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About The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917 | View Entire Issue (June 7, 1917)
pWEB OF STEEL Ey CYRUU^D BRADY ] Here Is a Powerful Story of Failure and Sacrifice and Love and Courage and Success Copyright by Fleming H. Revell Co. CHAPTER XVI —Continued. —10— Colonel Illlngv.ortli had dismissed kleade from his mind luitnisc lie haled him. Helen Illingworth refrained from talking a!*<mt him to her fattier because stir Ions I him. So they were never m each other's presence without thinking of the man. This was a source of great irritation to the father. On occasion he almost found himself at the |««nt of shouting at his daugh ter to talk nlsHl! him. And that she so carefully avoided ihe subject and as the avoidance was so obviously in ac cordance with his own wish, the re straint irritated him the more. The fact that they Isith sought so mrefully to maintain the old relationship made it more im|>oasihle. Kor relationships which are primarily founded on love cannot be maintained by constraint without the wi-akening of the great force uj«-n which their tenure had pre viously drficnded. There is nothing like o«o<-calment to impair and weak en a tie unless it lie a ban 1 i'rohilii tionx rarely prohibit. Still there remained a deep :tn<l abid ing affection between father and daughter and they managed somehow to ge- along outwardly much as l>efore. Indeed ('«!<<ttei lllmgwortli was more kind and considerate limit ever to his daughter and she repaid him with more than usual care ami devotion. The very fact that she seemed to have accepted the situation and obeyed the law be had laid down gave him some compunctious of conscience. On that account, perhaps, lie had been the more willing to accede to her request to take Shurtliff into his employ, in no way was Shurtliff responsible for the fail ure of the bridge or for any mistake In the calculations of the M. ados, and Shurtliff was an invaluable man, not only for an engineer but for the presi dent of the Martlet liridge company. He was familiar with the subjects that Col'-uri Illingworth discussed anil wrote about. He was intelligent and reliable to the last degree, his reputa tion for steadiness and discretion un questioned. and he was marvelously ef ficient in hi' sutw.rdinate i-osition. The colonel having first tried him out. had advanced him rapidly after learning hi* worth. He was now his private secretary. Shurtliff Ixdng an old bach elor without kith or kin. and not orig inally f* >nd of women, found himself suddenly in touch with one of the awee'est and kindest, as well as the youngest and most beautiful of a sex about which he knew nothing. His new position naturally brought him into rloae touch with the colonel. The old man transacted a good deal of his tuistne** in his own house. Shurtliff w-as frequently there. Under other circumstance* H-len Illingworth would have treated him with that fine and gracious < ■ tirtesy whi h she ex tended to everyone with whom she came in contact, but she would not have especially Interested herself in him. She would not have made him the object of the delicate attention and given him the careful consideration wrhlch would have completely turned the h*-ad of a younger and more sus ceptible man. There had been a prejudice in Shurt tl^» mind arainst women in general, and Helen Illingworth In particular. He bad quickly realized that she above all person* had the greatest interest la disproving Meade's statement and hi* own and la laying the blame for the failure of the bridge where if be longed. on the shoulder* of the patron to love whom bad t»*en the habit of his Ufe. Therefore the old secretary was constantly on his guard lest he be tr»p|e-d Into admissions or actions which ought he used to discredit the older Meade and convict the two con •pirator*. But Helen Illingworth was far too clover to allow any inkling of such u design to :i|>j<ear. Not the remotest hint *>f such a |'Un*>s-- did slie betray. She deliberately set about to win the old man s r< gard ami re*pe.-t and i»-r liaje. eventually hi* affection. She had the i.r J -r : g of her father's household, of «-i That was a matter in which the cneerned himself not at all ag as things went smoothly, a* i •> always <tid. He was a little a«’e; w-d nt her treatment of Shurt llff. but the <.hl secretary was at heart a genti' i.i. a and there was no reason why. if Helen rfcosr to inelude him umong h.-r friends and invite him to dinner and otherwise make him wel con.- in u. house, she should not do s» And in . dry. precise way Shtirt Ilff wai» fulle r likable. He was touched and iiatt."*-d by her kiudiK-ss. anil in spite of his suspicions, which gradu ally grew *es«, by the way. lie exerted hitnaeif to show las appreciation and to bear himself seemingly In his new Ufe. Colonel Illingworth had no suspi cions whatsoever that there hud been any conspiracy to suppress the truth and shift the blame. True. Ins daugh ter had prwlewted on ihai fatal day that she did not lieliev.