-ngn-

| Cjrm 1

Of the InterMOMsl brtdrf 14 IIMM ob the wron* men. Ton kdom tlut yon permitted, and eren made po«BlMe. thn Mcriflce of the repnt&Uoa of the son for die nke of die fame at tbo fitter. Too kntnr that thl» girt hero la breaking her heart, that Xeade'a life la rained, and yon're tc blame. Now the time boa come for yon to ^eak. We know aa well ai yxw that young Meade U Innocent to oar erMfeBce.” » drew a handful of papers from hl» Inside breast pocket and ahook them In the fees of the old man. who had shrank bade against the side of r and stood staring, white-faced.

Tn admit to yon that the whole weald not he worth the peper If* tten ob la a conrt of law. or erer 1b b newspaper report, hot Ife condag to ns, and yon can make it rinctng to ererybody. Ton're got * j to apeak.'’ “Do yen think, sir, that there's any

IS»5SSt£

ke or in your threatmake me speak T“

“•y the Lord," exclaimed Winters,

" aly whipping out a Colt's the bolster at his belt—he

dressed Just as he had been when he

m-Kea4e ead Halaa te ea) Mge la the mnanllghT and

! rod ® fro® ranch—“out Wret

ke brUsals&nlahkd. ; we're got ways for persuading men to rv—AMwwf .im 11^. * * n<1 this Is one of them." ■ Meade there is a deflection ! Winters was a bigger man than Bod--TtjBehmU^efJi | ney. HU Mfe had been wild and rough, errand gplRS the! and hU manner when he wanted waa raw Tout. - according. He would fain add phyrieal V—At the gnat engineer*# compulrion undfr threat of death to

gag* ' RodDB y'* mustenee.

.-■th as a mssasee ootnec that, “And do yon think, dr, that Pm ,rtth m *“• U la the rirer. j of any lethal weapon yon can

sa.wWB the produce or eren use, any more than I ta, not wBBe am 0 { Mr. Rodney’s words7” Tta old

man's eyes flashed, and his knees Shook, but be had all the spirit of h soldier as he looked Into Winters' ■tarn face, full of threat and menace. ■Ifi thin rolce took on a certain qual-

mm.

?s,“Si'S”«ns5: > 1 BrS3w semftS

again rornwiry anc luunisiaaaoty to of the trsin. a local employee at the , . „ __ Miss miagwnrth alone, anfl'lcsW out railroad, told them that the shortest ! tn _ nf fh „

of the car. The hoaors of the encoon- «ay was dlrecUy over the mesa. The

ter were certainly hla. sandstone of which this huge mound ! wlu flBd ** • Brfer “io Kod - “Well Mias Illingworth." said Win- «as mainly composed bad been broken th(> -rl tun. "I don't know whether you made and disintegrated on all aides by cen- ^ “ **>*• “ ld ^ b mistake or not. I think I conld bare tnrlee of erosion and weathering, and l ^ ri ° u *- “ ,* h ® " scared It out of him with tbU IKtle there were practicable ascents and de- ® 1 *»’ t ^ Bt «> e 01 tIie journey. penmader of mir^. p He the scents at both ends. The nearest ascent “Before we go any farther,” said butt of the pltffl was at the aide of the big tableland dl- 'Vinters, staring up the ravine at the “Ton couldn't hare done It If yon rectly opposite which the car was sky which showed about It “Just take

had killed him." said the woman, who pUeed. 8 look Bt thBt -'

bad read the old secretary correctly. The trails through the pines which He pointed to the black clouds rnp“He isn't what I call a daring man, covered the hill up to the very foot 1(1, y rising, apparently against the hot ha h«a courage would take of the big butte were unfrequented wind, which swayed rather violently him tn the stake rather ♦*»■" make and In. bod repair, bnt practicable if the tops of the tallest pines, although him give way, the courage of eadnr- the traveler was prepared for a wet- they were protected and In comparaance rather than of action. When be ting The shortest and on the whole i * ive Quiet where they stood In the ra-

speaka. If he ever does, it wfU bo of the easiest way to the dam would be vln *-

his own free wiil" to make their wgy to the foot of the J 0 ** 8 88 « there were more rain

