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RED OLOJJD, NEBRASKA, CHIEF
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WEB OF STEEL
By CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY and CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY, Jr.
Author ind Clrgymin clv Engineer
This Is a Thrilling Story
of American Life as Strong,
Courageous Men Live It
Capyrlfht by Fleming II. Rcvcll Co.
CHAPTER XVII Continued.
11
"Ho wouldn't bo a common work
man, would he?" nRkod tho girl, more
disappointed than bIio could express.
"Certainly not. He'd bo keeping
track of material, or running a transit,
or acting as n Bang foreman. Most of
tho workmen are foreigners, ulthough
tho bridge erectors aro Americans."
, "You'ro sure that he's not here?"
"Absolutely."
hero's :tho dam," said Winters.
".We'll try that In tho morning."
"What trood Is It going to do us,
iMckT asked Rodney a little irritably.
Even If wo do llud him, wo can't
make him speak." ,
"I don't know," answered the woman
slowly. "But If I could Just seo him
(onco again, Mr. Rodney" sho spoke
HKSStv yj!!B37jMHft
i
l "Mm WnnMn't R a Cnmmnn Wnrlr.
man, Would He?" Asked the Girl.
without hesitation or reserve, and both
men felt deeply for her "it I could
Just speak to him, If ho would only "
"I belluvo you can pcrsuudo him."
said Winters.
"Yea, perhaps, but I want Shurtllff
to speak first, then we cun approach
our friend himself with more confi
dence," said Rodney.
CHAPTER XVIII.
Brute Force or Finesse.
I "What do you want mo to say, Mr.
Rodney?" asked Shurtllff, coming
through tho door, having caught Rod
ney's use of his name.r
"Oh, Shurtllff" began Rodney,
somewhat embarrassed at having been
overheard.
"What do you want mo "to speak
thin-lipped, close-mouthed, Inexorably
resolved still.
"Read them," continued Rodney.
"I'll admit to you fhat tho wholo thing
would not bo worth tho paper It's
written on In a court of law, or even
In a newspaper report, but It's con
vincing to us, and you cun mako It
convincing to everybody. You've got
to speak."
"Do you think, sir, that there's any
power In your stretched-out arm, or
In your rudo volco or In your threat
ening gesture to make me Bpeak?"
"By tho Lord." exclaimed Winters,
suddenly whipping out a Colt's .45
from tho holster at his belt ho was
dressed Just as ho had been when ho
rodo away from tho ranch "out West
wo'vo got ways for persuading men to
speak, and this is ono of them." i
Winters was a bigger man than Rod
ney. Ills Ufo had been wild and rough,
and his manner when he wanted was
according. Ho would fain add physical
compulsion under threat of death to
Rodney's mental Insistence. j
"And do you think, sir, that I'm
afraid of any lethal weapon you can
produco or even use, any more than jl
um of Mr. Rodney's words?" Tho old
man's oyes flashed, and his knee's
shook, but ho had all tho spirit of
a soldier as ho looked into Winters'
stern face, full of threat and menace.
Ills thin volco took on a certain qual
ity of courage. It even rang a little.
His courage was mainly moral, but
there was soma accompanying physical
hardihood, that was undoubted. "You
can beat me, you can even kill me, if
you wish, but you can't make mo say
a word i uon t want to say or my
own free will," he cried out at last, bis
voice strangely rising.
"Gentlemen; gentlemen," said Helen
Rllngworth, rising and swiftly Inter
posing between tho secretary and tho
two angry men. Sho realized that the
affair had gone far enough and that
she must Intervene. They had certain
ly failed lamentably, almost ludicrous
ly. "You aro wrong to threaten Mr.
Shurtllff. no Is old enough to bo tho
father of either of you. Drop your
arm, Mr. Rodney. Put up that pistol,
Mr. Winters. Mr. Shurtllff," said the
Clrl quickly, "nn T nm In n nartnlo "
your hostess, and as you nre In a cer
tain senso my guest here, I apologize
to you for tho Improper and Impulsive
conduct of theso young men. They
lovo Bertram Meade dearly, as I do.
Let that bo their excuse. Meanwhile,
they will npologlze to you hero and
now, I am sure."
There was a moment of silence. Rod
ney und Winters stured at each other,
nnd both looked nt tho girl, confront
ing them so confidently In her superb
and beautiful way. Winters smiled a
Uttlo shamefacedly us ho shoved his
gun back Into Its holster. His had In
deed been tho greater offense.
