THE SEMI WEEKLY TRIBUNE. NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA.
The River
When the Colorado Burst Its Banks and
Flooded the Imperial Valley ? California
By EDNAH AIKEN
Copyright. Bobbt-Merrlll Company
RICKARD "GOES IN," AND AS HE GOES HE BEGINS TO
WtiECIATETHE DIFFICULTIES OF HIS POSITION.
Synopsis. K. C. Rlckurd, an engineer of tlic Overland Pacific rail-
road, Is cnllcd to the olllce of President Mnrstmll in Tuscon, Ariz. While
waiting RIckard rends n report on the ravages of the Colorado river,
despite the efforts of Thomas Hnrdln, head of the Desert Reclamation
company. Hardin had been n student under RIckard In nn camera col
lego and hnd married Gcrty Holmes, with whom RIckard had fancied he
was In love. Marshall tells Klcknrd the Overland Pacific tsa.vt step In to
save tlio Imperial valley and wishes to send RIckard to take charge.
Itlckard declines bccnuse he foresees embarrassment In supplanting
Hnrdln, but Is won over.
CHAPTER III.
2
The Blessing of Aridity.
When Ricknrd left the main lino at
Imperial Junction the next afternoon
4ls eyes followed the train lie was
deserting rather than the one that
was to carry him to his new labors.
He felt again the thrill of detachment
thnt Invnrlnbly preceded his entrance
Into n new country. With the pulling
up of the porter's green-carpeted stool,
the slamming of the train gates, the
curtnin fell on the Tucson set scene.
The long line of cars was pushing
off with its linen-covered Pullmans
and diners, Btenmlng down grade
toward the Sink, the depression which
had been primeval sea, and then des
ert, and was now sea again. Old
Beach rechristcned Imperial Junction
for railroad convenience, was Itself
lower than tho ancient sea lino where
once the gulf hnd reached. Itlckard
knew he oould find 'shells nt that des
ert station should ho look for them.
He picked xip his bag that tho porter
hnd thrown on the ground and faced
the rung-down curtain.
Its pnlnted scene was n yellow sta
tion bouse broiling under a desert
sun; a largo water lank beyond, and
In the dlstanco the Inevitable card
board mountains, like property sceno
shifts, flat and thin in their unreal
hues of burnished pink nnd purple. A
dusty accommodation train was back
ing and switching, picking up the
empty refrigerator cars to carry Into
tJ9.e vnlley for tho early melon growers.
Already tho valley had 'asserted Its
Industrial importance; the late ram
brko of tho Colorado had made It
acle. .There wad not a scar on tho
powerful face.
"Estrada's business methods were
then not different from Suther's nnd
Hardin's I" It was a deep, rich organ.
"Oh, yon can't class Hnrdln with
Sathcr," protested Rlekurd's compan
ion. "Sather used Hardin. Hardin's
honesty cannot be questioned. It's not
money's lie's nftcr. His whole heart
Is in this reclamation scheme."
"Hardin's a false alarm," growled
the owner of the massive head. "He
makes promises. Ho never keeps
them."
The older mnn's smile was tolerant.
"Barton," he Indicated, "Is tho presi
dent of the water companies. And If
Hut you wnnt to ncnr nbout u rogue and n
scounurei nsK me water companies
they've tried. I'll say that much
IHVf HU.Vi. K uic ,,l ll nt Timlin"
Alie W1IUHJW Kfltl3, XVll-KUUI UMUU I , !., i t.
. nn,..i i.rn. n. t.nltn.l vuii, wimi auri. in. u uuiu uus iiu
OXZli W 1.1 U 1IIILU Ui-Ji III V U4lo iui I . , . ... . i i t ...
by. the experienced ones who hnd not p "
waited for the train to bo made up. ,ieilt;
In the scramble ho spied a vacant "Hardin's In a hole himself.
.i.inw ,.n,i m,io "No one seems to remember thnt he
for it. A stranger dropped into the crucified himself to save tho valley.
i.i.i I ve a great respect for Thomns Hnr-
auitL ucaiuu nnu.
Every window In tho car was open.
Each red vclvetcd, dusty seat was
filled. A strong desert wind was blow
ing sand into their faces, discoloring
the sents nnd covering the floor.
Tho engineer turned to his cdrapnn-
Ion, who was coughing.
"Do you mind this wlnd.w being
open?
din."