“Or because yon may persuade him." mesa, climb it through the big ravine there," said Rodney,

said Rodney. “By Jove, whoa I think and cross It to the lower end. less than “It's Incredible." answered Winters,

It over, U was th s finest thing yon ever two miles away, where there was an did." easy descent to the dam. “Bert Meade's a Lucky fellow," said "And if yon get caught in the rain." Winter*. “Ton're the kind of a girl mid the conductor, “which uln't likely, that ought iO marry out West, where for It's already rained more in the last

we try to breed men that Win match twenty-four hours than In the last seated Winters to Ulm Illingworth, up." iwenty-four years, it seems to me. “Go back t" exclaimed the girl. Helen Illingworth laughed a little, there's a hut half stone and half tlm- -When I'm as near as thliT" although she frit no Inclination to her, up on the mesa that campen. “nut It's only a possibility, you

sometimes make use of when they want know.

! “after what we've had.'

“But It certainly Is comlug down again, and If I'm any Judge, It will be

ucotlier cloudburst.''

“Perhaps we'd better go back." sug-

■^mavtary.

“That's a fine compliment," aba Bald, to see the snn rise, which is a mighty “Well this has rather shaken me, and fine sight from there. It waa In pretty Pm going to ask yon gentlemen to- ex- -air shape when I visited It last year, cose ms." and you can find shelter there. It's “WeTl sat if he U working ea tbs at the highest point on the mesa. Ton dwm tomorrow." can see a long way up the gulch there, “Ton will stay all night, Mr. Win- and a longer way down and up the tersT" ' Picket Wire valley. Above the dam It “Tour father Invited me to take ■ used to show a level, fertile stretch bunk in his car, and, to be perfectly between the hills, but lfa all a lake

frank with yon, Pd sleep out In the now."

open rain rather than miss a chance Shurtllff. of course, declined Miss of being In on the end of a game like ^ Illingworth's Invitation to accompany this" the party on plea of argent duties and The girl bowed and left them. : important papers to prepare. He had “Dick," said Rodney slowly at last' spoken no words to Rodney or Winters, aa the two sat smoking tocether hi the and those gentlemen made no effort

and to engage him In conversation. They

good comradeship, which requires bo were, in truth, a little ashamed of their expression in talk, “you’re not the only actions of the night before. They were mmn who ♦hinks that glri would be a ! exceedingly anxious as to whether their good wife to a man." I theories as to the possible effect of -‘Ah," said ‘Winters, “alts tbs wind ! Miss Illingworth's action would be Jos-

■ paows ■*££• 1

rwrs?^

KBasaatatfgaver again as a roamaa anflsr

—Msafls has SSM to ths p.m£sS£s; ^ baa to

Crma^nshsanr. Be tltmsiW. Short! I ft the eslsasl and

i spite ot

oiSa by - . mg he^knowi ths troth, seta ■ to tan his ewa story. Ho Is •‘the flS^bSore^lJ^pUlway^

bast me, yon can even kin me. If yon wish, but yon can't make me say a word I doot want to aay of my own free win." he cried out at last, bis voice strangely rising “Gentlemen ; gentlemen." sold Helen Illingworth, rising and swiftly Interposing between the secretary and the two angry men. She realized that the affair bad gone far enough and that she most Intervene. They had certalaly failed lamentably, almost lodlcroaB*ty. “Ton are wrong to threaten Mr. Shurtllff. He Is old enough to be the father of either of yon. Drop your arm. Mr. Rodney. Put up that pistol. Mr. Winters. Mr. ShurtUC," said the girl quickly, “as I am In s certain sense your bostewa, and as yon are In a certain aeurn my guest here, I apologise

to you for the

'■ path If tbs h Hsiao sod f ths rent*

CHAPTER XVIII • Fores or Finesse. you want ms to aay. Mr. asked Shurtllff. coming 1 the door, having caught Bod-

e of .hla nans a. Shurtllff—" b

t embarrassed at having keen sat do you want me to speak continued the old man ana-

sly, not giving the younger man j ^ to flnlfch. “And what friend can I i

a approach, sir?”

tell you what I •

in that quarter. Rod?”