- Meade and hhurtllff. but that was in tbe excite ment of she monieut and understand able In view of her plighted troth. Helen had never discussed that with lata; even the very name of the engt peer being banned she was -dent. She to wise enougli not to try to worry or bother her father with arguments on that point, to which, of course, he Would not have listened in any event. Accordingly the conferences with fUidney had never been brought to hi. notice. There was no use stirring up trouble and strife. There was no ueces ait) even to diem** it with her futhei an!ii she had found more proof. Si hr at hast had no suspicious as to hei tg.wtm.-nt of Shurtllff. He ow'd "o' >r.. ujty ,-ud to be gained and therefor* *e Jaa-is.l to the conclusion that then lu course of time, as Miss Illing worth never referred to Meade in the secretary's presence, all his mistrust disappeared. Finally he even brought up the subject of Meade's whereabouts of his own motion. Although the girl was fairly wild to talk and ask ques tions she hud wit and resolution enough to change the subject when it hud been first broached and for many times thereafter. Helen Illingworth was fighting for ! the reputation of the man she loved i and for her own happiness, and she ' was resolved to neglect no point in the game. She partook in a large measure I of her father’s capacity, but she add ed to bis somewhat blunt and mili tary way of doing things the infinite tact of woman, stimulated by a grow ! ing. overwhelming devotion to her ab sent lover. She cherished that feeling for him in any event and would have done so but the whole situation was so [ charged with mystery and surcharged | with romance that it made the most | iwwerful and stimulating appeal to j her. She lived to vindicate Blende and 'he bent every effort toward that end. She did not overdo it, either. Final ly. as he himself continued to press The Old Man Got to Thinking of Her as a Daughter. ! the* subject upon her. she made no sc i eret to ShurtlifT of her devotion to the younger Meade, her sorrow that he had made such a declaration, and her de i termination to wait for him. She was ; always careful to end every conversa tion by saying that she knew her out i look was perfectly hopeless and that coniil expect nothing except sor ; row until the younger Meade was re i nahllltated. She so contrived matters, while constantly affirming her feeling I for Meade, as to let ShurtlifT infer that she was convinced that he had been telling the truth in what he had : said. After a time she deftly appealed to him to know if he could not help tier j discover the truth she tactfully main tained even in face of the evidence that ShurtlifT had given. And she did this in such an adroit way that ShurtlilT became convinced that she did not con nect him with any willful deception, and that she believed that he was de luded himself anil occupied the posi tion of an innocent abettor. And Shurt j lifT. in his strange, old. self-contained way. finally grew to like Helen Illing worth exceedingly. Indeed he started in his work with natural antagonism to Colonel Illingworth, and when he sensed, as he very soon did. the dif ference that had arisen between father and daughter, lie espoused the cause of ‘ the latter. He was the kind of a man who had to devote himself to some body. He began to wonder if there was any way to secure the girl’s hap piness without betraying the elder Meade. She compassed the secretary, who was, of course, old enough to be her father, with sweet observances and he found it increasingly hard to keep true io his falsehood. Now she was cap able of fascinating bigger personalities than ShurtlifT, although she cared lit tle for that power and rarely exercised it. The old man actually got to think ing of her as a daughter. Sometimes when they had an hour together he found himself seconding her arguments for the iiujoeence of the younger Meade, for she had progressed that far by now. with little details which his knowledge and experience of the two men could supply. Trifling in them selves as were these contributions, as Itodney pointed out when siie repeated them to him. they nevertheless added something to tile cumulative force of | the argument so laboriously built up by the friend and woman. And they were decidedly indicative of a growing ; mental condition on the part of Shurt ! lift' from which much might he honed ' and expected. But Shurtliff could act bring him , -self to come out boldly and coulees, j and his failure to do that made him more and more miserable. At lirst his eoiiscieuce hud been entirely clear. He had viewed his conduct in the light of a noble sacrifice for the great man. Now he began to question: Was it right to blast the future of the living for the sake of the fame of the dead? Probably he would have questioned that eventually without regard to Helen Illingworth, but when he began j to grow fond of the woman and when he