"Mr. Winters, Mr. Rodney," said tho
I'm going to ask yon gentlemen to ex
cuse me."
"We'll see If ho Is working on tho
dam tomorrow."
"You will stay alt night, Mr. Win
ters?" ' y
"Your father Invited mo to take a
bunk in his car, and, to be perfectly
frank with you, I'd sleep out Jn tho
open rain rather than miss a chanco
of being In on tho end of a game llko
this."
The girl bowed and left them.
"Dick," said Rodney slowly at last,
as the two sat smoking together In tho
silence of corapleto understanding nnd
good comradeship, which requires no
expression In talk, "you're not the only
mun who thinks that girl would bo a
good wlfo to a man."
"Ah," said Winters, "sits tho wind
in that Quarter, Rod?"
"YeB," answered tho other, "but I'm
fighting this thing through for Meade."
"Well, by George," said the big
ranchman, "you're as good a man as
Meade any day, flno fellow as he Is.
I wish I had somo chance to get In
this gamo and mako myself worthy of
tho two of you, let alone tho lady."
It was a rare confidence that Rodney
had vouchsafed to his friend, and like
every other Anglo-Saxon, having sold
his say, ho did not wish to discuss It
further.
"Do you know," he began, changing
tho subject abruptly, "I think things
have turned out pretty well In spite
of our foolishness a while ago. I be
llovo If there's n spark of human grntl
tudo In ShurtlHTs heart, tho girl's In
terposition when you and I were threat
ening him, nnd her refusal to allow
him to bo Questioned later, will fan it
Into flame. And I have an Idea that
when ho thinks It over he'll be about
ready to tell."
"Aro you sure ho has anything to
tell?"
"Certain."
"Well, I guess you're right. It sort
of consoles mo for having drawn my
gun, without using It, too. And If ho
tells In the morning nnd wo find Meade,
everything will bo lovely."
"For everybody but me," said Rod
ney. "I'll tell you what, old man, when
this thing's over, you'ro coming out to
spend tho rest of tho winter with mo
on tho ranch. It's tho greatest placo
on earth for a man to buck up. There's
no woman within fifty miles."
Rodney laughed a little grimly.
"I'll go you," he Bald.
CHAPTER XIX.
I
I "
about?" continued tho old man sus- 8'" insistently.
Dlclously. not clvlnir tho younger man "Ohi I npologlze.
I suppose It was
tlmo to finish., "And what friend can
you then approach, Blr?" ,
"I'll tell you what I want," suld
Rodney.
no quickly came to ,a decision.
Standing up and facing tho. old man,
lio staked everything on one ' bold
throw.' Grasping tho sltuiitlob, Helen
Rllngworth' held her breath, Winters
moved to tuko his own part in tho
game at tho proper time.
"What is it, sir?" asked itho .sacre
tary. j I , j '
"Shut the door and come In," wap
tho answer.
Rodney spoko Bhnrply, and It was
a sort of Indication, characteristic of
tho dlfferehco In station between nn
Independent young man arid nsubscr-
vlnnfr nil! mnn
"Hero I nra.lslr," answered Shurtllff,
closing tho dodr and standing before it
no shot a quick glanco nt tho young
woman. Ho observed her tense posi
tion. Ho saw tho emotions that filled
her soul In hcr f uco and bearing. All
his old suspicions roso llko n flood. For
a moment uo no longer carcu ror ncr,
Ho almost hated her. Ho looked from
her to tho dark-faced, determined Rod
ney, to big, powerful, quiet Winters.
"Wob this a trap? Were they going to
try to forco him to speak? Ho was n
brave man, old Shurtllff, but his. heart
boa: a 11 ttla -raster as ho faced them.
Ho was qulto master of himself,
.though, cool, watchful, determined;
'in their eyes rather admirable than
otherwlso.
"Tho tlmo has como for you to tell
us, tho truth," began Iodnoy emphat
ically. "You know that tho wholo
.blamo and responsibility for tho fall
uro of tho International bridge Is
loaded on tho, wrong man. You know
that you permitted, and even mado
possible, tho sacrlllco of tho reputation
t'of tho sou' for tho enko of tho fame
'of tho father. You know that this
girl hero is breaking her heart, that
Mcado's Ufo Is ruined, and you'ro to
blame. Now tho tlmo has como for
j you to speak. Wo know as welf as
you that young Meado ' is innocent
Hero's our evidence."