“Tea," answered the other, “bnt Pm secretory, letting the lesren work If It fighting this thing through for Meade.” * would. To their disappointment. It ' “Well by George," said the big n0 «*«» <* We or action.

Of the four most Interested in

chance to get in

game and make myself worthy of ths two of yon, let alone the ledy.”

confidence that Rodney

had vouchsafed to hla friend, and like every other Anglo-Saxon, having said hla aay, he did not wish to discuss It

“Do yon know,” he began, rbaaging the subject abruptly. “I think thing* have turned out pretty well tn spits of our foolishness a while ago. I believe if there's s spark of human gratitude in ShurtlUTs heart, the girl*# Interposition when yon and I were threatening him, and her refusal to allow him tn ha questioned later, will fan It a to flame. And 1 bare an Idea that 'hen be thinks It over he’ll be about

ready to tail"

‘Are yon anre he baa anything to

taur

“Certain."

“Wall I guess you're right. It sort of consoles ms tor having drawn my gun, without using It, too. And if ho tolls in the morning and wo Had Meade, everything will be lovely.” Tor everybody hat smT aaM Bod-

-ra tell you what, ekd man, when this thing's ovsr, you're coming out to spend the rest of the wtater with me

CHARTER XIX.

“possibility or not It would take a deluge In my path to stop me.

Come."

It wss an entirely practicable climb, but rather-s hard one on the wet. crumbling rocks It did not take the three young people long to surmount the difficulties however, and sfter a few: minutes,they sjood on top of the mesa. It was bare of vegetation, sa’ in scattered Utile earth pockets, grasscovered. where dwarfed pines g

stunted trees centuries old.

Near at tmnd war. the hut of which the conductor had spoken. It stood upon a little rise above the general level, and from It one could see far in every direction. Between the hills and over the lower crest of Baldwin's knob'they could even see dimly the far-off plains, a little .sickly yellow light stUl lingering there before the

adrrnce of the storm.

The hat ws« made of atone and logs. They bad not any more than reached It before the storm began. Clai>s of thunder, flashes of lightning under which the army on the dam were fight-

Winters was the only one who had | lag. were heard and seen with tenfold slept soundly that night. Rodney was clearness by the Httle group on too much In love with the woman ever | huge upland, to sleep soundly again, he thought— i R was a sight to *we the very soul certainly not untU her future had been ; of humanity. Mile* and miles down settled and her relations to Meade i the mountain side and among the hills

tilled, so they carefully avoided the

finally determined. Bhur.IlfTs feelings were painful Ir. the extreme. Torn between the old baMt of affection for the dead, hla new habit of affection for the woman, hie oft-recurring compunction of conscience, hi* Immediate resentment of the treatment of the two men. his acknowledgment of the splendid action of the woman, his suspicions. his uncertainty, as to how the

the whirling battalions of clouds rolled and tumbled and tossed and clashed like serial armies. The lightning, while it was not In sheets, was practically continuous, flash succeeding flash In uncountable and blinding succession. Again they noticed the strange coruscating, bursting effect as bolt after bolt apparently struck some granite ledge and was lh?n thrown back In

ary, driving rain atilTiffipE «aHj a strong wind. Below the mesa the lake waa whipped into foam by the beat of the rain and rolled Into waves by tbe a» sault.of the wind. All three of them knew w hat this deluge portended. Tbt downpour would raise the level of the lake s<? that It would overflow th< dam, which would be swept sway, ths volley would be Inundated by a flood like a tidal wave, tbe Incompleted via-

jMTumoj JU<-Bue u*-hi ij, mm * — | Let that be their excuse. Meanwhile,

ml" mid ; they will apologise to yon here and

! now, I am sure."

