The Daily Alaska empire., 1934-04-09
Judith Lane
bu JEANNE ROyVsfAN

And, Normy, 1 asked you how much was enough? Have you enough to go against your principles for me?"
 Judith" he pointed out of the window to where an ink black cloud was sweeping down from the north, "I have to go. there's a storm com ing in and can't be late for court. Now dear, try to be sensible. You're all wrought up over things, go on back to bed, have a good rest. then wake up and read or go to show"
 Norman, you don't understand, I'm leaving for the dam tonight. must go"
 q see" his arms dropped away from her. He put on a light over coat. picked up his brief case and his hat. Its up to yod Judy. Take your choice. If you think more of your childish belief that no one else can build a dam. than you do of me . all right. Goodbye" He kissed her lightly and left.
 Judith raced to the window. She couldn't bear to have him go like this :. suppose the storm overlook him. his car skidded on the wet pavement and he'd never know how much she loved him .. she wouldn't go to the dam. Big Tom had asked more than was humanly possible for any woman to give -. she would stay and help him carry on. I IGHTNING flashed across the A sky, thunder rumbled and dark ness closed down. Judith tried to follow in her imagination the race of the little coupe against the storm, and then before her minds eye came a picture of the storm at the dam; the horror of it, the heart breaking devastation which lay in it's wake the little crumpling houses swept away from the banks and the heart broken resignation of the men who had built them.
 Even if Norman were right and she wasn't necessary for the safe erection of Diablo dam, had she the right to leave it to chance?
 The shrilling of the telephone caused her to hurry to the instru- ment. Neither Lige nor Delphy would touch anything electrical during a storm.
 This is Mrs. Dale speaking" she said. "Oh yes, Judge Morgan .. oh {. .. oh." She sat down suddenly, "yes I'll be down right away. thank you for calling"
 She hung the receiver back on it's hook, carefully, replaced the tele- phone and looked out on the rain washed terrace. Morton Lampere had been granted an injunction against her use of the Bevins money until he could contest Tom Bevins' will, and decision be handed down.
 She had expected it. Her shock came from the realization that Nor man had known it and left her to face it without forewarning her. At least it made her decision more cas- fly reached. She went to her room, dressed and finding the storm quiet ing, called Lige to bring around the small truck they had bought in pref erence to a car for her.
 He drove her to the end of the nearest street car line and by the time she reached Judge Morgan's office, she had outlined the path she would follow.
 One of Mrs. Nathalie Bevins' first actions after finding she owned the Bevins building, had been to ask the newly organized Bevins Construc- tion Company to move. Big Tom, owning the building, had never con- sidered lease necessary. and re- gardless of Judge Morgan's inter- vention, she was able to demand their eviction.
 It was one of the innumerable lit tleness such as Big Tom had had to contend against throughout his mar ried life. He did contend with them, Judith remembered with thrill, and somehow they had cost him nothing more serious than worry.
 But Judith knew that the worry had had it's part in wearing down the engineer; now his own company was driven from his own building.
 Judith had not waited for the end of their time of tenure. Afraid of having company papers inspected during tn heir absence, she had moved to temporary quarters in an office adjoining Judge Morgan's.
 Upon reaching there she found the judge in consultation with Jus tin Cunard- You musn't worry over this, Mrs. Dale," he hastened to say when he caught sight of her face.
 "I'm not" she assured him, "I ex pected it."
 The two men exchanged quick glances of understanding, As fol money" said Cunard, remember have couple of producing oil wells at Longview and I can turn them over to the Rio Diablo project al any time |. the proceeds, I mean
 Thank you," said Judith, ther with sudden thought. "are they go ing to allow me to go on with tht building?"
 (Copyioht. 1881, by Jeanne Boioman)
 Judith prepares, tomorrow,