"Yes?" returned Klcknrd, whoso lik
ing had been captured by the speaker.
The Impression of distinction sharp
ened. The stranger wore a lnundcred
pongee silk shirt, open at the neck but
the gravestone for n gigantic mlstnke. struggle ncccssnry to develop such n
Why, It wns only the grossest Igno- country, under such stern conditions,
ranee thnt gave to the desert the label develops of necessity strong men?"
of 'bnd lands.' The desert Is a con- evolved Klcknrd. "Oh, yes, I believe
dltlon, not a fact, nere you see tho that, too." "
passing of the condition, the burlnl of "Oh, more thnn thnt. It Is not so
the superstition. Are you Interested In much tho struggle as the necessity for
Irrigation?" co-operation. The mutual dependence
Ricknrd was not given to explain is one of tho blessings of aridity."
tho degree of Interest his profession "0no o 1,10 blessings of nrldlty!"
Involved, for the stranger drew a pain- echoed his listener. "You are n phllas
ful breath, and went on. opher." IIq had not yet touched the
"Of course you nre, If you are n other's thought at tho spring.
western man. You are, I think?" "You might as well call me n social
The engineer said he was, by choice. 1st because t praise Irrigation In that
"Irrigation is the creed of the West. It stands for the small farm unit,"
Gold brought people to this country ; retorted the vnlley man. "That Is one
water, scientifically applied, will keep of its flnts; the small unit. It Is the
them here. Look at Riverside. And small farm that pays. That fact brings
we are nt the primer stage only. We many advantages. What Is tho charm
are way behind tho ancients In Infor- of Riverside? It comes to me alwnys
matlon on that subject. I learned at like the unreal dream of tho socialist
school, so did you, that some of tho come true. It is a city of farms, of
most glorious civilizations nourished small farms, where a mnn mny make
in spite of the desert whlclr surround- his living off his ten acres of oranges
cd them. That was only hnlf a truth, or lemons; and with all the comforts
They were great because of ltl Why and conveniences of n city within
did the Incas choose the desert when reach, his neighbors not ten miles off I
their strength gave them tho choice of A farmer In Riverside or in any IrrI
the continent of South America? Why gated community docs not have to
did tho Aztecs settle In the desert postpone living for himself or his fnm
when they might easily huve pre- lly until he enn sell the farm! Ho
cmpted the watered regions? Then can go to church, enn walk there; the
there nrerthe Carthaginians, the Tol- trolley car which passes his door
had expected to see a Mexican town,
or at least a Mexican Influence, ns
the towns hugged the border, but It
was ns vividly American as -was Im
perial or Brawlcy. Thero was tho yellow-painted
station of the Overland
Pacific lines, the water tank, the eager
American crowd. Rultroad sheds an
nounced the terminal of the road.
Backed toward the station wns the In
evitable hotel bus of the country town,
a pnlnted sign hanging over Its side
advertising the Desert hotel. Before
he reached' the step the vehicle was
crowded.
"Walt, gcn'lctncn, I'm coming back
for a second load," called the darky
who was holding the reins.
"If you wait for the second trip you
won't get a room," suggested a friend
ly voice from the seat above.
Itlckard threw his bag to the grin
ning negro and swung onto tho crowd
ed steps.
Lcnvlng the railroad sheds ho ob
served n building which he assumed
wns the hotel. It looked promising,
attractive with Its wide encircling ve
randa and the pntch of green which
distance gave t'ie dignity o'f a lawn.
But tho darky whipped up his stolid
horses. Rlckard's eyes followed tho
pntch of green.
The friendly voice from above told
lilni that thnt wns the office of tho
Desert Reclamation compnny. HIb
next survey was more personal. He
saw himself entering the play as the
representative of a company that wns
distrusted If not indeed actively hated
by the vnliey folk. It amused him thftt
his entrance was so quiet ns to be sur-
restricted by a brown silk tic ; and It tecs, the Moors. And ono never for- takes him to a public library or tho
was trimly uelteu. There were but ' Kets Egypt I"
two neckties In the entire car, and
tm in,i ir ,r TtSi nlrv tbey occupied, Rlckurd observed, the
bnd nt the Junction. When wo gut a llZ
Into tho cultivated country you will
sco what tho valley will bo like when
It is all pjnted, The wind is not
bad when it blown over grain or al
falfa. It Is tho desert dust that nngs
'The beginning of the canal sys
tem."
