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?. ?l v THE RTS '1 By EDNA (Continued From Tuesday) CHAPTER XXlf. A Visit to Maldonado. Mrs. JHardin's descent on the office ] that afternoon was successful, but not ] satisfactory. She had found the manager brief to curtness. She was given no excuse to linger. She traced Rickard's manner to the presence of MacLean, and snatched at her cue. She, too, could be businesslike and brief. Her errand was of business; her manner should recommend her! Rickard had seen her making straight toward the ramada. It was not the first time; her efforts to line her nest had involved them all and often. But today, he was in a bad humor. I "For the Lord's sake," he groaned to MacLean as she approached. MacLean's grin covered relief. He had never heard Rickard express himself n the subject before. "The dead-set Hardin's wife was making at Casey," was the choice gossip and speculation of the "young engineers on the Delta.' I MacLean had a bet up on the outcome. . He grinned more securely. MI am not going to spare any more , carpenters," growled Rickard. It was ; an inauspicious day for Mrs. Hardin's visit Things had gone wrong. Vex toons were piling up. a mi wiui uurdin that morning, a telegram fron Marshall; he was feeling sore. Des perately they needed labor. Wooste had just reported, venomously, It ap ,peared to Rlckard's spleen, increaslni drunkenness among the Indians. Gerty's ruffles swept in. Her dress the blue mull with the lace medallions -accented the hue of her eyes, an? ! looted dellclously cool that glarlnj * i desert day. Her parasol, of pongee was lined with the same baby hue >Her dainty fairness and, childish af I fability should have made an oasis ii | i that strenuous day, but Rlckard's dii! integration of temper was too com I plete. He rose stiffly to meet her, an( ihis manner demanded her ei and. She told it to him, plaintively. Hei eyes were appealing, infantile. Woulc it be too much to ask, wou'd Mrj Rlckard mind in the least, he m st bt perfectly frank and tell her if thej! would be in the way at all, but whll< this hot spell lasted, could they, th? three of them, eat in the mess tenl ' with the men? "Surely!" . Rlckard met it heartily , * She would find* it rough, but if she could stand it, yes, he thought it 8 good idea. ' ' . ! And then there was nothing for hei; to do but go. Her retreat was grace- i ful, without haste, dignified. She! ^smiled a farewell at MacLean, whcj was watching the approach of Innes Hardin and Estrada. Rlckard did not see the aborted entrance of Hardin's; rfilgter and the young Mexican. He; Itching *' be at his work. ' p He let out a growl when Mrs. Har- J din was out of earshot. ..| i , : "Shucks! What in Halifax do worn* | ,en come to a place like this for? j There's Hardin?brings In two women to cook for him, and now, please may they all eat with the men?" : His secretary subdued a chuckle.; He was visualizing a procession of boxes of choice Havanas?from Bode- j feldt, Hamlin and the ?rest of the gang. He need not buy a smoke for a year. Rlckard threw himself back in his; chair. "Take this letter, MacLean. To \ Marshall." Then his worry diverted him. "Who in thunder is selling liquor to my Indians?" "Pfnlrt nn thnt letter ran wait Vnn get the horses up, MacLean, and we'll ride down to Maldonado's. It's his place to stop this liquor business, not mine." A few hours later they were approaching the adobe walls of Maldonado. They found the gate locked. A woman, whose beauty had faded into a tragic whl/ per, a ghastly twilight of suggestion, came to their knock, and nnbarred the gate for the white strangers. Mystery hung over the Inclosure like a pall. Rickard told his errand. Maldonado sputtered and swore. By the mother of Mnry the Virgin, that thing would be stopped. He showed to the