Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1934-08-03
SIXTH INSTALLMENT

"A quiet MOOD seemed to have
descended on Barry. When the
coffee was finished he smoked for a
few moments in silence, his eyes
coming back every few seconds to
the clear little profile turned toward
him. Anne felt that restless
scrutiny.
Weren't you," she asked sud-
denly, going to tell me about the
town of Duane?"
$50 I was He shifted his posi-
ton. It's just the story of a man
who wanted to turn a desert into a
garden. He was my uncle, Robert
Duane. He worked like a giant
for it, and died broken and ridicul-
ed, and discredited."
His face was black as he stared
down at the lake.
HE loved this country. He came
here from the East years ago, and
he came across this lake and took
over a big tract of land. He saw
that this lake was the biggest body
of water in miles, but useless to
those dry plains down there, and he
began dreaming of the things that
could be DONE"
II see," said Anne softly. "k
was a big dream"
eyes, it was big. 1t was par
ticularly big for one man to swung.
He built this place, and after that
l came and lived with him every
summer"
He stopped, ~frowning remini-
scently.
when they actually started
work on the dam, people began to
take serious notice. They remem-
bered what was being done in the
Imperial Valley. Eagle Lake swarm
ed with workers, and the dam grew.
And then the big day came.
ct was a great day. No matter
what came of it, it can eve be
anything less than that. The signal
was given and the water rushed
down the sideways to make his
wilderness blossom. Everybody
cheered, and Uncle Bob gripped my
shoulder and said, Barry, you and
| believed in this when other people
laughed. When I 60, this is to be
yours
Barry looked at her with a twist
ed grin. ,
$50 this is my inheritance, and
ANYBODY down in Marston would
tell you that it's no better than
Junk. For after the first big mo-
ment, the tragedy came. The irrl-
CATION was there, but it didn't If
rigate. The valley was full of gravel
sinks that no one had suspected,
and the water drained off as fast as
it was run in. 1t was a complete
smashing failure" .
ooh, how dreadful" 1t was all
that she found herself able to say
Barry threw away a half-con-
sumed cigarette and arose.
1.-THE Pinos isn't the only stretch
or arid land around here. There's
tn Junipero, bigger and better, ano
with a oil-it isn't really sand
that will give its very heart to you
for a steady supply of water.
want to use this dam to irrigate the
Janipero." .
He ran a brown hand through
his hair and laughed abruptly.
"I suppose you think Pm chasing
an elusive rainbow?"
why shouldn't you, if youv We
found n that's worth chasing?"
"You darling!" His eyes kindled
For these kind words. :"
She jumped up and gave him
prim little marionette's bow. Conn
on. lazy, I want to go down by thu
lake again"
He arose obligingly and followee
her. overtaking her in two strides
They went down side by side, ane
where the pitch was steep he caugh'
her arm in his. Within a few yard
of the waters edge he spread ou'
his coat for her to sit on and dropP
ed down beside her.
"Anne, will you marry me?'
"You're a sudden person, Barry
She hedged for tim. ~Do you real
ize hat we'd never met until a few
weeks ago? Just four"
"Four days was enough for nae
Anne, darling, I don't want to rusl
you, but you know how l feel
don't you? I love you. I keep see
ing you here all the time, every day
every hour. You aad I together. .
Anne!'
Warmth flooded ever her; ther
was a singing tngle in her veins
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