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SYNOPSIS. c CHAPTER I?K. C. Rlckard, an engl- 3 neer of the Overland Pacific, is called to < the office of President Marshall in Tucson, Ariz. "Casey" is an enigma to the ' ntf\ea fnrro' he wears "dude" clothes. but he had resigned a chair of engineering In the East to go on the road as a 1 fireman and his promotion had been spec- 1 tacular. While waiting for Marshall Rlckard reads a report on the ravages of the Colorado, despite the efforts of Thomas 1 Hardin of the Desert Reclamation com- < pany. This Hardin had been a student under Rickard and had married Gerty Holmes, with whom Rickard had fancied f he was in love. CHAPTER II?Marshall tells Rickard , the Overland Pacific has got to step In to save the Imperial Valley and sends J him to the break. Rickard declines be- , cause he does not want to supplant Hardin, but is won over. "Stop the river/ ' damn the expense," eaja Marshall. < " CHAPTER III. _ : The Blessing of Aridity. When Rickard left the main line at | 1 Imperial Junction the next afternoon 1 his eyes followed the train he was deserting rather than the one that 5 was to carry him to his new labors. He felt again the thrill of detachment ' that invariably preceded his entrance into a new country. With the pulling j ] up of the porter's green-carpeted stool, '' the slamming of the train gates, the ! curtain fell on the Tucson set scene. The long line of cars was pushing , off with its ltnen-covered Pullmans j and diners, steaming down grade | toward the Sink, the depression which had been primeval sea, and then desert, and was now sea again. Old Beach, rechristened Imperial Junction for railroad convenience, was itself lower than the ancient sea line where once the gulf had reached. Rickard knew he could find shells at that desert station should he look for them. . He picked up his bag that the porter ' had thrown on the ground and faced the rung-down curtain. Tfn /v c r% vrAllAnr . iu9 paiuicu DV-cuc nas a j ciiu? oiatlon house broiling under a desert sun; a large water tank beyond, and In the distance the inevitable cardboard mountains, like property scene shifts, flat and thin in their unreal hues of burnished Rink and purple. A dusty accommodation train was backing and switching," picking up the empty refrigerator cars to carry into the valley for the early melon growers. Already the valley had asserted Its industrial importance; the late rampage of the Colorado had made it !' spectacular. Those who would pay Uttle attention to the opening of a new agricultural district in the heart * of a dreaded desert opened their ears ' to the vagary of the river which had 1 sportively made of a part of that des- 1 ert an inland sea. Scientists were rushing their speculations into print; would the sea dwindle by evaporation, 1 as It had done before? Or would the 1 overflow maintain the paradoxical ( sea? 1 The flood signs were apparent There cracks had SDllt the desert sand; here water fissures had menaced the track; and to the south a fringe of young willows hid the path of the Colorado's debouch. The men crowding the platform wore the motley of the new country. In Tucson the uniform of the male , Citizens, with the exception of those feckless ones who found Inevitably that lotus is a liquid, was the wilted pretense of a gentle civilization; de- 1 spondent ducks and khakis and limp ' collars. Imperial Junction marked the { downfall of the collar. The rest of j the composite costume was irregular, badly laundered and torn, faded and ' sunburned; the clothes of the desert J soldier. Rlckard saw buttonless , shirts, faded overalls, shabby hats? the sombrero of Mexico. The faces 1 under the broad-brimmed hats made a leaping impression upon him of youth ! and eagerness. He noted a significant average of Intelligence and alertness. This was not the Indolent group of men which makes a pretense of occupation whenever a train comes In! "Going in?* asked a voice at his ear. A pair of faded eyes set In a youngold face, whether early withered or well preserved he had not time to determine, was staring at him. He assured his Interlocutor that he was going In. His mooa Isolated the phrase; its significance vastly different from "going on." "Buying?"' MI think not" "It is a good time to buy." RIckard suspected a real estate agent. 