senors, with pride, his badge. He was a rukoIa Via \raa ta nnhnl^ fha Iaht L (Aft V I UU fvao UUV/4 ^ IV U[IUV4U lliv MATT* He had caught some of those drunken Indians on the road. He had brought them here. Maldonndo showed three men in a locked shed, deep in drunken stupor. He thought the liquor was obtained somewhere back In the sandhills. He would find the place. But the senor must be patient; his hands were so full. Both men were glad to get away from the place and Waldonado. Obtfoasiy he vm a brale; aodeabtediy it wu a Mr. ( ? /ER / H AIKEN CHAPTER XXIII. A White Woman and a Brown For a few weeks Mrs. Hardin fo the mess tent diverting. Before Delta had expanded the capacitj the camp her soft nook had been o taxed, her hospitality strained, men of the reclamation service, thr into ..temporary inactivity, were e: to accept the opportunity created another. Failing that other, her had flagged. Events were mo' quickly at the break; Itiekard was sorbed. Mrs. Hardin told herself it was the heat she wished to escr not to her own ear did she wliii that she was following Rickard, that the percolator and chafing t her shelves and toy kitchen wer wasted effort. She kept on good te with herself by Ignoring self-c< dences. Rickard, the discovery unfol slowly, took his meals irregularly, breakfast wasxgulped down before women appeared; his dinners wl ho foTinr! them. uNo wonder!" reflected Gerty I din. "Ling's cooking is so bad." Si wonder the manager foraged for meals. She worked out a mission as lav across her bed that hot aftern Her duty became so clear that could no longer lie still. Immedlt she must retrieve her( weeks of ncss; what must Rlckard think of She buttoned herself thoughtfully a frock of pale colored muslin, cr slipping toward canary. White too glaring on a red-hot day like Pink was too hot, blue too definite parasol of pastel green, and she lot like a sprig of fragrant mlgnonetl She found tl^e open space of trapezium swarming with stn dark faces. So silent their cormns had not heard the arrival of the trl She Isolated the Coeopahs, statel: bronze statues, their long hair stn ing, or wound mud-caked under brilliant headcloths. Foregatlie w'ith them were men of other trll these must be the Yumas and De nos, the men needed on the rl These were the men who were to v on the rafts, weave the great i tresses. A squad of short-haired mas with their squaws and ba and their gaudy bundles, gaped at fair-haired woman as she passed, central space was filling up with mas and Maricopas, Papagoes, 1 she knew them collectively by t short hair. These were brush cutt This, then, meant the beginning real activity. Tom would at last satisfied. He would no longer : and rajje alternately at the hold-uj tne woric. Before she readied Rickard's mada she saw that another woi was there. She caught on impasslo gesture. - Her only surmise rested Innes. Qerty saw that shejyns dc iookpfl tKe'Jmlfbreed. Jhe br< wSnl'an drew bock as the white woi entered. Gerty smiled "an airy r surance. She herself would waft, did not want to be hurried. She Riekard that she had plenty of ti 'There is something you want to me?" Rickard's patience was o teous but firm. He would hear her rand first. Gerty, remembering imploring attitude of the 6tranger, termlned that she would not be : flwnr. "Will you crcuse me, senora? will be only a minute." She was to tell her errand, briefly! Gerty swept past the intru "Sit down, Mrs. Hardin." Resenting the inflection, she I she would stand. .Her voice wo little hard, her eyes were veiled, she told her mission. Her usual ency dragged; she felt a lack of i spatliy. In short, she proposed a ( missary department, herself in chn "I'd like to feel I was of some v urged Gerty. "My heart is bound in this undertaking; if I'm allowe stay, I'd like to help along. Thi the only way I