The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-06-16


the embankment appeared about it IN
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 it. 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 it 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 a 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 a 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-
TONED 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 SUI
perimpOsed upon the treacherous bot
tom, Wilton determined to lay down a
corduroy over the sink-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 a 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, it meant hold
ing up the construction of the line, for
the permanent way was now only a
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 reaCn Clayton as soon as
it 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 his
resolve. He could not bring himself
to go to Molly with the dependency
upon him. but busted himself that at
ternoon examining the wreck.
For about a month he had had a
strange protege. One evening Jules
Halfhead, the deaf-mute, appeared al
the door of his shack, and quickly as
sumed the care of it. He was nearly
always to be found there in Wilton's
absence. Sometimes, however, he
would betake himself back to the port
age, and he was free of the camp
| the engineers, and was the butt of mild
| practical jokes.
Wilton came to the conclusion, how
ever, that the Muskegons mind was as
| acute as any mans, and that his appar
ent simplicity was nothing but the out
ward aspect of his infirmity.
When Jules had cooked Wilton's sup
! per that evening he came into the office
| in a state of excitement. The man haC
| loved the work. He was often to bt
seen on the trestle, clinging for deal
| life TO a plank as the trucks rumbleC
! past within an inch of his head. Wher
! he saw the wreck Of the embankmen
| that morning. the foreman said that ht
! had burst into tears. Now he was evi
| IDENTIFY trying TO describe something Il
! Wilton in pantomime; but Wilton couIC
| not follow his meaning.
Suddenly he seized a pencil from the
| desk and <tonning began TO draw {
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