Ricknrd looked out upon a flat, one
toned country, marked off In rec
tangles by plows nnd scrapers. Far-
- . .... I tliol- cnlffli tlinun rnfrnnilna worn oilmwl
one." Ho coughed again, "uoing inr ... f, - , , r
RIckard said ho was going In. b yu"B willows. Ho fancied he
"Are you going to settle In tho vnl- cou,(1 8CC. tev(cn nt that distance, the
lnvV rriin Inmilslfnr wna n tnnti nf gleam Of Water.
.. tpui.,,.,1 ,ii,i,i ,w, n It was the passing of the desert. A
desert tan of apparent health. His
face wns clear cut and Intelligent.
"I don't know."
"Just looking tho country over?"
"You might call It that."
"Gp slow," admonished his compan
ion. "Don't let yourself bo curried
nwav. It Is a wonderful country. But
"For protection," RIckard gave the
slighted question an Interested recog
nition. "Was that not what we were
taught nt school? The forest held
foes, animal nnd human. Those na
tions grew to their strength and
opera house. His children rule to
school. His wife does not need to be
a drudge. Tho bread wagon and tho
stenm laundry wagon stop at her
door."
Ricknrd observed thnt perhaps ho
did not know anything about irrigation
few miles ImcK no had seen tho desert
In Its primitive nakedness, which not
even cactus relieved. Ho was passing aridity.
over the land which man and horses ! worth."
wore prepnrlng for water. And he
could see the land where wnter was.
"That was tho way Riverside looked
when I first saw If," commented the
power in the desert by virtue of its after all ! He had not thought of It
Isolation." before In Its sociological relntlon but
"Superstition I" retorted the man merely ns It touched his profession.
with the tie. "Wo are babes at the "Not going into soil values, for that
breast measured by tho wisdom of the Is a long story," began the older man,
men who settled Damascus, or com- "irrigation is the answer which scl-
pared with the Toltecs, or those an- once gives to tho agriculturist who Is
clcnt tribes who settled In northern Impatient of haphazard methods. Irrl-
India. They recognized the value of gatlon is not a compromise, ns so mnny
They knew Its threefold believe who know nothing about It. It
Is a distinct advantage over tho old-
go slow. It's tho ones who expect to ouier man wno woro u uu. omu oui
make millions the first year that be- n the rear platform. We can see bet-
como tho worst knockers. Go slow, tor'"
I nlwnys tell them. Go slow." RIckard followed to tho back of the
"It's not a good time to buy, then?" "usi-swcpt, suning car. xne ginre on
An inherent value?" demanded the
college-bred man, turning from the
Indow.
"An Inherent value," declnred the
exponent of nrldlty.
"Will you tell mo Just what you
mean?"
spcctucular. Thoso who would pay J Not g0 g0d ns lt wna tun yciira tho platform was Intense. Ho stood
ago! But land Is cheaper than lt was '' '
n year back. In some districts you U1- " y imaiimu.
can buy a good farm for a ticket back wc,f " wo llnes gleaming stec
home, tho farmers aro so discouraged, falls which connected and separated
Cold feet." The slang sounded oddly ;lra, from tlio world outs do. Ho was
somehow. Tho man's volco hnd tho G'nB In." Not In Mexico even had
cultivated precision of tho purist. Iie 8UC 11 Icei,nE uiumnio remoie
"Cold feet. The river's chilled them. ncsa- Tho mountains, converging per
Th. vntlnv'B lnalne faith In tho com- Spcctlvcly toward tho throat of tho
little attention to tho opening of n
sew agricultural district In the heart
f a dreaded desert opened their ears
to tho vagary of tho river which had
aportlvcly made of a part of that des
ert an Inland sea. Scientists were
rushing their speculations Into print;
would tho sea dwindle by evaporation,
an lt hnd dono beforo? Or would tho
overflow maintain tho paradoxical
aea?
Tho flood Blgna wero apparent.
There cracks had split the desert
nnd; hero water fissures had men
aced tho track; and to the south n
fringe of young willows hid tho path
of tho Colorado's debouch.
The men, crowding tho platform
woro tho motley of tho new country.