can, the woman's w "Aren't you taking a good deal vnnrsrlf. Mrs. TTnrriin?" Then she forgave his hesita quite, as it was of her he was th Ing. "Not if it helps." Her voice low and soft, as if this were a se between them. "Why, of course, anything you Mrs. Hardin." And, remembering former position, he added, "The cai ; yours as much as mine." i A glad smile rewarded him. , went out, reluctantly. There wt new significance in MacLean's abs : from the ramada. What could ' woman have to say that MacI ! must not hear? For the first , the weak tenure on her old lover c l to her. Not a sign had he yet g I of their understanding, of the plqi I dtuatlon. Themselves old aweethe thrown togethar la this wLld an Wha* bad sfc* MM tec b?mi >' \ ??- word here, a translated phrase, or magnified glance. She would not harbor the new worry. Why, it would be' all right. In the meantime she would show them all what a woman with executive ability could do. "Sit down, senora," said Rickard to the brown woman, Maldonado's wife. "Don't be frightened. We won't let him hurt you." Rickard vulgarized his Casttlian to the reach of her rude dialect. Familiar as was RIckard with the peons' speech in their own country, he could not keep up with her story. Lurid words ran past his ears. Out of the jumble of abuse, of shame and misery he caUght a new note. "You say Maldonado nimseir sens < llqucr to the Indians?" i "Ssh, senor!" Someone might hear 1 him! She looked over a terrified shoulder. That had slipped out, the ] selling of the liquor. She could have i told her story without that; she want- i ed to deny it. Relentlessly Rickard i made her repeat-it, acknowledging the < truth. "What makes you tell me now?" Rickard hunted for the ulcer. Hc\ i Und knew there was a personal wronjr. tl,e "What has Maldonado been doing to 1 r 0f you? Has he left you?" ( vor- The veil of fear was torn from her i The eyes. The trembling woman was gene, i own a vengeful wildcat in her place.v "Left 1 Igor me. Maldonado? Left his hpmfe, for where he traps the Indian with' one ] zeal coin in his pockets? No, senor. He j ring brought her to our home, there; Lupe. ab- the wife of Felipe, the Deguino. I that told him not to fool with Felipe; the ( mo: Indian was dangerous; he had hot < sper blood. Maldonado struck me?lie [ nor kicked me?he said I was jealous? lish, and hit me again. e a "Maldonado told me to get a big rms meal. I told him that It Xvas fof FeDnQ lipe. When I said I > would not cook for that treachery he cursed, me, he Idcd kicked me again." She threw off the His reboso, dragging x her dress loose, the "Don't," frowned Rlckard. He had iere seen a welt across her shoulder?a screaming line of pain. jnr. She wound the reboso around the ( null dishonored shoulder. "I cooked his dinner I There was a lot of liquor? hi; { Pollrvo TITOo flmnlr tha (Minlln mnfl( ' S]1( hlm^raad, quite mad. He seemed t< * 10on know something was wrong; he foughl 1 s{j< as Maldonado dragged him to the,cell, ,te]j the senor remembers the cell? The : Idle n?*t day Maldonado sent for two ruher* rales. They started the next day for jntf Ensenada, taking Felipe; that day 0:irr Maldonado brought Lupe home. I t was said she could, not stay and he ( this. laughed in my face, senor. He put A me outside the walls. I beat that c ?a^' ^Xou^ViTl H'tTp^Me, Senor?" ens- \ She until my fingers bled. I rememto]d bered the kind face of the senor, and i ime then t came here. You will help me, | tcn* senor?" , ' 0lir. Rlckard shook his head. "I shall: *,n,m *A JaaIt InfA thlc thlncr If this I 0p. | ii?tu iv iw? iubv vuim ?? -?