realized, as she unmistakably dis closed it to him, that her own happi ness was engaged and that he was not only ruining the career of a man but wrecking the life and crushing the heart of an entirely innocent woman, I ho ho H o /utnetnnt hnttla rntrol u-Uh _ Oprmany. himself to pursue his course anil to keep silent. Yet such is the character of a tem perament like that of Shurtliff, nar rowed and contracted by a single pas sion of life and lacking the breadth which comes from intercourse with men and women, that his compunctions of conscience only made him the more resolved. The lonely, heart-broken old man swore that he would never tell. Tlie young man could go his own gait and work out his own salvation, or be damned, if lie must. The woman's heart might break, pitiful as that would lie. but he would never tell. He was as unhappy in that determination as any other man lighting against his conscience must inevitably be. Sometimes looking at the misery in the old man’s face (for on his counte nance his heart wrote his secret), Helen Illingworth experienced com punctions of conscience of her own, which she told to Rodney in default of other confessor. That fine young man appreciated fully the woman’s feelings and understood her keen sen sibilities. and his comprehension was a great coinfort to her. He encouraged her to persevere. Since it was only through Shurtliff that the truth could he established, she must not falter nor reject any fair and reasonable means to gain his whole confidence and make him speak. It was, after all, simply a question of whether the game was worth the candle. How best could they expose or tight si deceit? And that the deception was for a noble purpose and to serve a laudable end in tlie minds of the deceivers did not alter that fact. "You arc doing nothing in the least degree dishonorable. Miss Illingworth,” said Rodney, reassuringly. “Woman’s wiles have been her weapons since tlie Stone Age." “But I do feel compunctions of con science occasionally.” "Personally I think you are abunt antly justified,” urged Rodney. “Yes, to establish the truth, to give tlie man I love his good name would justify more than this.” she replied, “and yet”—she smiled faintly—“my conscience does hurt me a little. The old man is beginning to love me.” “That's the reason it hurts you,” said Rodney. “When he loves you enough he will do anything you want, as I would—” The young man stopped, looked long at her. and then turned away with a lit tle gesture of—was it appeal or re nunciation? He was too loyal to his friend to speak, hut he could not con trol everything. The tone of his voice, the look in his eyes, his quick avoid ance of her. told the woman a little story. They had been very closely as sociated, these two. Rodney also had not had much advantage of woman’s society, certainly not of a woman like Helen Illingworth. She had given him her full confidence in the Intimacy. He was a man. He loved like others. She was too fond of him. too great, too true a woman to pretend. “Mr. Rodney,” said the girl, laying her hand on his arm as though to re strain him. "that way madness lies.” “Miss Illingworth,” said Rodney, turning and facing her. his lips firm ly compressed, his eyes shining. “I'm devoted to Bert Meade and to you”— he lifted her hnml from his arm and kissed it—“and I'm going to do every thing for your happiness.” Brave words and he said them more bravely. “I understand.” said the woman, “and I honor you for your loyalty to your friend and your devotion to me. I.oyalty is not always the easiest thing on earth. I know.” “You make it easy for me because you understand.” So the fall and winter were filled with interest to Helen Illingworth and there was in her days no lack of hope. Every Saturday the flowers that Meade had arranged for spoke words of love to her and bade her not forget, al though that was admonition she did not need. That was the only message that she received from her lover. He had dropped out of sight completely. They caused search to be made for him. sought tidings of him in every possible way. but in vain. Her heart almost broke sometimes at the separation. Site had confidence enough in her power over him. and in her woman's wit, to feel that if she had only another op portunity she might learn the truth, force it from him. constrain him co teli it, because she loved him! CHAPTER XVII. Once More Unto the Work. The Martlet Bridge company had finally Weathered the storm, although it was, of course, not intrusted with the new International bridge which was about to be commenced. When Ber tram Meade read of the new undertak ing, it cut him to the heart. This time there would be no mistake. In the necessity of recouping Its fortunes, i the Martlet Bridge company entered upon an even wider career. The direc tors took contracts which they had hitherto disdained because they were comparatively unimportant, and they hid on operations which they had hitherto left to competitors. They were building