quickly came to a decision. , Tnere was a moment of rilence. RodC up and facing the old mam. nry ^ winters stared at each other. eC everything on one bold , n(J both looked at the girt, confrontGrasping tbe situation. Helen lug them ao confidantly In her superb — b-ld her breath. Winter* breuUfnl way. Winters smiled a take LI* own part tn the dttle Miamrfaredly aa he shoved hla he proper time. I gun bock Into 1U holster. HU had tn- # 11 atrr ashed the eecre- dc-d been the greeter offeoae. | ‘Mr. Winter*. Mr. Rodney," aMd the tie door and come in," waa girl InaUlactly. «» answer. “Oh, I apologia*, fe ‘Rodney spoke sharply, aad It was wrong to threaten non of Indication, characteristic ot disgustedly.

” said Winters, now utterly

‘orgetful of convections, "it wasn't the . thing to do to drew s gnn on a little "Here I am. Mr." answered Souri.IUT. old m*— and I n- sorry I did 11" g tbs door and »landing before it. j “And now that we’ve apoiogtaed He shot a quick glance at tbe yeans Jwu'll tell us the truth, won't year He observed her tense pool j asked Rodney swiftly, with no appro-

clabl. .-bang* of manner.

"Tee. we beg It now, humbly," chimed In Winter*, with anything hut

aa humble air or voice.

"I won't have Mr. KhortUff eree appealed to now." said Miss Mtlngwortb. "Ton have threatened him and yvU have apologia*.. Whether he forglres t U for him to decide, but he

e aaw the emotions

il In her face and bearing. All sueplctons rose like a flood, k'or rot he no longer cared for her.

pHe almost hated her. Hi looked from

o the dark faced determined Rod

f Bey, ‘y big, powerful, quiet Winter*. 1 Waa this a trap? Were they going to

tiy to force him to .peak? Ue whs n brave mam. old Shurtllff, but bis heart beat a little faster aa hs faced them. Ue was quite master of hliiaoif. though, cool watchful determined;

Staring Down at the Dam Helen Illingworth Took the Glass From Rod-

ney.

duct would be ruined, the town would lie overwhelmed, the loss of life and property would be appalling. “The spillway ought to take it,’ shouted Winters, knowing what wag In the minds of the other two by what was In hla own. “It’s not finished," roared Rodney. Winters threw np his hands. “Will tbe dam hold It?” cried tbe woman, understanding. “Until the water rises above IL Just ns soon as It begins to wash over, It will go, and the quicker for these waves,” answered Rodney at the top

of his voice.

“And the bridge and the town," screamed the woman.

"They, too." “And father?"

“He'll be all right; they've had warning. Tbe engineer* on the dam most know the danger now. They're work-

ing Use mad.”

He had brought a small six-power fleldgloss with him and hgjrBB straining hla eyes through it. ine violence of rain and wind hud sensibly abated, although it was still coming down In

uuo*. uuK-..o.uij, — — —— — ue lease aim was tnin tnrown dhch in . ... younger Meade would take It If he ^u nteri( of Dre . The heavy, awful roll I ^ *“*°"**£*? continuous nud ter- probably be attempted, Rodney

was able to see through his g

thing of wbut was b

that distance.

They're building palisade* on top of the dam. and backing It with aa earth mound. Sec. they are dropptoff sandbags over," he stated, handing tbe glass to tbe other man. “By heaven," shouted Winters, “they're making a magnificent fight." In his excitement he left the shelter of tbe hut and stalked through the rain toward the edge of the mesa, where he could have u better and nearer view. In spite of Rodney's remonstrances, eren though backed by his outstretched arm. the woman followed. Praeently ail three. Indifferent to the beat of the rain and the assault of tbe wind, stood watching tbe battle on the dam. It was abating still more, flortuuately. or else they could scarcely have sustained the attack of that wind and rain, nor could they have seen at all even with that glass. Staring down at the dam after a mo-, ment. Helen Illingworth took the gla«* from Rodney. She focused It rapidly! and looked steadily through It. She | knew what she was seeking as sbe| stood steadying herself with splendidnerve and resolution and ewopt the. length of the dam back and fc Th. “I don't see him. He's not there,”! she said at last, handing the glass bade

to Its owner.

