Middletown transcript., 1922-08-12

vaded. So l wish to offer my resigna-
| tiOn."
"All right" said Wilton shortly
Then. feeling that the othei. had a
sort of justice in his attitude: at
Is rather tough to expect you to do
police work." he acknowledged. But
l don't think there will be any more
of it,"
Digby looked at him in frank as
tonishment. "Why, I like 1t ~ he said
Il had the time Of my life last night.
It's simply t. principle of the thing
But I'm afraid I didn't quite make
my position clear"
mot altogether" answered Wilton
However. I'm sending some special
mail dowr this noon, and you can go
In with tt, Sleigh"
Digby's detection --aS serious
blow, for it would be necessary to
make arrangements for man to take
his place. However. Wilton decided
to take no steps to that end immedi-
! ately. He inspected the camp, saw
that good job was b"ing made of the
cleaning up, and went to look at
Kitty's house.
This IVES built substantially of logs,
and had rlready been half completed.
1t consisted of four rooms and an out
kitchen, and stood at the edge of the
new road near the ridge, about five
hundred yards from the nearest bunk
house.
| That afternoon he made his first
examination of the Muskeg. He took
soundings in several places, hut the
peat seemed bOttomless. Nowhere
could he reach rock bottom. except
within few feet of the shore.
The underlying bed of peat was
everywhere. He went two or three
miles up and down the stream without
discovering any way of bridging the
Musheg.
He was too busy now to see Molly
more than an hour daily, but he al
ways went to the portage for a short
visit after supper.
The factor. who had learned to ex-
pect his coming at the same hour each
day. withdrew upstairs before he
arrived. Once or twice. when they
came face to face. he turned his head
away in sullen anger.
AS prospective father-in-law, Nc
Donald seemed about as hopeless a
proposition as could be conceived but
ly's future would not come until the
line was on its feet. Big Muskeg was
the giant in the way. Often Wilton,
staring down at its sullen depths from
the top of the ridge, would feel it
as personal enemy, defying him to
overcome it.
One evening Wilton was sitting in
his shack. utterly, disconsolate. He
had sounded nearly every possible
place without result, and even Molly
had failed to cheer him. He saw no
alternative before him except to re-
turn to Clayton and confess himself
beaten.
Andersen tapped Mt the door and
said that II man wanted to see him.
| Wilton rose up and. to his surprise, nd
mitted Lee Chambers.
The engineer was roughly dressed
and Notwithstanding. Tie told Wilton
that he had tramped in from Cold
Junction thirty miles southwestward,
the present terminal point of the New
Northern.
Il thought maybe you would give
me job" he said. I've left Mr..
Bowyer for good. We had some
trouble. He wanted me to make a
I crooked report, and I would not dc
it. Tn through with him and his
dirty schemes"
Wilton gave him chair and looked
him over coldly. He did not like
Chambers, and he suspected that he
was lying, and that Bowyer had sent
him to him for his own purposes.
Digby's disappearance had left him
in hole, but that hardly justified his
taking on Lee Chambers. though he
was one of the ablest of his profession
in Manitoba.
"Well, Mr.. Chambers" he said, an
carrying on my work here on the lines
established by Mr.. Bostock. Joe Bos
took had two maXims. The first was
Never lay off man if you can hely
it, The second was: Never take on 8
man who's left YOU And to be quite
frank-I feel about the same way. Yo,
left the Missatibi, which had treated
you well, and we have reason to be
lieve you gave useful information II
Mr.. Bowyer."
Il swear l didn't" shouted Cham
hers, springing to his feet. 'Provt
that, Mr.. Carruthers!"
II can't prove it," Wilton admitted
II am giving you my personal feeling
about yourself, in confidence"
"Well, it's mighty poor sort of con
fidence," spluttered the engineer. "Se,