The Lamar register., 1922-08-30

serve merely lo add Ia me ..i-.t SlI-
perimpused upon the treachcr"l~ bot
tom, Wilton determined To lay lt. IN IA
corduroy over the Sink-holes "a mat
tress of tree trunks. The dep. Ing of
the ballast nn this would serve 10 com
press The luuskeg and Loose rn X. MAX
ing IL firm foundation, and I g trunks,
rs they became wnter-loge u, would
harden. Increasing the siren 9Th OF the
whole structure as time Went by.
But for few hours he almost aban-
doned hope. At the best, II meant hold
ing up the construction of the line. for
the permanent way was now only II
few miles behind, and he dared not
start operations on the east shore until
lie knew whether the muskeg could be-
spanned.
He spent the morning in his office
writing II report for the directors. The
news would reacn Clayton as soon as
II could be telephoned. but al least he
would have another chance. II 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 despondency
upon him. hut busted himself that af-
ternoon examining the wreck.
For about II month he had had II
strange protege. One evening Jules
Halflrnd the drafmutr, appeared at
the door of his shack, and quickly as
suined the care of IL. He was nearly
always Il" Ice found there In Wilton's
nbsence. Sometimes. however. he
would betake himself back to the port
gge. and he WAS free OF the camp.
where he ran errands and messages for
the engineers, and WAS the hun 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 uf his infirmlty.
When Jules had c""ked Wilton's sup
per that evening hc came into the office
in "a state Of excitement. The man had
loved the work lie WIS often To be
seen ON the trestle, clinging for dear
life to plank as the trucks rumbled
past within an inch of his head. When
he saw the wreck of the embunkment
that morning, the foreman said that he
had burst into tears. Now he was evi
IDENTITY trying to describe something TO
Wilton In pantomlme: 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 itY'
IL was his habit to talk, although the
deaf-mute could not hear his voice
Jules had an instructive faculty OF un
derstanding. He looked at Wilton and
nodded back.
He next drew four uprights-ths
long. heavy trunks of considerable
girth that were driven into the ground
TO support the trestling. Then he made
smudgy line across each. Then hs
drew II hatchet. He looked up at WI.
ton in pathetic eagerness. and nodded
again.
You mean that some one tampered
with the trestling7" shouted Wilton.
Jules. who had watched his lips.
nodded eagerly But. us he always nod.
ded when he was spoken to. little
meaning could be attached to that.
Wilton wondered IL that was what
he did mean. II the uprights had been
tampered with before they were set In
to the ground. by ax-cuts or otherwise.