the great steel viaduct by the town of Coronado below the dam, and they had already built the splendid steel arch that spanned the ravine, here almost a gorge, in the valley of the Kicking Horse to the eastward of the big mesa. After Christmas, Colonel Illingworth decided to make another of his tours of inspection, and as Helen was not look ing particularly well from the strain under which she was laboring, he of fered to take her with him, especially as he was going to the far Southwest, where the weather would be mild and pleasant, to inspect the crowincr via duct and the completed arch. She gladly availed herself of the permis sion. There was always a possibility, albeit a most remote one, that she might hear of Meade. That it might he well to invite a representative of The Engineering News, to wit, Rodney, to accompany them, so that the really splendid work the Martlet company was doing might be made widely known. The party consisted of the father and daughter. Curtiss, the chief engineer. Doctor Severence, the vice president and financial man, and Rod uey. Now Helen Illingworth had not the least reason in the world to suspect that Bertram Meade was in any way connected with this engineering proj ect, hut Rodney had pointed out and had imbued her with his own belief that sooner or biter, when Meade was found, he would be found engaged in engineering in some capacity. “It’s in his blood." said Rodney. “He can no more keep away from It than he can stop breathing. He can’t do anything else. Somewhere lie's at the old job. It might be in America, and it might be out there at Coronado, or it might be in South America, Europe, Asia, or—’’ “I wonder if we can’t find out all the engineering work that is being done in the world and send representatives to seek him,” said Helen Illingworth. Rodney laughed. “To hunt that way would be like hunting a needle in a haystack. I can not bid you hope that he is there; in fact, I think it is most unlikely that he would be any place near where the Martlet people are operating, but there’s a chance, even if only the faint est one.” Well, women's hearts can build a great deal on a faint ehnnce. They are calculated for the forlorn hope. And so Helen Illingworth stood on the steps of the private car as it rolled across the mile-long temporary bridge at Coro nado, nnd scanned the workmen grouped on one side of the track, their work suspended for n moment that the train might pass on the wooden tres tling. in hope that she could see in one of them the man she loved and sought. And Rodney stood by her side, equally interested, searching the crowd with his glance, also. There was nothing in the town to at tract Helen out of the car. She had visited West and Southwest many times. Colonel Illingworth, with Rod ney and Severance, there left the train. Miss Illingworth decided to go into the hills and get away from the arid and heated plains. A siding had been built near the steel arch under the slope of the hill from which the huge mesa arose, within two miles of the dam, and the car was to be placed there. The men left behind would use the pri vate car of the division superintendent of the railroad when they had ended their several tasks. It had been raining dismally during the afternoon, and when the car was detached and switched to the siding and left up in the hills some twenty miles from the town, it was too wet and uncomfortable to leave it. Dis regarding the downpour, however, Cur tiss, who had come up with it, made a very careful investigation of the completed bridge, which more than surpassed his expectations in its ap pearance of sturdy grace, as well as In the evidences of careful workman ship in its erection. That evening the special engine pushed the other private car up from the valley, bringing the people who had inspected the bridge. A few more weeks would complete the great via duct. Everything was proceeding in the most satisfactory way and Colonel Illingworth was very much elated over the situation. “Who would have thought,” he said as they sal down to dinner in the brightly lighted observation room, “that it would rain in this country at this season of the year?" “It will probably be over by tomor row morning,” observed Rodney. “If it continued long enough and rained hard enough, that dam would 1 Helen Illingworth Stood on the Steps of the Private Car. have to be looked after. We'll go ove and see it tomorrow,” said the colonel cheerfully. “What would happen if it gave way?” asked liis daughter. ”It would Hood the valley, sweep away the town, and—” he paused. “Well, father?" “lluin the bridge.” “We can’t afford to have another failure after the International,” said Severence. ! table, a big rancher named Winters whom Rodney had met in the towr and had introduced to Colonel Illing worth: The latter had Invited him tc dinner and to stay the night in tin extra sleeper, and Winters, who had particular reasons for wanting to talk with Rodney and to meet Miss Illing worth. had