'If he were there, you'd eve him alii

right," said Winters enthusiastically. if (-curse "because he’d be In the thick of thei

under clouds do not burst. Such a thing la . fight."

the" two men sdrntlflcally aad meteorologically 1m- "I doubt If you can recognise aay-i

- • [. one. even through the glasa. at such a

U»' lun, o, cloai .bov, I,r,n.-1.« tark , D ,i ta.Uta tta l-ri™™! ita ...d fury ,»d ‘‘H . _ il u-xlrht of a m — ,r ,-rn ■li-lu,-,. In a Bor. lOCUSed It and taken S look ulm sell.

“Tet If he ’

and declare to her conscience that It had not been back of her action, which had been purely spontaneous.

The possibility, although a faint one.

mart, £•» xi» peelesl place - that Meade might be working or the to bank ap There's dam and that she might see him on

- - the morrow wonld have sufficed to give

her a wakeful night. Rodney was a more

mi _ k* ..ui " careful observer than Winters, bnt

even the cattleman noticed that she looked worn and strained as he helped her out of the car for their tramp

Tta Bmttl, Ftam Atav, * CT ““ ,0 ^ The rain had stopped by morning. "Ton know." he said, with rougbto tbe great relief of Colonel 1111 ng- end-reedy sympathy, "we haven't the worth, Bevorvoce and Onrtlaa. and the least assurance that Meade Is there. eaOflfbctloB of Helen. There was Uttle it's only e chance, and probably a long

ana to dry the big. red sandstone mraa. one."

Its atdea neiail Into fantastic shape*. “1 Rh811 never rest until It la decided which rare grandly between the vel- absolutely one way or the other," said

Uy of the Picket Wire and the rarlne the w omen.

. .. — “Well. Pm not much of a walker.

told the truth, he alept not at all of ^ thunder

Into Helen Illingworth's mind also

had come, although, to her credit be It | They stood staring through door and asld. cot until she had retired and had windows In alienee, Meede und their thought over her action In the light of quest forgot In the appalling temthe hints given, that perhaps her gen- pest by all except the woman. It was erous interposition In behalf of Short- she who recalled them, liff might move Ms gratitude and that “Let us hasten on,” she said, and she he might at las? vouchsafe her the help had almost to scream to make herself which she frit more certain than ever heard In the wild tumult. “It's mnghe alone could give. She was glad nlfiout. wonderful, bnt—” when the thought came to her that she A* u matter of fact, all the manlcould look herself aqunroly In the face festatlons of nature at Its grandest

would not hsve sufficed to head away from her lover's face If she

could have seen him.

“You can't go now," said Winter* decisively, "the rain's bad enough as It Is, and that cloud will Burst In a minute. Old Noah’s flood won't be a

circumstance to lu”

“l'm protected from the rain,” she

answered.

Winters shook his head.

The weight of It wonld almost best*yon down. Miss Illingworth.'' “I haven't bad any experience with IL but I think Winters Is right,” said

"I'll go on alone, then.” said the girl passionately, stepping out of the house. "If you gentlemen don't care to come." The next moment, with a culminating scream like the shriek of all the lost souls of creation heard above the

of the Kicking Horse, and which the . , ^ . young woman intended to cross In her said the cattleman. "I generally pro- furious detonating roar of tin- thunder, walk toward the dam with Rodney and fer to get over the ground astride of a ! tbt wind added Its quota to the deniWinters. Tbe siding near tbe steel- broncho, bnt I guess I can keep np oostmtlon of natural force, und now arch bridge was dose to the rock wall with the party for two miles, IP that's the rain fairly dropped upon them Iof tbe ravin a. which hero had been so the distance.” < apparently solid sheet*.

