said Wilton. "What's the
matter, dear7 Did we startle your"
Molly shook her head and came
quickly forward, swallowing as if
something was choking her. The wom-
en- kissed each other. Then Wilton was
| aware that both we're watching him.
All through the lively chat that fol-
lowed he was conscious of that. He
put the idea out of his mind with an
effort. for he did not like subtleties Of
feeling that he could not understand.
Yet there was a chilliness under the
girls chatter and laughter.
Presently Kitty said she was tired
and must get back. Molly promised to
come to see her as soon as possible.
Wilton and Kitty hardly spoke on
the way home. When he left her at
her door she turned to him and asked
abruptly:
'Will, you are still as deeply in
love with Molly as ever, aren't your
"Of course 1 am, Kitty" he an
swered.
Then am glad, for your sake and
hers" answered Kitty, and went
quickly into the house.
Wilton walked back to his shack, a
little puzzled. He had arranged to
show Kitty the progress of the work on
the following morning; but when he
called for her he found her in the midst
Of her unpacking, and she put it off
until the afternoon. Wilton laughed,
chided her and went to his work.
She kept him waiting till three
o'clock, when they started. He felt the
pride of the artist as he led Kitty from
one place to another. Locomotives were
snOrting, and lines of ballast trucks oc-
cupied the narrOw-gage that had been
laid down to the waters edge.
In the ballast pit, from which the
screech Of steam was heard from morn
till night, the great, unwieldy steam
shovel scraped It's huge steel teeth into
the face of the cut with the scrunch
, of an Ogre's feast, and, turning, dis
gorged its plunder into the empty
, trucks alongside.
Kitty shuddered and pressed VIII
) tons arm. "It's like-it's like some
living monster, WILL" she said. Lets
go on"
He led her toward the muskeg. Blu
t on the way he stopped suddenly beside
the summit of the ridge.
. kitty" he said, in low voice, {"
] don't know if ought to tell you-per
. haps you'd like to know. This il
l. | where joe
Her grasp upon his arm tightene,
convulsively. mo, no, Will" she SAT-
hurriedly. 81 don't want to see it.
can't bear to think of it."
They followed the line of ballas
trucks along the narrow-gage down t
the Swamp's edge. Construction upO
the foundations was well under way
Tons of debris had been poured int
the muskeg, and had simply sprea
themselves over the bottom, findin
their level like water. Sounding
taken had showed the bedrock hardl
raised from its level twenty feet b'
meath the surface.
Wilton and Lee Chambers had ther'
fore begun the construction Of trestlt
work. Teams hauled bundles cS log
bound with a chain, to the scene {
operations. The uprights for the lowe
tier were driven into the ground, an
the horizontal members and diagonal
were nailed up, completing a Graz
shaking structure just strong enOug
to take pair Of metals at the top.
AS they reached the edge Of tn
structure the whistle blew. The worl
men knocked off and came slowly pa
them toward the camp. Wilton an
Kitty stood alone at the edge Of Il
embankment, where the fiimsy stru
ture of the trestle began.
Kitty looked at Wilton breathlessl
"It's wonderful, VIII" she said. g