accepted. “You can count on its stopping.” ht said at last. “My ranch is a hundred miles to the north of here. I heard Rodney was with your party, and as he was an old classmate of mine—in fact, my best friend at Harvard along with Bert Meade"—and the mention of the forbidden name caused quick glances to be passed around the table, but raised no comment—“the chance of seeing him brought me down here. 1 know the weather along this whole section of the country; it’s the dryest place on earth, and 1 would almost of fer to swallow all the rain that will fall after this storm spends itself.” “Well, that's good," said Curtiss, “be cause I’ve heard that the dam lacks very little of completion, but that the spillway has been delayed.” “You’ll find that the storm has bro ken in the morning,” said Winters con fidently. After dinner Colonel Illingworth, de sirous of talking business, called the men of the party, except Rodney and Winters, back into the observation room of the other car, leaving the two men with Helen. “Mr. ShurtlifT," said Helen, as the men stepped out on the platform, the secretary following, since his employer had intimated his services might be needed, “if you can, I wish you would cotne back here as soon as possible.” “Certainly, Miss Illingworth,” said the secretary, “immediately, if your father finds that he does not need me.” “Rod,” said Winters when they were alone, “I'd go a long way to see you, but I might as well be frank. I did not come down these hundred miles, leaving my ranch in the dead of winter with all its possibilities of mishap to the cattle, simply to see you, or even Miss Illingworth here, although she is worth it,” he went on with the frank bluntness of a western man. “Of course you didn't," said Rodney, smiling. “I know I'm not a sufficient attraction.” “I came to talk about Meade.” “Mr. Winters,” said Helen, clasping her hands over her knees and lean ing forward, “‘if you know anything about him, where he is, what he is doing, how he fares, is he well, does he think of—I beg you to tell me.” “Miss Illingworth, there is nothing I would refuse to tell you if it rested with me.” “I don't mind confessing to you, you are such old friends, you and Mr. Rod ney, and so devoted to Bert, that I am worrying—" “You need say nothing more. Miss Illingworth. I know all about the situ ation. Rodney wrote me and—” “Well, then, you understand my anx iety, my reason for asking?” “I do.” “And you will tell us?” “I wish to heaven I could.” “Can’t you tell us anything?” “Well, yes, I can.” “What?” “It may be a breach of confidence.” “I'd take the risk,” said the girl, her bosom heaving. Was she at last about to hear from her lover? “Know where he is, old man?” asked Rodney. “I think so—not sure, but—” “Where?”—from the woman, breath lessly. “I didn't agree to tell you thav.' “What then?” “All I can say is that after the death of his father he turned up at my ranch one day some five months ago and told me his story.” “What!” exclaimed Rodney. “Did he tell you he was innocent?” “Not at first. He told me he was guilty.” “But you didn t believe nun. urn you?” asked the woman impulsively. "I certainly did not.” “Why not?” “Well, I don’t know why. I just didn't, that’s all. I know Meade. I know him well. I know his make-up. We get accustomed to sizing up a man’s actions out West here, and it didn't take me longer than it took him to tell the story to know that it wasn't true.” “Oh. thank you for that,” said the woman. “But our beliefs are not evidence. Hick.” interposed Rodney. “We can't prove it and that's the point. I told him,” continued Winters, "that it was a da—darned lie—I heg your pardon. Miss Illingworth. I mean I told him that it was not true and that he was a fool for sticking to it, and— or- -he—admitted- -I—er.” floundered Winters, suddenly realizing that he was on the eve of a breach of confi dence and checking himself just in time. “In fact, the subject was painful to him, and I let him alone, which is what we generally do to a man who doesn't want his affairs inquired into too closely," Winters ended lamely, realizing how near he had come to betraying his friend’s confidence and telling of Meade’s own admission that lie had said what lie had to save the fame and honor of the father. “Well, what nest?” asked Rodney, understanding &3 did Helen Illing worth herself the ranchman’s hesita tion. and respecting it. although the unavoidable inference gave her great joy. “He hung around the ranch for a month or sis weeks to get his balance. He was pretty badly broken up. I’m ., bachelor myself and don't know much about those things, hut I can Slly that he loved you, Miss Illingworth, Minrt) limit lift* ItStdL" _ “But not more than the reputation o* his father,” she said with a little tinge of bitterness. “Well, I take it he looked at that a* a matter of honor. You know a mun’a got to keep his ideals of honor.” “Even at the expense of a woman'll heart?” said the girl. “It sounds hard, but I guess we’ve got