scoured oat ef the rocky side of the It was dark and damp and w

Si *-*:-«■**-—-1-—•

..... 7 .... . V . _ - t H..

horizon to the northwest was hid behind the big butte from the occupants of the two private care. Although the day did not promise to be fair, they had no Idea of the farther threat of

the black masses to

off the uroopleg boughs. It was well wettfi, of a western deluge lu ■ Helen was protected from the wet. «“■»? do hind will understand the Tet If he were there, he certainly She had tram,*ed hill* and mountains term. The wind swept over tbe pla would be Iu the thick of 1L Ms s that many a time, camp and forest were fa- "*«■* " *** fr"** rourso llk >- 8 j 1 ^ miliar to her. She wore a short- hurricane; the ralu came down In | I cent see him *

miliar to her. She wore s short- names to-; roe ram came uow n in! . v«u. **“*., wuld Winter* skirted dress, stout boot* and leg- masses apparently. Until their eyes turn. But whst a tight they are mu elmrs and a yellow western slicker. became accustomed to It. the falling Ing to save that dam. * The exertion of the upward climb. W8 *‘‘ r Wo «« 1 l 8 »<l*roi*e. “Will It hold?- asked tbe woman-

stuml.Ung over broken branches and Th* woman was hurled against the uprooted logs and floundering through Mde of the house by the sodden

utavt, a. »wu« staA «tb. w».>. b " L'?tar I “ta7"2i, h 'orTta™i,ta 0^;.,'. SS J

ST* ' S-I'tai tad tatata nta -r ,ta ta. tad Fvta

shall not be worried, Insolted any more.'

“Thank you. Mlsa Illingworth. I came for that book on tbe desk; your father wants II” mid ShurtUff grimly,

bowing slightly to her.

Ue stopp -d a UtUe trembUngty--the scon* had been unBsrvtag—past tbe

procreM of work on the bridge. Shun - US, who went about his business gravely reserved, frigidly o ld and self-con-tained, had work to do at his desk. Tbe woman and the two young men were for the dam. After an early b reek fast, therefore, the second car was uncoupled, and the diglns backed It down around tlte mesa toward the vtsdact twenty miles below. Rodney and Winter* prepared to go with Mias Illingworth across the woodad island, with It* crest*ng of atone, no to speak, that lay betwe«ti th* ra

_ _ of breath flooded. Where they stood, bowevci ’she reached the broken coulee. ^ happened to be the Mildest ' or ravine, which led to the top of the of the overhang of tbe roof, and |

big r«d mudstone plstuau.

said t

n ^ _ they were lu some degree protected "of practice." she ttu,t ,8 - fro ® ,l ' , • dl,vot violence of th< th. two men. "but l doit be- *** ** ™ urn ') urae state t!..n you ,D * ,n * P ‘ U °

“I'm terribly

“The Cape May County Titnc»"

publication. 104 Wc.t Jer- . Sea Isle City, aca. Ocean avenue. Sea Isle

are. Mr. Winter*.”

Id you I t

sat any good on

heir raincoats With one man c ther side of her to give her as much! •reteetlon as possible, the woman;

Mild Winters, who was blowing MalMt , b( .

i grampu*.

Kixlney langtied ut the two of them. “Look at me.'' he said “I'm as fresh

wall i

Loo

■dared through the rslo down t ley. »ccking to see th* dutu, perhapv j

a mile aad a half sway. Of course tht | 1 ' * maxlmom of the downpour could nol I b'?-

ny more than tbe maximum of tht I

r printed ! until H new *up-

NN Inter*. “It's thU plugging j, b0 , dvluxt . w> s succecdod h» 1

IhlM Krukab trmii —

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