.Ho drew a handful of papers from
his inBldo breast pocket and shook
them in the faco of tho old man, who
bad shrunk back against the Bldo of
th car and stood staring, white-faced,
wrong to thrcuten him," said Rodney
disgustedly,
'"Hang it," said Winters, now utterly
forgetful of conventions, "it wasn't tho
thing to do to draw a gun on a Uttlo
old man and I'm sorry I did It."
''And i now that wo'vo apologized
you'll tell us tho truth, won't you?"
asked Rodney swiftly, wlt,h nolnppro
clahlo change of manner.
"Yes, wo beg It now, humbly,"
chimed tin Winters, with anything hut
un humble air or 'voice. f
"I won't have Sir. Shurtllff even ap
pealed to now," suld Miss Rllngworth.
"You have threatened him and you
have apologized. Whether ho forgives
you or not Is for him to decide, hut hq
ahull j not bo worried, or questioned, or
Insulted nuy more."
"Thank you, Miss Rllngworth. I
came for that book on tho desk; your
father wants It," said Shurtllff grimly,
bowing slightly to her.
Ho stepped a Uttlo tremblingly the
8ceno had been unnerving pust the
young men, picked up the book, bowed
ngulu formally and unmistakably to
Miss Rllngworth nlonc, und went out
of tho cur. Tho honors of tho encoun
ter wcro certainly his.
"Well, Miss Rllngworth," said Win
ters, "I don't know whether you mndo
a mistake or not. I think I could liavo
scared it out of him with this Uttlo
persuader, of mluo " IIot tapped tho
uutt or mo pistol.
"You couldn't havo dono It If you
had killed him," na!d tho woman, who
had read tho old secretary correctly.
"no Isn't what I call a daring man,
put
The Battle From Above.
Tho rain had stopped by morning,
to tho great relief of Colonel Rllng
worth, Severenco nnd Curtlss, and the
satisfaction of nelen. There wns Uttlo
sun to dry tho big, red sandstone mesa,
Its Bides seamed into fantastic shapes,
which rose grandly between tho val
ley of tho Picket Wire and tho ravlno
of tho Kicking Horse, nnd which tho
young woman Intended to cross In her
walk toward tho dam with Rodney and
Winters. Tho siding near the steel
arch bridge was closo to the rock wall
of tho ravine, which here had been so
scoured out of tho rocky side of tho
mesa by torrents of other dnys that
It could fairly bo called a gorge. Con
sequently tho bank of clouds above the
horizon to tho northwest wns hid be
hind tho big butto from the occupants
of tho two prlvnto cars. Although tho
day did not promise to be fair, they
ho. has courage that i would tako
him to tho stako rather than jfinko
him glvo way, tho courago of etulur
nnco rather than of action. When ho
speaks, If ho over docs, It will bo of
his own freo will."
"Or becauso you may persuado him,"
snld Rodnoy. "By Jove, when I think
It over, it was tho finest thing you. ever
did."
"Bert Mcndo's n lucky fellow," said
Winters. "You'ro tho kind of a girl
that ought to mnrry out West, where
wo try 'to breed men that will match
up."
nelen Hllpgworth laughed a little,
although sho felt no Inclination to
merriment I C - 3 I r
"That's a flno compUraent," she said.
JBm&smB
wMfimsssmm,
mm mm
"Out West We've Got Ways for Per-
euading Men to Speak."
had no Idea of tho further threat of
storm presaged by tho black masses to
tho northwest
In sandy, porous soils, such ns hero
prevailed, tho rain is absorbed quickly.
Thoy could traverse tho trails carpet
ed with tho needles of centuries that
ran through tho dripping pines, with
out getting muddy, nnd with nothing
tnoro to fear than a wetting. Colonel
Rllngworth, Sovorenco nnd Curtlss an
nounced tholr intention of going back
to the town to contlnuo their consulta
progress of work on tho bridge. Shurt
llff, who went nbout his business grave
ly reserved, frigidly cold and self-contained,
had work to do at his desk.
Tho woman and tho two young men
were for the dam.
After an early breakfast, therefore,
tho second car was uncoupled, and the
engine backed it down around the mesa
toward tho viaduct twenty miles below.
Rodney nnd" Winters prepared to go
with Miss Rllngworth across the wood
ed Island, with its cresting of stone,
so to speak, that lay between the ra
vine and the valley. The conductor
of the train, n, local employee of the
railroad, told them that the shortest
way was directly over the mesa. Tho
sandstono of which this huge mound
was mainly composed had been broken
and disintegrated on all sides by cen
turies of erosion nnd weathering, and
there were practicable ascents nnd de
scents at both ends. Tho nearest ascent
was at the side of tho big tableland di
rectly opposlto which tho car was
placed.
