Graham guardian., 1922-06-27


fury. Hes the coward, not /. Wait
till he gets we'll Just waitl I'll fix
you, Carruthers I"
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 southward 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 filled
with pity, and maternal yearning
over him that touched him unspeak
ably. Her face was very near his own.
Wilton realized of sudden what he
had known in dim way even before
his fourth arrival at the portage
that Molly Mcdonald was the one girl
IN tne Woflu TOT MIN.
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 a little happy catch in her
voice.
The marvel of their love transfig-
ured them in each others sight. They
were hardly aware of Bowyer's depar-
ture. It 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"
"It's more than that, Molly" said
Wilton. Its 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.
1--WE 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
it was too late to change our plans,
that Big Muskeg was a 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
it and become valuable property,
And / think he suspects that there's
something in our territory worth the
developing.
The plan is to refer the situation
to commission OF engineers who, OF
course, would be largely in BOwyer's
pay, and who would report that the
present route Is not feasible. That
would mean increasing our capital
and the issue Of new stock would give
Bowyer and Phayre the controlling
interest. AS things stand, Joe con-
trolls the company, although he hasn't
actually majority of the shares.
"Joe would take most chances, but
he wouldn't gamble with the fortunes
Of those who trusted him, even to
fight Bowyer He wanted to have rea-
sonable hopes that the line could be
pushed through. He gave me his
power of attorney TO vote for him, in
case OF accident And / have it here.
That's why l must be at the meeting,
Molly. otherwise that motion for an
engineers commission goes through.
And Bowyer told me that he means
to have the line. But Kitty'll fight
him. Joe made no mistake when he
took her for partner"
Continued next week.