75he I'ROJV HOUSE NOVELIZED BY EDWIN C. HILL FROM WILLIAM FOX’S GREAT PICTURE ROMANCE OF THE EAST AND THE WEST BY CHARLES KENYON AND JOHN RUSSELL “l’oter will have to wait, she thought. “There will he plenty of time for settling down " Her mind drifted hack over their engagement, now three years old. It had not seemed strange for them to go along so. Their mutual friends quite understood how it was, familar witiS her father’s point of view, accenting her own occasional explanation that she felt too young for the responsibilities of marriage. Nor had Jvisson been difficult. From time to time lie had asked her to set a day, but gave way gracefully when she put him off. The t :utli was, Peter .lesson was not permitting his desire for Miriam to interfere with plans . he had mace for the comfortable future of Peter Jcsson. His enthusiasm for the railroad had waned considerably in the years that followed his visit to the White House with Miriam ami her father that duly day in 1862. He had begun to persuade him self that the road was a failure after all, and that his many friends who laughed at the pro ject were wise. As much as he eared for Miriam-and that was V great deal, considering the col 1 and self centered nature of the man—i.e was dominated by ambition, principally the ambi tion for wealth. Of his family estate, once great, only a fra ment remained, with an income barely sulficir.t to maintain his place among the gilded set Morever, his debts troubled him. It was not moral qualms that harassed him, but fear of bankruptcy, social humiliation. He had < lung to the engage ment with Miriam, half in love, but with u keen eye on the chance that the road might be put through, lie felt certain its sin ce s would i nrich Marsh as one of the pioneers and principal builders. He saw no opportun ity so likely t » lift him from cir I'umstan os bath exasperating and dangerous. He visioned himself us a i ich man’s son-in .aw - o ily son-in-law—a very important consideration,. Yes it was worth going on with, if only to l eap ith r suitors at a distance. 11“ said to himself that hn loved her, though there were times when she eeemd tou color* loss—too good. II o tin t if u 1 enough to fire any man’s blood provokiugly feminine to her fin ger tips, her serene innocence sometimes got. on Jcsson’s nerves. He felt that he had never been able to >5ir her, to bring to her great eyes the look that he wanted to see there. It irritated him, stung his vanity, this utter failure to inspire in the girl the passion that often gripped him. “I wish to God she had more fire/' he thought. “She treats me more like a brother than a lover. Well, 1 know where to find the fire when I want it.’’ He smiled as he thought of an extremely private little estab lishment just off Union Square, the expenses of which had no littlo to do with the debts that harassed him. He had brushed up his mathe matics, the theory of engineer ing, finding unexpected pleasure in the task, lie had a good mind, with natural aptitude for engineering science. Marsh had told him he might be assigned to thhe field soon; that Mr. Durant and the other directors, with plenty of funds in sight, were about ready to start traek lay ing; that grading had already begun. 1 have been needed here in organization work,” said Marsh, “and do not expect to go into the field until early neart year, but the time is coming rapidly. I shall see that you have your chance.” But time dragged once more, and it was not until the winter of 1866 that Marsh reported great news. lie said to Miriam: “We must go West at once, next week. I must take charge ns superintendent. General Dodge has sent for me. A tre mendous drive is about to take place. Last year we built 260 miles, but we must speed up or those CaMsmia fellows will.be running over ms. Congress 1ms furred our hand, freeing the Central Pacific from any mileage limit, ft can build eastward un til it. meets our road.” “Why does that make such a difference!’' asked Miriam “It trill be a great race!” said Harsh. “The greatest race the world ever saw! Look at tlx; prize* On the 1,700 miles from Omaha to Sacramento, the government will issue about $5o,000,000 in bonds. We are authorized to issue private bonds for a** equal amount. The value of the public