The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-07-26


welcome hardness OF sleeping spot
ON wooden floor. Night after night
y was the same--stariight and snow.
fair weather and storm. barry Houa.
ton had become rough. bearded.
tattered piece Of human machinery
like all tho rest Then. at last
The suni shining family thru the
windows OF the bunk car, n caused
MIN 10 stir In his sleep. Dropping
IN flood OF ruby red. Il atill reflect.
81 faint strcaks of color acroa. the
sky. when AZ last he started forth 70
what men had mentioned but seldom.
aud thcn with fear For tonight
was the last night. tho last either IN
the struggle or IN tho lives OF those
who had fought their way upward 70
the final harricade which yet SEP
aratcd them from the top OF In.
world--the Death Trail
smooth and sleek Il showed before
Houston In tho early moonlight. an
Icy Niagara. the snow piled high
above the raiiroad tracks, extending
upward against an almost sheer
wall OF granite. IN stacks and drfftn,
banked In places 10 a depth OF hun.
dred feet. Already tho plows were
essemhicd-four heavy steel mon.
siers, with tremendous beams dashed
In place and jutting upward. that
they might break the overcasss and
knock down the snow rcofings that
otherwise might form tunnels. break.
ms the way above as the tremendous
fan Of tho piow would break Il be.
low. This was 10 be the fight OF
fights, there IN the moonlight. Hous.
ton eeuid sec the engines breathing
lastly behind thsir piows. ie great
steel contrivances. their burdens
graduated In sixe from the tremen.
tous augsr AZ the fore 20 tho lesser.
almost oiminutive one. By compari.
son. AZ the rear. designed 20 take IN.
last OF the offal from the track. For
there would be no Ice here the drip.
pings o. the anowaheds. with their
accompanying stalactites and staiax-
mites. wer, absent. A quick shoot
and a lucky one othcrrxise--the men
who went forward 20 their engines
would not speak Of II. But there was
ons who ala.
she was standing beside the cook
car as Houston passed. ana she
looked toward him with glance
that caused Barry to stop ana 10
wait. ms tho she haf called to him.
iie~ltatsnxiy she came forward. and
H0uston's duiicd mentality a. last
took ccgninancs that q hand was ex.
tended slightly.
YOU'RE stiii working on The en-.
gfners
Yea
Then you'u ~ with them
'pn the Death Trafiy expect to-
They talk Of Il ss something ter.
rihse. whyT-
Houston pointed TO the forbsfdinx
wall os snow. ITS thick. broken lips
fnumhied IN shs longest speech he
bad known IN days.
tits all granite up there. The cut
Of the rcadbsd forms a base for this
remainder OF the snow. It's rrncti.
esiiv AL resting on the trucks, above,
there's nothing for the snow 70 cling
TO. When va cut out tho foundation
--sSheysrs afraid that the vibration
win loosen the rest nnd start an Az.
sianche. n All depends whether n
comes b>sore--or after we've passed
thru
asked u almost chiidishly. He shook
his head.
~r-don.t know. I guess every
ono ia BIT afraid. when they're
going into trouble. ! know what I'm
doing. u that's what you mean
She was silent for long rnomen,
locking up ~ she packed drifts. al
the ragged outlines Of tho mountain,
against the rnoonIit sky. then int
the valleys and the shimmering form
Of the round. icy lake. far below
Her lips parted. and Barry wcni
closer.
Beg pardonr'
'-Soshing--oniy there are som,
things can, understand II doesn'
seem quito natural
'swhatT''
That things could Then shs
Strengthened and looked at him with
clear. frank eye. Mr.. Houston. :
came quietly. 1--WE been thinking
Ah1Ht eHtattilHN nj HAFs HAFe tFtl
that haven't been quite fair--tha'
n man who has acted as you have
acted since@-rince met you this last
time-that he deserves more OF q
chance than have given him
| That
I'm asking nothing OF you. Mis-
I RobInefte.~
Il know. I am asking something
Of you. I want 20 tell you that
have been hoping that you can sons
day furnish mo the proof--that yot
spoke OF once. that's what
wanted 20 tell you" she ended
quickly and extended her hand
"Good-by. III DO praying for all Of
1 you up there"
Houston answered only with .
pressure Of his hand. His throat haf
closed suddenly. His breath jeritet
into his lungs: his burning. wind.torr
lips ached 10 touch the hand that had
fingered for n moment in his. III
/ looked at her with eyes that SPOKE
what his tongue could not say. ther