Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1922-09-01

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and looked back. The door OF the store
was closed. The light still burned In
the factors room and he saw Molly
cross toward him and ding herself on
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 VIII Carruthers ye
Quarreled withf"
"He will never come here again.
said Molly.
A dull fire burned In the factors
ewes. He seemed to be struggling be-
tween two impulses: One was to COM
fort his daughter; the other, his graft
fcation.
"Ah weel, lass, yen 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
When Wilton reached his shack ne
took Off his coat and flung himself
down on his bed. He would not specu-
late on Molly's motives. He would not
think Of her at all. lie would neither
condemn her nor pity himself,
He forced his mind back to his task.
The trestle-he would lay down a
corduroy-he would drive the men all
the ummer, 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. He 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
dozed off to sleep when something
made him start up in bed and listen III
tently. He thought he had heard
slight sound in the office.
y II was so slight that even his trained
e ears sent the message to his bran
doubtfully. But it came again. SOM
one had very softly clicked back tn
catch of one Of the windows.
He had the sense of a listener be
meath It. and, all alert, Wilton crep
I noiselessly to his feet and stood lister
ing in the darkness. Now there was II
! doubt. The window was being pushe
] very softly open. 1t was the windoN
between the safe and his bedroom
| door In the moonlight Wilton coul
| see that it was opening by inches.
His own door was slightly ajar, anC
inch by inch, he pushed it open, tot
| He saw a pair Of hands, white, ne
work-roughened, placed against II
| bottom of the window-frame, A rae
| onppared and was thrust cautiously !
side the room In reconnaissance. WI
| ton recognized Lee Chambers.
1 Satisfied, apparently, that WHO
was asleep In the next room, Chambe
h began to climb over the sill. Wllt'
Il waited TIL he was balanced there, III
II then leaping forward, he drove his II
III with all his force into his face
" felt the bone Of the nose smash und
his hand.
With a muifled cry Lee Chambe
flung up his hands, slipped backWa
and fell. AS Wilton ran to the Wihu'
the ex-engineer leaped up and rae
toward the trees. The thought OF !
treachery came into Wilton's mind ii
Turned his sardonlc humor int +
rage. He reached into his desk draN
md pulled out the loaded revolN
Z. which he kept there. But by the III
'ct- he was at the window again ChainDt
YOU was gone.
d
I've Three months later an engine push
nat two ballast trucks from the west
the east shore of Big Muskeg. 1
AID, swamp was spanned. Inc cordu
i" had been laid upon tire s~ink'holeS,
He had borne the ballasting. The trestl
and ran from bank to bank and carried
her metals firmly, but the foundation \
the only as yet laid halfway, and the II
ard proof had yet to be made.
However, Wilton had no doubts
VIII the result. He had tried out the q
ger-spots. The trestle would con
the ballast. His work had BEEF acc
pllshed.
After the subsistence he had PAL
sell flying visit to Clayton. lie mao
,ook seen Kitty, and Kitty had not retur
iier' to the camp, but he had had a StoI
no"' meeting with The directors and, as
no' had foreseen, had been gwen
d ny chance to try once more. There
was indeed, nothing else to be done 4
l. yer had made the most of The disas
was bur II was to Bowers interest
lot Wilton should try again and fan. !
ana would put the Missatibi promptly
NE liquidation.