land bonuses will be scarcely less. Think of it! A race for $165,(XX),006! Bonds and public lands will be award ed as 40 utile sections of track are completed, a rich reward for rv stile laid dawn. The more track each read can lay the greater will be its she re of this golden harvest. There has never been anything like it in the his tory of the wor ld. “Our plans are made. Our treasury is running over. We are all ready to start. Expense is no object. Speed m the thing We must drive the Union Pacific westward as fast as men can toil. We most cross Nevada and Utah before the Central Uaeiiic can get over the Sierra. We must lay 500 miles of track next year.” Miram phmged into prepara tions for the journey and for a long stay in the West. Her father had told her that as .superintendent under the chief engineer. General Grenville M Dodge, he would make his home upon the advancing road. A private ear had been built for him by a Mr Pullman, whose little factory in Chicago was bc ginmg to turn out comfortable, even luxurious, homes on wheels W’hen Miriam calmly announced that she was going, Marsh in stantly consented. “With you I shall have n real home,” lie said happily. “Wo will be qu'te comfortable. It is certain to be a wonderful experience for you, with little danger. Gmeral Sherman as sures m the army will guard the rails every mile through the Indian country. Soldi rs will he with us wlierevtr we move.” They traveled westward at the end of «Jaly, Jefison, now regular ly retained as engineer for Marsh, going with them. At St. Ivouns they were caught in the tide of a great human stream flowing up the Missouri to Oma ha, hundreds of brawny men hastening to jobs on the advanc ing Union Pacific. Miriam ob served that most of these men wore army uniforms; former union soldiers, mixed with veterans who had followed the Stars and Bars. “Practically all ex-soldiers,” said her father. “Blue and Gray in another great adventure, but united this time, thank God ! They get along well together, too. Real fighting men don’t hate each other, Miriam, even when they happen to be on opposite sides. They gain re spect for each other, just ns these fellows have done. We couldn’t have better material for the road. They’re rough, but they’re the stuff we can do pend on. What’s the matter, Jesson I You don’t seem to like the looks of our raw material.” I can think of several ob jection* to being chummy with this riffraff,” said Jesson. “All of them look as if they needed a bath. A very pretty crew of hooligans. They act as if they thought they were quite as good as we are.” “I expert a bath wouldn’t hurt any of them,” laughed Hf®taih- “But maybe they got mit of the habit of it in the army. Baths were none too regular. I’ve beard. As for manners, you must remember that they are a rough an.l ready lot, but good metal just the same. You notice how they act when Miriam is anywhere near them, caps off respectful, quiet. As for think ing they’re as good as we are, why, I expect they really think to. A lot of people »n America take the Declaration seriously, the ‘all men are created free and equal,’ you know.” “You are to severe on the poor fellows,” chided Miriam. “I think they’re delightful- Take Mr. Casey and his friends over there. I’ve fallen quiet in love Avith them, Peter. Pat Casey is a perfect circus!” “Corporal Casey would fall over baelovards if he heard you call him ‘Mister’ Casey,” said her father. “But Pat’s an amusing rascal, he and his pals, Sergeant Slattery and Private Schultz.- They Avere mighty fino soldiers and they will be mighty fine Avorkman for the road. I’m taking them with me, as part of my OAvn organization, for the rush .job farther Avest.” I have already enlisted them as my personal bodyguard,” said Miriam. “They are my three musketeers, are Casey, Slattery and Schultz. I won’t have a word said against them. Pat !” She trilled to the corpor al, at that moment entertaining a company in the bow of the boat. “Come here, please.” “There are times when I miss me wings,” said Corporal Casey as he doffed liis old army cap. Neither the blind nor the deaf could ever have been in doubt as to the motherland of Casey. He was thoroughly and impudently Hibernian l'rom the bald head he uncovered to the large feet clad in army