The trails through the pines which
covered the hill up to the very foot
of the big butte were unfrequented
and in bad repair, but practicable If
the traveler was prepared for a wet
ting. Tho shortest and on tho whole
the easiest way to the dam would bo
to mako their way to the foot of tho
mesa, climb it through tho big ravine
and cross it to tho lower end, less than
two miles away, where there was an
easy descent to the dam.
"And if you get caught in tho rain,"
said tho conductor, "which nln't likely,
for it's already rained more in the last
twenty-four hours than In the last
twenty-four years, It seems to me,
there's a hut half stone and half tim
ber, up on tho mesa that campers
sometimes mako uso of when they want
to see the sun rise, which Is a mighty
flno sight from there. It was in pretty
fair shapo when I visited It last year,
and you can find shelter there. It's
at tho highest point on the mesa. You
can see a long wny up the gulch there,
and a longer way down nnd up the
Picket Wire valley. Above tho dam It
used to show a level, fertile stretch
bctwoon the hills, bat It's all a lake
now."
Shurtllff, of course, declined Miss
Illlngworth's invitation to nccompany
the party on plea of urgent duties and
important papers to prepare. He had
spoken no words to Rodney or Winters,
and those gentlemen mado no effort
to engago him in conversation. They
were, in truth, a little ashamed of their
actions of the night before. They were
exceedingly anxious as to whether their
theories as to tho possible effect of
Miss Illlngworth's nation would be Jus
tified, so they carefully avoided the
secretary, letting tho leaven work if it
would. To their dlbappolntment, it
gave no sign of life or action.
Of the four most Interested In Meade,
Winters was tho only one who had
slept soundly that night Rodney was
too much In lovo with tho woman ever
to sleep soundly again, he thought
certainly not until her future had been
settled and her relations to Meade
finally determined. Shurtllff's feelings
were painful In tho extreme. Torn be
tween tho old habit of affection for
tho dead, his new habit of affection
for tho woman, his oft-recurring com
punction of conscience, his Immediate
resentment of tho treatment of the two
men, his acknowledgment of the splen
did action of the woman, his suspi
cions, his -uncertainty, us to how tho
Younger Meade would take It If ho
told the truth, ho slept not nt all.
Into Helen Illlngworth's mind nlso
had come, although, to her credit be it
suld, not until sho had retired and had
thought over her action In tho light of
tho hints given, that perhaps her gen
erous Interposition In behalf of Shurt
llff might move his gratltudo and tnnt
he might at last vouchsafe her tho help
which she felt more certain than ever
ho nlono could clve. She was glad
when tho .thought came to her that she
could look herself squarely In the faco
nnd declare to her conscience thut It
had not been back of her action,
which had bcen'purely spontaneous. f
' Tho possibility, although n faint one,
that Meado might bo working on tho
dnm and that sho might seo him on
tho morrow would havo sufficed to glvo
her a wakeful night Rodney was a more
careful observer than Winters, but
oven tho cattleman noticed that she
lookqd worn nnd strained as ho helped
her out of tho car for their tramp
across tho mesa to the dam.
"You know," ho said, with rough-and-ready
sympathy, "wo haven't the
least assurance that Meado Is there.
It's only a chanco, and probably a long
one."
"I shall never rest until it is decided
absolutely ono way or tho other," said
tho woman.
"Well, I'm not much of a walker,"
snld tho cattleman. "I generally pre
fer to got over tho ground astrldo of n
broncho, but I guess I can keep up
with tho party for two miles, If that's
tho distance."
It was dnrk nnd damp and wet under
tho pines. Although the two men
cleared tho way for her, holding
branches back and shaking the water
Helen wns protected from the wet.
Sho had tramped hills und mountains
many a time, camp nnd forest were fa
miliar to her. She wore a short
skirted dress, stout boots and leg
gings, and a yellow western Bllcker.
The exertion of tho upward climb,
stumbling over broken branches nnd
uprooted logs nnd floundering through
boggy places on tho trail, brought n
touch of color to her face, and though
damp, tho air sweet nnd fragrant,
clean nnd pure, refreshed and pleased
her greatly: the men, too. It was a
hard pull, nnd she wns out of breath
when she reached Jho broken coulee,
or ravlno, which led to tho top of the
big red snndstohe plateau. j
"I'mHerflbly ,out of practice," sho
saldtp tho two m.en, "but I don't be
lleve i'm in any worse state, than you
nre, Mr. Winters."
