The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1922-09-15

before were broken. Not until he han
| reached the portage. Then me stopped
and looked back. The door of the store
was closed. The light still burned IN
the factors room aud he saw Molly
cross toward him and hing herself or
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, lass?' he
asked. "Was il Will Carruthers ye
quarreled with?"
"He will never come here again.
said Molly.
A dull fire burned in the factors
eyes. He seemed to be struggling be-
tween two impulses: One was to COM
fort his daughter; the other, his graft
ticati0n.
"Ah wcel, lass, yell find another" he
said.
But he abased his head before her
indignant glance. At that moment the
girl felt that her father and she were
farther apart than they had ever been.
y - x
When Wilton reached his shack ne
took off his coat and flung himself
down on his bed. He would not specU'
late on Alolly's motives. He would not
think of her at all. He would neither
condemn her nor pity himself.
He forced his mind back to his task.
The trestle-hc would lay down a
cOrduroy-he would drive the men all
the summer, if need be, for Joe's 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. lie had loved Joe more
truly than it seemed possible to love
any woman.
He completed the few routine duties
Of the Office and went to bed. He had
do2ed off to sleep when something
made him start up in bed and listen i'll
tently. lie 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
dOubttully. But it came again. Some
one had very softly clicked back the
catch OF one of the windows.
He 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. The window was being pushed
very softly open. 1t was the window
between the safe and his bedroom,
door. In the moonlight Wilton coulr
see that it was opening by inches.
Ills W door was slightly ajar, ana,
inch by inch, he pushed it open, toe.
He saw a pair sf hands, white, noe
work-roughened, placed against tho
bottom OF the window-frame. A face
appeared and was thrust cautiously d.
side the room in reconnaissance. Will
ton recognized Lee Chambers.
Satisfied, apparently, that Wiltca
was asleep in the next room, Chambers
began to climb over the sill. WiltOr
waited till he was balanced there, and
then, leaping forward, he drove his fist
with all his force into his face. Ha
felt the bone of the nose smash under
his hand.
With a muffled cry Lee Chambers
flung up his hands, slipped backward
and fell. AS Wilton ran to the Windows
the ex-enginecr leaped up and raced
toward the trees. The thought of his
treachery came into Wilton's mind and
turned his sardonic humor into red
rage. He reached into his desk drawe,
and pulled out the loaded revOlveI
which he kept there. But by the tins
ne was at the window again Chambers
was gOne.
Three months later an engine pushes
tS?O ballast trucks from the west to
the east shore Of Big Muskeg. This
swamp was Spanned. The corduroy
had beer laid upon the sink-holes, and
had borne the ballasting. The trestlins
ran from bank TO bank and carried the
metals firmly, but the foundation was
only as yet laid halfway, and the final
proof had yet to be made.
However, Wilton hatl no doubts OF
the result. He had tried out the dan.
ger-spots. The trestle would contain
the ballast. His work had been accom-.
plished.
After the subsistence ne had paid u
flying visit to Clayton. He had nS
seen Kitty, and Kitty had not returned
to the camp, but he had had a stormy
meeting with the directors and, as he
had foreseen, had been given. his
chance to try once mere. There was
indeed, nothing else to be done. Bow.
yer had made the most Of the disaster;
but it was to Bowyer's interest that
Wilton should try again and fail. That
| would put the Missatibi promptly int
liquidation.