to admit that. But that’s neither here nor there,” he continued, gliding over the subject, “the point is I found j that he hud to fight it out himself, and i I mainly let him alone. I gave him a ! horse and gun and turned him loose in the wilds. Best place on earth for a | man in his condition. Miss Illingworth. I You can go out into the wilderness and | get nearer to God there than any ! place I know of. He came back finally, : turned in his gun, borrowed the horse, bade me good-by, and said he was go ing out to make a new start.” | “Where did he go? Which way?” I “ne was headed south when I saw him last, and all this lay in his way." “You mean—?” cried the woman. “He may be here?” said Rodney. Winters nodded. “I have thought so. It’s only a | guess, of course, and probably a poor I one. But when I read in the papers j that Colonel Illingworth was coming I here, and that you were along, and Miss Illingworth, I thought I’d just take a run down here and see what could be done.” “Oh, I’m so glad you have come.” “He’s not working 6u the bridge,” said Rodney. “How do you know. Rod?” “I examined all the pay rolls, and none of them bears his name.” “He wouldn't work under his own name in the Martlet Bridge company,” said the woman. “Certainly not. That was only my first step. I went around among the workmen, too, aud I got a look at every one of them. I’m sure lie's not there.” (TO BE CONTINUED.) KNOWN TO ALL THE WORLD — Port of Elsinore, in Denmark, Made ' Famous Through the Genius of Immortal English Poet. Elsinore Is a little port city of Den mark. on an island which juts north ward to reach within three miles of the coast of Sweden. Elsinore Is the home of busy shipyards, of a thriving summer colony; it has been immor talized in the songs of Kipling as a port hospitable to the errant sailor; finally and especially it is the scene where Shakespeare laid the tragedy of “Hamlet.” The overthoughtful and melancholy figure of Hamlet rather overshadows the rest of Elsinore, to the casual vis itor at least. The summer colony seems to succeed in forgetting his ! pessimistic point of view, but the tourist is led to the grave of Hamlet, he Is shown the brook where Ophelia flung herself to drown her sorrow, and bidden to contemplate the platform where the ghost of the murdered king took its after-dinner promenade. Needless to soy, all such associa | tions are pure fakes. They seem to ■ arise wherever some great human j drama, real or fictitious, has been en | acted, responding to a need of hurnan i ity for some concrete object to serve as a center for its sentiments. The grave of Hamlet has long been an as j set to Elsinore, but if rumor can be ' credited it has not always occupied the same site. According to this tale the original “grave” was inconvenient | ly locuted for displny purposes, so the I people of Elsinore finally raised the I money to erect a fitting monument to | Shakespeare's prince in a more acces sible place. As for the ghost’s plat form, the castle of which It forms a part was not built until long after the time when the tragedy was supposed | to have been enacted. Addition to Navy's Strength. Several advantageous features have been incorporated in a new kite balloon lately constructed for use at the navy ; aeronautical station at Pensacola, Fla. i The balloon is described, with illustra tions, in the Popular Mechanics Maga zine. One of the noticeable differences i in its design from observation craft I of the sort employed in European ! countries is the total absence of the sausagelike rubber bag at the posterior end. An additional feature which is somewhat distinctive is the provision of an air flap or pocket on the under side, near the middle. This is held open by guy lines extended from the free j edge to the observer's basket swung j far below and is understood to give the device, with the help of the tail I cups, considerable stability. To facili- j tate the handling of the balloon a reel accommodating 2,000 feet of cable and operated by power transmitted through a flexible shaft from the rear wheel of a motorcar, is employed. The envelope is SI feet in length and has a maxi mum diameter of 22 feet. , Making Homes. In family life, in the real home, the ! highest qualities of character may be developed. There is a force in family affection that makes and keeps the heart tender to all. It banishes selfish ness, jealousy and malice. In happy home life cruelty finds no place. Even animals feel the benefit of the tender heart. We need, and need greatly, more good will to all with whe in we have to do. We need to know how to make allowances for failures in others, to make concessions to the wishes and conveniences of others. The friendly give and take of family life tends to make one more fitted for living In the community.