"I told you I wasn't any good on
foot.'i. said Winters, who was blowing
lltra n frrnmnnn. '
Rodney laughed nt tho two of thenii
"Look at me," he said. "I'm as fresh
as when I began."
"Well, you'ro used to walking," rc
turn&d Winters. "It's this plugging
along this broken trail that has
knocked us out Tho rich, they ride
on bronchos, you know."
"When we get on top of the mesa
we will find it easier going," Bald Rod
ney encouragingly.
"Let us start," snld tho girl, sud
denly serious, ns she thought what
might bo at the end of tho Journey.
"Before we go any farther," said
Winters, staring up the ravine nt tho
sky which showed nbout It, "Just tnko
a look at that."
He pointed to the black clouds rap
idly rising, npparently against the
wind, which Bwnyed rather violently
the tops of the tallest pines, although
they were protected and In compara
tive quiet where they stood In the ra
vine. "It looks ns if there, were more rain
there," said Rodney.
"It's incredible," answered Winters,
"nfter what we've had."
"But it certainly Is coming down
again, and If I'm any Judge, it will be
anothor cloudburot."
"Perhaps we'd better go back," sug
gested Winters to Miss Rllngworth.
"Go back!" exclaimed the girl.
"When I'm as near as this?"
"But it's only a possibility, yon
know."
"Possibility or not, it would take
a dclugo in my path to stop me.
Come."
It was an entirely practicable climb,
but rather a hard one on the wet
crumbling rocks. It did not take the
three young people long to surmount
the difficulties, however, and after a
few minutes they stood on top of tho
mesa.
Near at hand was tho hut of which
the conductor had spoken, it stood
upon a little rise above tho general
level, and from it ono could see far In
every direction. Between the hills nnd
over the lower crest of Baldwin's
knob they could even seo dimly the
far-off plains, a Uttlo sickly yellow
light still lingering there before .tho
advance of the" storm.
The hut wns mado of stone and logs.
They had not any more than reached
It before tho storm began. Claps of
thunder, flashes of lightning under
vliich tho army on the dnm were fight
ing, were heard nnd seen with tenfold
clearness by the Uttlo group on tho
Hugo upload.
It was a sight to awo the very soul
of humanity. Miles and miles down
tho mountnln side nnd among the hills
tho whirling battalions of clouds rolled
and-tumbled nnd tossed nnd 'clashed
Uko aerial armies. The lightning,
whllo It wns not In sheets, was prac
tlcally continuous, flnsh succeeding
flash In uncountable nnd blinding suc
cession. Again they noticed tho strango
coruscating, bursting effect as bolt
nfter bolt apparently struck somo.grun
Jto ledge flnd was1 then thrown bijckjln,
splinters of fire. The llenvy, lawful roll
of tboVthunder wai continuous nnd tcr
riuc. i
t Thoy stood staring througn uoor nnu
windows in 'silence, Meado and their
'quest 'forgot In llio nppalllng tem
pest by all except tho woman. It wns
sho who recalled them.
"Let us hasten on," sho said, and sho
hnd almost to scream to mako herself
henrd In tho wild tumult "It's mag
nificent, wonderful, but"
As a matter. offact, all tho mnnl
festa'tlons.of nature at -Its grandost
would not havo sufllced to turn her
head nwny from her lover's faco If sho
Ala til liniiA jinnli It tm
IUUIU 11UVU DVVU itstUf t
The next moment, with n culminat
ing nrrriim Uke the shriek of nil tho
lost souls of creation hertrd nbovo tho
furious detonating roar of the thunder,
tho wind ndded Its quota to tho dem
onstration of natural force, and now
tho rain fairly dropped upon them In
apparently solid sheets. Of courso
clouds do not burst. Such n thing Is
scientifically and meteorologically Im
possible, but anyone who has ever ex
perienced tho suddenness nnd fury nnd
weight of a western deluge In n nor
mally dry land will understand the
term. Tho wind swept over tho pla
teau, whero.lt had free course Uke n
hurricane; tho rain came down In
masses npparently. Until their eyes
became accustomed to it, the falling
water blotted out the landscape.
Tho woman wns hurled ugalnst thl
side of tho house by tho sudden and
violent assault of the hurricane. The
two men half dragged, half carried her
around to the lee side of the cabin.