-? j the is true it's prison for- your husband. (je. You won't have to fear Lupe." sent "When he gets out he will kill me, senor." It The terror wag seizing her again. Before she could begin her pleading and he called to MacLean. der- "Ask Ling to find a tent for Senora Maldonado. Tell him to give her a said good meal." lS a He must trap the rogue. That in? as fernal place must be closed. The j woman had come in the nick of time, lym- Those tribes were to be guarded as !?m- restiess children, rge. |se'" CHAPTER XXIV. I up ^ V* Rickard Makes a New Enemy and a ny? New Friend. i on The corn,nS of Indians gave the impetus the work had lacked. Under tloq Jenks of the railroad company a large force was put on the river; these, the j wpnvers of the brush mattresses that 1 wag -- ? i cret were t0 1,ne the river bed. ( On the 1 banks were the brush cutters; tons of ,ant ; willows were to be cut to weave into jjgp the forty miles of woven wire cable | mp'3 siting for 016 cross strands. Day i by day the piles of willow branches g. grew higher, the brush cutters work- j Ing ahead of the mattress workers in | p the stream. In the dense undergrowth that st0,Id Indians, Plmas and Maricoa pas and Papagoes, struggled with the J a I fierce thorn of the mesquit and the overpowering smell of the arrow ? weed. As tough as the hickory handles they wielded, they fought a clearing . through dense thickets in the Inteose taqpic ? A Co< Down stream the Brobdingnaglan j arm of the dredge fell Into the mud of ^ the by-pass, dropping Its slimy burden Dn the far bank. Down the long * stretch of levee the "skinners" drove __ their mules and scrapers;' two pile drivers were setting 14 the treacherous Stream the piles Vitfilch Were to anchor the steel-cabled mattresses to the river bed. It was a well-organized, active scene. Rickard, In his office, [ dictating letters and telegrams to Mac- j Lean, Jr., felt his' first satisfaction. Things were beginning to she* ' *e re- I 3ult of months of planning 7ra'i' . ?re [ rushing in from north n1- J v j juarry between Los |l 3on requisitioned ' 1 lng' j A shadow f.a .. I Ling, in blu t ?ni - .lite I DUtcher apron /Jted for th" boss" j to look up. He- or?ci the per-j spiration from L. tea:l ^airless ex-! sept for the long . .1 .apered queue, i "Well, Ling?" "I go tamale." His voice was soft as silk. "I no stay." It was a thunderclap. There was j| . qo one to replace Ling, who was drawing down the salary of a private T' secretary. Lose Ling? It would be ?; more demoralizing to the camp than ?== to lose an engineer. ^ ^ "Money all lite. Bossee all lite. No llkee woman. Woman she stay, ling |H "Mrs. Hardin 1" Rlckard woke up. Jj|j "She all time makee trouble. She ||g ;lazy. She think woman vellee fine |g :ook. She show Ling cookee plunes. Ep: reachee Ling cookee plunes! , I no bT stay that woman." Unutterable final- |l ty in the leathern face. Rlckard and $| Mac-Lean, Jr., exchanged glances ^ svhich deepened from concern Into M perplexity. They could not afford to hj ose Ling. And offend Mrs. Hardin, Eh :he camp already Hardlnesque? H Rlckard grew placating. He spent M i half hour wheedling. They met at B :ne starling piuue. "jLiing go lamaie." i ? "Oh, Lord," groaned the manager, H capitulating. "All right, Ling." JWith the dignity of an oriental I >rince, Ling pattered out of the te??*\ I If lickard was puckering his lips at jJb I Iff secretary. "I'd rather take ca ji' S til" P (To Be Continued Tuesday'. MOTlCE TEACHERS' { I EXAMINA.Xir | The Regular Spring Teachers' Ex- K imination will be held in the County 3ourt House at Abbeville, on Satur- I' lay, Kay 3rd, between the hours of > a. m., and 4 p. m. B W. J. EVANS, m l-l-3t. Co. Suptl ?f Education. V k COLD SPRING NEWS. V ^ } Cold Springs, April 22.?Mr. and ifrs. R. A. Hagen spent Sunday at ^ P. F. Uldrick's. . ?