—Milwaukee Journal. Clock Struck One. Horrid Bore—“I rise by an alarm clock.” Pretty Girl—“I retire by one. a'i— u --- OLD BIT OF LAND! Summits of Siskiyou Mountains I Above Water Ages Ago. Border Guardians Between Cd .1 and Oregon Were Grow.ng ForeJ: When Most of Europe Was Sea. — IB According to sr»->•••ii,,. sutnii, of flic Siskiyou mourn the .r«i guardians between »'. gon. constitute one of tin- .• i„t, .,t H land in the world. Tie . r: the scientists, growing a n the greater part of Eur**! beneath the water. Thej jfet hillocks of a low flat island vf1 miles in length when th“ l'a> n reached eastward to the Koek;. tains. Gigantic saurians basked shade of the Island's trees leviathan of the Scriptures swum ! its shores. Finally the I'm itic - emerged from the ocean and Tie ismicl became the backbone of a umuniam range. Siskiyou tunnel, ar ■ !<-. tion of 4.000 feet, extends tlr : _-h solid bank of ocean shells, and : r ;'s length of 3,100 feet follows T line of the ancient island, as by the sandstone which on* its beach. Iwo miles east of Siskiyou " says a writer in “Tin* Sacred Su s of the Siskiyou," “Pilot r from the very vertebrae of tie r to lift its sheer walls duo fe»-r * air. Pilot rock is a cliimn iiurned out in a hotter lire tl ever known by man. It was on. ft iiues through which the molten i spouted to form the range. s<> • was the outburst that it I. > strange, fantastically simp- ! ‘ standing there against the >k>. I to come into use, in the due pr.s e- . of events, as one or the great - - towers of the western wilderi - ward which, on a hazel.— day. c - | hunters and warriors f..r a In 1 miles around would turn a \ eye. Besides tlie rock was til ing place of chiefs. They called ki-you. meaning the council -• The result of their deliberate : - ' > made known from this chimney t- : “Tlie Indians used a finger ■ f h - s smoke by day and a tongue <>f red flame by night. When the chi.-f of the Shastas di.-d, the word was il -i from the mountain that l.- r- 11,• ■ • name, was repeated from Pilot r and presently the Indians of -1 ! Loughlin peak region, far to th were making mourning signs. “When gold was discovered a: Yreka. in northern California, th tiers of the Maznmas country in Or gan wished to join the rush, but kn- ■ no southward trail. It was then tli chieftain, whose daugliter had brought hack to health, led his whit, benefactors to a peak and point across 80 miles of shimmering va and hill to Pilot rock. ‘By tin* rig side lends an easy trail." the write ■ leader said. His friends were in ly on their way and they had picked fortunes at Yreka before thei: n. hors of tlie Mazamae could break tie way through a tangled waste in wh they could find no single sign > road. “In the days of warfare with native tribes the whites came to and dread the almost incredible p of Pilot rock. As often as a pin. ■ expedition approached the barrier range, the whites were spied by sh: rp eyes, the warning was kindled upon the rock, and the faithful sentries had vanished before the enraged soldi - ry could struggle up to the red tower and quench the signal flames. Throughout the Modoc wars runners brought fre quent word to the renegade Captain Jack from this clearing house of th. aews. No wonder the Indians lighted all the peaks around with altar fir. s and called them by a name which meant the Sacred Summits of the s; • kiyous! “Gallant General Canby knew and hated Pilot rock. General Fremont is said to have Included It lu his explora tions and in his plans. Often J.coiuin Miller sought the place for inspiration and lingered until there burst fr..ru his lips some new song of the twin em pires that unrolled below his eyes. A host of pilgrims of the adventure trail have halted there to rest, and to avail themselves of the far-reaching out look from this vantage point.” Animals in Fire. Most animals are afraid of fire, and •vill fly from it in terror. To others here is a fascination about u flame, mil they will walk into it, even though ortured by the heat. A horse in a burning stable goes nad with fear, hut a dog is as cool in a ire as at any time, lie keeps his nose town to the floor, where the air is pur est, and sets himself calmly to timlii g Us way out. Cats in fire cry piteou- ■ 1’hey hide their faces from the 1 - ind crouch in corners. When then •escuer lifts them they are us a rule quite docile and subdued, never I' mg >r scratching. Birds seem to be hypnotized by fire, ind keep perfectly still; even the lo quacious parrot In a fire has nothing to say. Cows, like dogs, do not show ilarm. They are easy to lead forth, ind often Hud their way out them selves. Demanding Proof. “I see by youi hand that you are go ing to be rich some day,” said the palmist. "Uinph I" replied the skeptical elii nr. ‘If you can show me a $10 hill in m land I’ll believe you.” Interesting Occupation. “Do you like your new motor car’" “Yes,” replied Mrs. Chuggins Mv lusband isn't away from home nearlv is much as lie used to he.” “How does lie spend his time’” “Trying to get the ear started.” No Second Time “I had no idea she’d accept me the first time I proposed.” 1 ime?" J’OU UUnk ShL‘ "°Uld second -n. TC would have been no second