In Tucson tho uniform of the mulo
citizens, with tho exception of thoso
reckless ones who found inevitably
that lotus Is a liquid, was tho wilted
pretense of a gentle civilization; de
spondent ducks and khakis and limp
collars. Imperial Junction marked tho
downfall of tho collar. Tho rest of
tho composite costume was Irregular,
badly laundered and torn, faded and
sunburned; tho clothes of tho desert
aoldlor. RIckard saw buttonlcss
tihlrts, faded overalls, shabby lints
the sombrero of Mexico. Tho faces
ur-lcr the broad-brimmed lints miule a
leaping Impression upon him of youth
and eagerness, no noted a significant
a vera go of Intelligence and alertness.
This was not the Indolent group of
men which makes a pretense of occu
pation whenever a' train comes Inl
I, "Going In?" asked a volco at his car.
pair of faded eyes set In n young
old fnco, whether early withered or
"well preserved ho had not tlrao to de
termine, wns stnrlng nt him.
Ho nsnured his Interlocutor thnt ho
was going In. Ills mood isolated tho
phrase; Its significance vastly differ
ent from "going on."
"Buying?"
j. "I think not,"
' "It Is a good tlrao to buy." RIckard
suspected n real estate agent. "For
land Is low rock bottom prices on
account of tho uneasiness about the
rlvor. Pcoplo aro afraid. Thoy want
to Bee tho compnny redeem some of
1U promises beforo they come in; and
Um company Isn't In much of a
toHrry."
RIckard aBked what company ho re
ferred to.
Tho young-old face with the faded
eyes looked at him In surprise. "Tho
R. company, Desert Reclamation,
which brought us nil hero."
"Scamps?" Tho newcomer's survey
Ut tho long lino of naked mountains
and lean lands that formed tho neck
9t tho valley gave n snub of casual-
hacss to tho question.
Wo. Fools I" Tho answer wus as
dwlft ns n bullet. "Though some
of nnle think them worse than that.
con't co o frj I'm willing to Bay
"Not. In ono session I Look yonder, which needs it; rain nourishes one
That's Brawley. When I came through tree and drowns out another. Irrlga-
herc ten years ago I could have had tlon is an insurance policy against
my pick of this land at 25 cents nn drought, a guarantee against floods,
here. They were working at this The fanner M ho hns once operated an
scheme then on pnper. I was not Irrigated farm would be as Impatient
live to tho possibilities then; I had were he again subjected to tho caprice
not yet lived In Utah!" of rain as a housewife would bo were
Tho train wns slowing up by u brand she compelled to wait for rain to fill
now yellow-painted station. Thero her wnshtui). Tiiero is no irregularity
pany
valley, looked cluslvo and unreal In
,"Whnt company?" Inquired Ricknrd ,uclr8nu0 perles of rose and via
" I Inf 'Plirt fnnflnt limit nf dnv wna nlnfn,
wero seycral dusty automobiles wait
ing by tho track, a few faded surreys
and tho Inevitable country hotel bus.
Tho plntform was swarming with
again.
"Thero's but ono company to tho
valley,, tho ono that brought them
here, tho D. R. They don't call tho
railroad tho company. Thoy won't vec
ognlzo that problem 1 It's had hard
let. The tender hour of day was cloth
lng them with mystery, softening their
sharp outlines. They curtained the
world beyond. Ricknrd felt tho sus
pease of the next act.
It was a torpid imagination, ho
luck from tho first, tho D. R. At tho thought, which would not quicken over
very stnrt the wrong man got hold of 1 lls conquest of the desert. East of
UIU llUVJl UICU turn lunula WU&U x,tl'i,u-
lng the newly furrowed1 ground for tho
seed. Tho curved lund knives wero
breaking up tho rich mold Into ridges
of soft soil ns uncoheslve and feathery
as pulverized chocolate. It wns the
dnrk color of tho chocolnto of com
merce, this slit which had been pil
fered from the states through which
tho vagrant river wandered. Tho smell
lof tho upturned enrth, sweetly dump,
struck against his nostrils. Rlckurd
Indulged a minute of whimsical fancy;
this was California territory over
which his train was passing, but the
soil, that dark earth those blades were
crumbling, wus lt not tho trlbuto of
other states, of despoiling Wyoming,
of ravishing Colorado and Arizona?