|g Misses Lillian and Elliott Coleman pent Saturday with Miss Ruby Mc3ord. ^ Mr. Fred Uldrick spent Saturday ^ tight with R. S. Uldrick and family. Jprj Mr. Allen King has been spending i few days with home people. f ? Miss Eunice Uldrick spent the with branch running through property. Cheap at $2,100.00 s SOLD WO STORY DWELLING?6room, hall, electric lights and sewerage, 5 minutes walk from square. Bargain at $1,250.00 20 ACRES?Four miles South East of Abbeville, dwelling, tenant house, well, 500 cords wood, some saw timber. Cheap at $17.50 per acre. List Your4 Property ^ Rent or Es Jno. F. Su Abbeville, - - * k 1-'% S. C. Six room dwelling, 3room tenant house, barn. About 2-horse farm rented for this year. Good bottom Z land, plenty ashe wood and timber. Price $4,40C. TWO GOOD RESIDENCES? on North Main Street, for sale. Ask for prices. ACRE L(DT?In Fort Pickens. Good location. Price $600. 231 1-2 ACRES?7 mileg South of Abbeville, two tenant 1 houses, barn, well; 15 acres bottoms, 150,000 f??t saw reek-end with "home people. : Miss Ola Winn spent Thursday light with her water, Mrs. T. M.{ REAL ES' t f m city property. These a 100 ACRE TRACT?Six and 4 one-half miles from Abbeville in Sharon neighborhood; close to school and church. I Three-room house and barn. 6 82 ACRE TRACT OF LAND? 4 miles south of Abbeville. Tenant house, barn, 8 or 10 ' acres of fine branch bottoms, 35 acres in cultivation, balance in woods both pirte and ash. Rented for this year. Near school house. Price per acre $20.00 LOT?on South side ot town, 150x150 feet. Price, $150.00 ^ 156 ACRE TRACT?Located 4 miles Southeast of Abbeville :hran. dr. Frank Uldrick dined at W. B. [rick's Sunday. lessfs. Guy and Tom Osborn Pure Ice . . i Manufactured Under I soft drinks Soft CIGARETTES x TOBACCOS p ^ CANDIES vAJIl . FRUITS ' We ar. CIGARS the most , licit youi Abbeville Cai G!@W BIG1 The demand the coming year will far exceed that of any rece The half-starred peoples of Europe are ing. And the world is depending upon Yoq cannot raise a 100 % crop unless jrc a matter of balanced conditions,of the s Potash must be present in the p/ope be raised. rsmww XJBLKS V because it con! ns available Photphori ti-'lit pro;>o;r<io. . Evc:y bap r " mped with our Giant I ior your proteciipn, and better place yo avoid delayed delivery. Ask our agent in your town for infonr ui direct. Planters Fertilizer V MANUFA( W PHARLESTON. S T-1 4 f H 1 v f I AIL re good investments-,timber. Two horse farm already rented for 1919. Price per acre $25.00 SOLD -ROOM RESIDENCE?On S. Main St., containing 4 acres, more or less. Good barn, 1 honse. rat nroof crib. spent Sunday with Mr. Sanders, fl Abbeville. Q Mr. Joe Winn 'spent SaturdajH night with Mr. William Uldrick. R Cream? V ' *; <C'*v? Js Sanitary Conditions. Drinks arid r rections..... ' -;V V;: a prepared to serve you In courteous manner and so- I t :. ' 1 patronage. idy Kitchen i 11 ~ ? ?r?? GERCROP^I for Cotton, Corn, Grain, etc.. | nt years. | even now crying oat for food and cloth- I nB the Fanners of America to Supply it. I >u have a 100 % loiL Fertility ?largely I ,H9 oil. Phosphoric Add, Ammonia, and | r proportion! if bumper ctops- are to | ^Hj TKTIUZER I tHIR YIELD c Add, Ammonia and Potash in the I I I .iz&rd Trade-Mark. Look for it?it's i ur order for Planter's right now and 19 Lation, free adrice, or prices, or write L^H & Phosphate Co. 11 :turers ' V ' ' JmB OUTH CAROLS >y* rjr^k. ^Clr? . H ybrimmediatesale I lowing country and H -Ask About Them I 166 ACRES?6 miles from Abbeville. Good dwelling, barn tenant house, located in Leb- H| anon section, close to school jflj and church. Price per acre -$30.00 FOR QUICK SALE?120 Acre H Tract of Land with 6 Room Bfl dwelling, bam, good pasture, enough to pasture 40 head of cattle. Rents for 5 bales cot- HH ton. Price $60.00 Per Acre Hj 5-ROOM DWELLING? On H South Main Street, at Cotton Mill. Price, $1,125.00. Hj 5-ROOM COTTAGJE? Right at 9 High School, on Parker St. Lot 80x198. Prjce, $1,600.00. H iVith Me for Sale, I cchange. H itherland I South Carcriina. I