Tho roof of the hut had given way
hero and there, and within It wns soon
flooded. Where they stood, however,
by chanco happened to be the solldest
part of tho overhang of the roof, and
they were In some degree protected,
that Is, from the direct violence of tho
downpour. They were, of course,
drenched In a few minutes In spite of
their raincoats. With one mnn on ei
ther side of her to glvo'her as much
protection ,aa possible, ''the woman
leaned ngalnst the stonq wall and
stared through the rain down the val
ley, seeking to see the dam, perhaps
a mile and n half away. Of courso tho
maximum of the downnouriconld not
Inst any more than thmaxlmum of tho
gnle, but tho deluge was succeeded by
a heavy, driving rraln still swept on by
n strong -wind.
Below the mesa the lake was
whipped Into foam by the beat of the
rain nnd rolled Into waves by tho as
sault of the wind. All three of them
knew whnt this deluge portended. The
downpour wpuld raise the level of the
lake so that it would overflow tho
dam, which would be swept away, tho
valley would be Inundated by a flood,
like a tidal wave, the Incompleted via
duct would bo ruined, tho' town would
be overwhelmed, the loss of life and
property would be nppalllng.
"The spillway ought to tone it,"
shouted Winters, knowing what wa9
"You can't go now," said Winters
decisively,' ."the join's bad enough .as.
It Is, and that cloud will hurst in a
minute. Old Noah's flood won't bo a
circumstance to It"
"I'm protected from the raln.'J sho
angVcrcdX t ' - Z
Winters shook bis head.
Tho .weight of it would almost
beat yotf dowfc, Wlss HMngworth."
"I haven't bad any expcrlcnco with
it, but j think Winters in right,' said
Rodney.
"I'll go on alone, then," said the girl
passionately, stepping out of thohouso,
Staring Down at the Dam Helen ll
llngworth Took the Glass From Rod
ney. in tho minds of tho other two by what
was In his own.
"It's not finished," roared Rodney.
-Winters threw up his hands.
"Will tho dam hold it?" cried the"
woman, understanding.
"Until the water rises nbove It. Just
asjsoon ns It begins to wash over, it
wlfl gp, and the quicker for these
waves," nnswered Rodney nt the top
of his voice. '
"And the bridge nnd tho town,
screamed the woman.
"They, too."
."And father?" ,
"He'll be all right ; they've had warn
ing. Tho engineers on the dam must
kq;ow the danger now. They're work
ing llko mnd." , ,
Ho hnd 'brought a small six-power
ileldgloss with him nnd he was strain
ing his eyes' through it The violence
of rain and wind hnd sensibly abated,,
although it was still coming down In
torrents. With his knowledge of what
wonld probably bo attempted Rpdnefc
. .i.in i nn.t ltMAYrYi lila nlnaa'Dnmii.
tiling or wnanwns uemu uuucj wvcu
thht distance? V ' I '
"They're building palisades on to
of tho dam. and backing It with a
cnttli. mound; ;See, ttieynie "drdpplnk
sandbngs over," ho stated, handing thp
glass to tho other man.
"By heaven," shouted Winters,
"they're mnklng a magnificent fight."
In his excitement ho left the shelter,
of tho hut nnd stalked through tho
ram lownru mo uuhu jut. mu utwj
where ho coilld have a better nnd near
er view. In splto of Rodney's remon
strances, oven though backed by his
outstretched arm, tho woman followed.
Presently nil three, Indifferent to the)
beat of tho jralnnnd the dssnult of tho
wlnd,'Btood watching tho 'battle on tho
dam. It was abating still more, fortu
nately, or clso they could scarcely havo
sustained tho Attack of that wind nnd
ruin, nor 4ould,thoy. hnyd.Beenfat all,
even wltlrthat'-glass. "
Staring down nt tho dam after a mo
ment, Helen Blhigwprth took tho glnss
from Rodney. Sho fo'cuscd It rapidly
and looked steadily through It Sho
knew what sho wns seeking ns sho
stood steadying herself with splendid
nervo and resolution and swept the
length of tho dam back and forth.
"That's a lino compliment" sne saia. to xno town io crauuwi mwr cownuia. "" r"nTmrhiL it miii 4f von mnUemed don't care to come." 1 " mSmeommnmyk
"Well, this has rather shaken me, and tions and observation, concerning the J off ttedrwplng J'J," j ,0T 8enujmcu. ?fiB w w K:mv- K - . W E CONTINUED.)
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