To tho west new equnrca were being
loveled and outlined. Shrubby rec
tangles wero being cleared of their cro-
osoto bush nnd tough mesqulte. Com
pared with other countries, the prepa
ration for planting wns tho simplest,
Horses wero dragging over tho ground
a railroad rail bent Into a V angle,
which pulled tho bushes by tho roots
nnd dragged them, out of tho way. Be
yond, farther west, could bo seen the
untouched desert. Tho surface for
many miles was cracked by water
lines, broken and baked Into Irregular
It Sathcr, tho first promoter, was a sand cakes ; tho mark of sand which
faker a pretty thorough faker. The haB been imprisoned by wuter and
compnny reorganized, but It's been In branded by swift heat.
bad odor with tho public ever slnco." Closo by men wero putting In with
Rlckard's eyes left tho deep cuts In euro tho seed that wus to quicken tho
tho lund mado by tho ravening waters river silt They wero passing a squuro
and looked ut his companion. where tho green tips of tho grain
"I thought Estrada was the original wero piercing tho ground. Now they
promoter?" ho Inquired. wero abreast of a field of matured ul
"Estradu's u recent comer oh, you fnlfu over which the wind ruced grate
mciin the general. He started tho ball fully. Desert and grain field ; death
rolling ; that was all. Bnd health, fol- and life I Tho panorama embraced tho
lowing tho Bliss complication, tied his whole cycle.
hands." They went back to their seats. After
Tho man In tho scat ahead was lis- a few minutes tho other leaned over
toning. Ills head was leonine, his his shoulder, his hnnd waving toward
body shriveled. Richard could seo on tho passing mountains. "Thoso aro the
tho neck tho ancient burns that had Superstition mountains you can sco
spared tho magnificent head. The rest over yonder. An unusually apt name,
of tho man had been shriveled and "Yes?"
twisted Into terrible deformity. Rick- "Why Is It good, you mean? That
nrd found himself puzzling over tho pllo of dark rock stands as u monu
incident with Its iiwnmpuoylug uilr-lmeut to an elfcto superstition. It la
Ho Wat "Qolno In."
fashioned methods.
"I am one of those who always
thought It a compromise," admitted
the engineer.
"Better call rain a compromise," re
torted tho Irrlgatlonlst. "The man
who Irrigates gives water to tho tree
or caprice about Irrigation
"Wonder how the old fellow, picked
lt nil up?"1 mused RIckard with dis
respect. Aloud he said, "You were
alert, vigorous faces, distinctly of the speaking of the value of tho soli?"
American type.
The man In the scat beside him
asked RIckard If ho observed tho gen
eral average of .Intelligence In the
faces of tho crowd below. RIckard ac-
"Look at the earth thoso plows are
turning over. See- how rich and friable
It is, how lt crumbles? You can dig
for hundreds of feet nnd still find that
sort of soli, eight hundred feet dowul
knowledged thnt he had been struck It Is disintegrated rock nnd leaf mold
by that, not only hero but at Imperial brought In here In the making of a
Junction, where he had waited for the delta. Heavy rainfalls aro rare here,
train. though we have hnd them, in spite of
Thero is a club In the vnlley, lately popular opinion. Were we to have
started, a university club which admits frequent rains the chemical properties
ns members thoso who have had at which rain farmers must miy to enrich
least two years of college training, their worn-out soils would be leached
Tho list numbers three hundred al- out, drained from the soil. I can't
ready. The first meeting was held last make this comprehensive, but I've a
week In nn empty now store In Impo- monograph on desert soli. If you are
rial. If lt had not been for the set- Interested I'll send lt to you."
ting wo might havo been nt Ann Arbor "I should like lt Immensely," us
or Palo Alto. The costumes wero a scntcd the engineer, still amused
little motley, but the talk sounded llko "It explnlns tho choice of the Aztecs
homo. of tho Incas, of Carthaginians, the
Tho dust blowing In through tho car Moors," observed tho stranger. "They
doors brought on another fit of stran- chose tho desert, not in spite of the
gllng. Ricknrd turned again to the soil but becuusc of It. I doubt If they
window, to tho active scene which do- were nwako to tho social advantages
nled tho presence of desert beyond. of tho system, but lt wns their co
"Tho doctors say it will have to bo operative brotherhood that helped
tho desert always for me." The strau- them to their glory. Wo aro centuries
gcr tapped his chest significantly, behind them. I'm getting out here
"But lt Is exllo no longer not In an Imperial. If you como up to Imperial
Irrigated country. For the reason of look mo up. Brandon's my name. I've
Irrigation I It is tho progressive man, no card these days 1"
the man with Ideas, or the man who Is "There are several things I want to
willing to take them, who comes Into hear from you," answered RIckard
this desert country. If ho has not hnd following brown necktie nnd pointed
education It Is forced upon him. I saw beard to the platform. "I'll bo sure
it worked out In Utah. I was thero to look you up. Mine's RIckard."
