Middletown transcript., 1922-08-26
CHAPTER VIlI-Continued,

Kitty rose. 81 don't know now that
I've done right" she said. 81 hope you
won't come to have any feeling against
me, dear. Only you didn't seem to un-
derstand-well, things. And what Pm
saying hasn't anything to do with Mr..
Bowyer, If you feel that you don't care
for him."
"Care for that beast!" said Molly.
Day by day the trestling grew, and
the embankment appeared about 1t I'M
til the first part was hidden under the
permanent way. Thousands of feet of
logs had gone into the building. Each
day the engine pushed the laden bal
last trucks farther out upon the creak-
ing, swaying structure. Then the pres
sure Of the lever, tons of debris dis
charged through the frame of the
woodwork, and the engine went snort
ing back toward the ballast pit. drag
ging the empty trucks behind it.
Kitty had gone back to Clayton. She
had said that she would return, but
Wilton doubted 1t. He still cherished
the hope of friendship, when time had
obliterated their joint memory of that
afternoon. He could not bear to lose
her. She seemed part of Joe, and he
found 1t hard to shake his mind free
of his precOnceptions. For the present,
however he recognized that her re-
naming there would prove an embar-
rassment.
He sent her back to Clayton with An
dersen, who had proved entirely trust
worthy since the first night, and was
going in on business for him.
And he had very little time to think
of Kitty in the critical period that fol-
lowed. Wilton slept only few hours
nightly. For five days he could not
even go to the portage. On the sixth
success appeared at hand. The sink
holes had been filled in and there was
not the slightest subsistence of the
grade Andersen returned that night
and Wilton went to bed in confidence.
Chambers was as confident as he.
On the following morning, as he left
his shack, the workmen came running
toward him, jabbering and gesticulat-
ing. The foreman, hurrying up behind
them, shouted and pointed in excite
ment in the direction of the muskeg.
When Wilton reached the shore he
found that his worst fears had been
. exceeded.
Two-thirds OF the trestle-work had
disappeared, including great stretch
of the foundation, over which the loco
motives and ballast trucks had passed
the day before. The subsistence was
seventy or eighty yards in length. The
top alone remained above the treacher-
GUS swamp. and the rails hung fes
tooned in midair.
The whole embankment would have
to be reconstructed. AS the mere me-
chanical process of dumping might
serve merely to add to the weight su.
perimposed upon the treacherous bot.
tom, Wilton determined to lay down a
corduroy over the nk-holes-a mat.
tress of tree-trunks. The depositing of
the ballast on this would serve to com.
press the muskeg and loose rock, max.
ing firm foundation, and the trunks
as they became water-logged, would
harden, increasing the strength of the
whole structure as time went by.
But for few hours he almost aban.
doned hope. AT the best, 1t meant hold.
ing up the construction of the line, fol-
the permanent way was now only 9
few miles behind, and he dared not
start operations on the east shore until
he knew whether the muskeg could be
spanned.
He spent the morning In his office
writing report for the directors. The
news would reach Clayton as soon as
1t could be telephoned, but at least he
would have another chance. 1t was
too late now to think of changing the
route without throwing the company
into liquidation. And Kitty held con
troll.
The thought Of that strengthened hi,
resolve. He could not bring himsel,
TO go to. Molly with the despondenc.
upon him. but busied himself that af
ternoon examining the wreck.
For about a month he had had ,