brogans. The inimitable Irish twinkle enlivened his quick brown eyes. Devilment sparkled in them- Intelligence and com bat iveness were written in bis weather-beaten face; devotion too. Unshaven, clothed in a dingy, blue uniform that was not new in the last year of the war; with not a handful of silver dol lars left to rattle in his pocket. t.V spirit of Corporal Patrick Parnell Casey soared high above his prospects, lie faced the world with a wink and a laugh lie had an air, had Casey. “Pat,” said Miriam, “I have just been telling father and Mr, .lesson that I have adopted you From now on you and Slattery and Schultz are my special body guard.” “ ’Tis meself that’s honored uid delighted, Miss Miriam,” said the corporal. “Sure an' it comes natural to the Casey’s to be aguarrdin’ queens! In the old days, when there were kings in Ireland and all the Casey’s were earls and jukes, we always commanded the bodyguards.” “All right, Pat,” Marsh laugheU “Report to me at Omaha with Slattery and Shultz and any others you O. K. Ull arrange for your transporation. “Seriously,” he added, as Pat turned from Miriam with a llourish and a salute, “it isn’t a bad idea to have that wild Irish man and his pals on hand to look out lor you. Not that you need a bodyguard, but they’re good men to have around. You seem to have won their hearts.” “If I have, I am proud of it. father,” said Miriam- “I think they’re dears, Pat with his foolishness, Sergeant Slattery looking after Pat like a stern father, and old Sehultzy with his quaint german ways.” CHAPTER XI A SHINING RAPIER THRUSTS AT A SULLEN FRONTIER Union Pacific headquarters had moved on to North Platte, when Marsh, after a final con ference with General Dodge in Omaha, hastened westward in his new private car to quicken the great race for the winning of the west. Miriam was enrap tured with the comfort and con venience of her rolling home, ona o* the first built by Pullman Her room was small, but cheer ful with its rose-silk draperies and bird’s-eye maple, paneled, anil charmingly painted in the light, French manner. The car was attached to a long train of coaches crowded with 200 picked men, most of them fighting Irish, with whom the new superintendent meant to speed up work. Over this lively crew, Miriam’s musketeers quickly estal l'shed ascendancy, for a blow at one meant a com bined attack from all three. Casey was a wildcat in a scrim mage, an Hibernian D’Artagnan, while big Slattery was a verita ble Porthos. Shultz, time-season edand slower to anger, knew how to nse his hard old fists, and was the tactician of the trio. Miriam stared accusingly at Pat one morning as the train waited at Kearney for orders. ‘‘Pat! where did you get that black eyet’’ “ Twas ». prisint. Miss Miriam, from a frind of mine, a big harp named Doolan in ear six.” “Did you whifl i him?” “’Tis a matter of puzzle mint to me,” the corporal ex plained: “yez see, whemn i kira to Doolan, had been carried off, | and I in not dead sure which wan of us was licked.” li was Sshultz who gave her tlie truth of the Homeric battle. Pat, tor once, had minimized his victory. Pig Doolan of car six was unlikely to suggest again that the Casey’s were best known in Donegal for snipping ! cow’s tails in the dark of the moon. 15 kt there was little fighting among these young or middle j aged Irishmen, most of whom l‘»d been born on the Old Sod. Of merriment and rough fun there wag a great deal, and light hearted song by day and night. Miriam’s musketeers and Dinny O I>rien, a strapping lad whom ■‘v had lately honored with h.'s approval, made up a quartet whose voices quavered in the, old Corn-all, Ac’s” As the train sped through the dusk; over the snow-covered prairie, the sheer melancholy of the bah lads brought tears to the girl eves. Even in the jolliest of thq songs there was a haunting un dernote which plucked at heu heartstrings. Their repertoire was inexhaustible from “Thq Exile ot Erin ’ and “Soggarth Aroon,” to “Doran’s Ass” anq “Old Doether Mack.” “I like tq hear them singing,” said her fa, ther, at work o.°r his maps witlj •lesson. “It keeps them good-i natured. Takes the place of re said “Don’t give up the ship, ’ when too Chesapeake battled the British frigate Shannon off the shore of Boston during the war of lots L