several yenrs. Irrigation means co- The breeze which was now entering
operation. That is, to me, tho chief tho car windows had blown over the
value of aridity." clover-leafed fields. Its messago was
The wind, though etlll blowing sweet and fresh. RIckard could sec
through tho car and ruffling the train the cunals leading off llko silver
dust, was carrying less of grit and threads to tho homes nnd farms of the
sand. To tho nostrils of RIckard and future: "the socialists' dream come
his new acquaintance lt brought tho true 1" Willows of two or three years'
nlensltif: suggestion of grassy mead- growth outlined tho bnnks. Hero and
ows, of willow-lined streams and f ra- thero n tent or a ramuda set up
grant fields. bravo defiance ngalust the hard con
"It Is the accepted Idea that this dltlons of the land it was invading,
vnlley Is attracting a superior class RIckard leaned out of the window nnd
of men because of Its temperance looked back up tho valley which was
stand. It Is tho other wny round. Tho domlnnted by tho range now wrapping
vnlley stood for tempernnco because around Itself gauzy, iridescent drap
of the sort of men who had settled erles.
here, tho men of tho irrigation type." "Tho monument to an effete super
Tho engineer's ear criticized "lrrign- stltlonl" ho repeated. "That wasn't
tlon type." Ho began to suspect thnt a. bad Idea
he hud picked up n crank.
"Tho desert offers n man special ad- CHAPTER IV.
vantages, social, Industrial and ugrlcul
tural. It Is no accident thnt you find Tho Desert Hotel.
a certain sort of man here." Ho left tho dusty enr with relief
"I suDPoao you mean that tho I when tho twin towns wero called. He
"Brandon's My Name."
eptltlous. It would hnve been quieter
hnd Marshall had his way. But he
himself had stipulated that Hardin
should be told of his coming. Ho had
seen the telegram before lt left tho
Tucson office. He might be assuming
un unfamiliar role In this complicated
drama of river and desert, but lt wna
not to be as an eavesdropper.
The heavy bus was plowing slowly
through the dust of the street. Rick
nrd was given ample time to note tho
llmltntlons of tho new town. They
passed two brick stores of general
merchandise, lemons and woolen
goods, stockings nnd crackers disport
ing fraternally in their windows. A
board sign swinging from tho over
hanging porch of the most pretentious
building announced the post olllce.
From a small aerobe hung a brass
plate advising the stranger of the
Bank of Calexlco. The 'dobe pressed
close to another two-storied structure
of the desert type. The upper floor,
supported by posts, extended over tho
sidewnlk. Netted wire screened away
the desert mosquito and gave the over
hanging gnllery the grotesque appear
ance of a huge fencing mask. From
the street could bo seen rows of beds,
ns In hospital wards. Calexlco, It was
seen, slept out of doors.
"Desert hotel," bawled the darky.
reining in his placid team.
"Yes, sah, I'll look out for your bag.
Got your room? Tho hotel's mighty
sure to be full. Not many women ylt
down this n-way. ... All the men
mostly lives right heah at tho hotel."
RIckard made a dive from a swirl, of
dust into the hotel. The long lino bo
anticipated ut tho desk was not there.
Ho stopped to take in a vnlley Innova
tion. One end of the long counter had
been converted Into a soda-water bar.
Tho high swivel stools In front of tho
white marbled "stand, with Its towering
silver fixtures, were crowded with dust-
parched occupants of tho bus. A whlto-
coated youth was pouring colored
sirups Into tall glasses; thero wns a
clinking of Ico; a sizzling of siphons.
"That's n now ono on me," grinned
Ricknrd, turning townrd tho desk
where a complacent proprietor stoodi
waiting to announce that thero was but
ono room left.
"With bath?"
How will Hardin receive tho
man who comes to supplant him
and how will Hardin's wife re
ceive the man who once had told
her of his love and then, torn by
doubts, had run away from her
expectant eyes? These are ques
tions that worry RIckard, but he
is not left long in doubt. Get
the answer, with RIckard, In the
next installment.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
"Tote" Philosophy.
Always carry a little philosophy
about with you. A gilded searchlight
Is of little account to tho big auto
stuck in tho mud.