Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1922-09-08

| He spent the morning In his Office
writing a report for the directors. The
news would reacn Clayton as soon az
II could be telephoned. but mt least ht
would have another chance. 1t wa:
too late now 10 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 af-
ternoon examining the wreck.
For about a month he had had a
strange protege. One evening Jules
Halfhead, the deaf-mute, appeared at
the door of HIS shack, and quickly as
sumed the care of II. 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
where he ran errands and messages for
the engineers, and was the butt of mild
practical jokes.
Wilton came to the conclusion, how
ever, that the Muskegon's 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 had
loved the work. He was often to be
seen on the trestle, clinging for dear
life to a plank as the trucks rumbled
past within an inch of his head. When
he saw the wreck of the embankment
that morning, the foreman said that he
had burst into tears. Now he was evil
IDENTIFY trying to describe something to
Wilton in pantomime; but Wilton could
not follow his meaning.
Suddenly he seized pencil from the
desk and, STOPPING, began to draw
picture of the trestle upon the wall
with remarkable skill
Wilton's interest was at once
aroused. "Yes," he said, nodding to
Jules. "What about it?"
1t was his habit to talk, although the
deaf-mute could not hear his voice.
Jules had an instructive faculty of I'M
derstanding He looked at Wilton and
nodded back.
He next drew four uprights-the
long, heavy trunks of considerable
girth that were driven into the ground
to support the trestling. Then he made
a smudgy line across each. Then he
drew a Ratchet. He looked up at VIII
ton in pathetic eagerness, and nodded
again.
''You mean that some one tempered
with the trestling?' shouted Wilton.
Jules, who had watched his lips,
nodded eagerly. But, as he always nod
ded when he was spoken to, little
meaning could be attached to that.
Wilton wondered if that was what
he did mean. If the uprights had been
tempered with before they were set In
to the ground, by ax-cuts or otherwise,
the weight of the ballast would I'M
doubtedly have broken them. The
break would not have been immediate
ly apparent, but the trestling would in !
such case be practically imposed upon
the surface of the swamp, without sup |
port. The ballast would have spread |
over the muskeg, causing the entire
to subside.
"Who did It'll" asked Wilton, speak
ing slowly and carefully.
Jules, who was still watching him,
suddenly turned and, with lightning
drew a caricature Of Lee
on the woodwork of the
wall.
Wilton looked at it and drew In his
breath. Then he nodded. Jules nod
ded in return, smiled. and left the
room. Wilton reflected deeply.
If Chambers was a spy of Bowyer's.
why had he shown him the bedrock at
all? On the other hand, assuming that
Wilton must eventually discover 1t
himself, Bowyer might have sent
Chambers to make virtue of neces-
sity and to secure a position at the
camp, where he could be of service to
him.
In any case, Wilton could afford to
take no further chances with him. 1t
would serve no purpose to accuse him
Of having tempered with the trestling.
He would give him post somewhere
where he could do no harm, and thus
get rid of him.
Fighting down the burning rage in
his heart, he went down the road to-
ward the shack which the engineer oc-
.upled This was a reconstructed
,hed. There was only one room in it,
,ut Chambers had asked to have this
'ather than share the quarters of the
,ther engineers
The men were back in the bunk
houses, but the door of the shed was
,adlockef Thinking that Chambers
night be IN the camp. he made his
way toward the other quarters. But
presently he heard some one calling
lin and, turning, saw Andersen run
ling after him.
Were you looking for Mr.. Cham
,el.s. STRIP asked the foreman.
Eyes. Where is he?"
''Why, he went back 20 Clayton this
,oon, Mr.. Carruthersl He said he was
.oing in for you"
Wilton's suspicious suddenly famed
tsrrl.1 49,. .b,,ttaI pa.lIfnor |