'Tor land Is low?rock bottom prices on account of the uneasiness about the river. People are afraid. They want to see me compauy reueem some ui Its promises before they come in; and the company Isn't in much of a hurry." Rickard asked what company he rei ferred to. ' The young-old face with the faded eyes looked at him In surprise. "The D. R. company, Desert Reclamation, which brought, us all here." TsjfilG IVER EDNAH ? AIKEN ? m?-dOB6<S'Af?MflJ- COMPANY "Scarrps?" The newcomer's survey if the long line of naked mountains ind lean lands that formed the neck of the valley gave a snub of casuailess to the question. "No. F00I3!" The answer was as swift as a bullet. "Though some people think them worse than that. 1 ion't go so far; I'm willing to say they've tried. Til say that much. But they haven't the know-how." The window seats. Rickard could see, were filled before the cars halted, by the experienced ones who had not waited for the train to be made up. tn the scramble he spied a vacant window on the sunny side and made for It. A stranger dropped into the seat beside him. Every window In the car was open. Each red velveted, dusty seat wae Eilled. A strong desert wind was blow. Ing sand Into their faces, discoloring the seats and covering the floor. The engineer turned to his companion, who was coughing. "Do you mind this window being >pen7" 'Td mind if it were not. It's always aad at the Junction. When we get into the cultivated country you will see what the valley will be like when He Was "Going In." It Is all planted. The wind Is not jad when It blows over grain or alfalfa. It is the desert dust that nags )ne." He conghed again. "Going In?" Rlckard said he was going In. "Are you going to settle In the val? ley?" The Inquisitor was a man ol ibout fifty, Rlckard decided, with a lesert tan of apparent health. His face was clear cut and Intelligent. "I don't know." (lUbl iUUlVlLlg Llic LUUUUjr UTCl i "You might call It that." "Go slow," admonished his companion. "Don't let yourself be carried away. It is a wonderful country. But ?o Blow. It's the ones who expect to make millions the first year that become the worst knockers. Go slow, [ always tell them. Go slow." -It's not a good time to buy, then?" "Not so good as it was ten years igo 1 But land Is cheaper than It was i year back. In some districts you mn buy a good farm for a ticket back lome, the farmers are so discouraged. [Jold feet" The slang sounded oddly somehow. The man's voice had the cultivated precision of the purist 'Cold feet The river's chilled them, rhe valley's losing faith In the company." "What company?" Inquired Rlckard igaln. "There's but one company to the raney, tne one tnat Drougnt tnem lere, the D. R. They don't call the allroad the company. They won't rec)gnize that problem! It's had hard nek from the first, the D. R. At the rery start the wrong man got hold of t Sather, the first promoter, was a 'aker?a pretty thorough faber. The :ompany reorganized, but It's been In )ad odor with the public ever elnceA Rickard's eyes left the deep cuts In :he land made by the ravening waters ind looked at his companion. *1 thought Estrada was the original promoter?" he Inquired. "Estrada's a recent comer?oh, you nean the general. He started the ball nil Va.UU uiuu? , uiai vvao an. dqu iietum, iuiowing the Bliss complication, tied his lands." The man in the seat ahead was lis* :ening. His head was leonine, his >ody shriveled. Rickard could see on he neck the ancient burns that had spared the magnificent head. The rest >f the man had been shriveled and wisted into terrible deformity. Rickird found himself puzzling over the ncident with its accompanying mlricle. There was not a scar on the fao. "Estrada's business methods wei> then not different from Sather's and Hardin's!" It was a deep, rich organ. "Oh, you can't class Hardin with Sather," protested Rickard's companion. "Sather used Hardin. Hardin'? honesty cannot be questioned. It's not money's he's after. His whole hearl Is In this reclamation scheme." "Hardin's a false alarm," growled the owner of the massive head. ' "He makes promises. He never keeps them." The older man's smile was tolerant. "Barton," he indicated, "is the president of the water companies. And if you want to hoar about a rogue and a scoundrel ask the water companies their opinion of Hardin." "Well, what sort of a hole has he got us into?" demanded the other with heat. "Hardin's in a hole himself. "No one seems to remember that he crucified hitoself to save the valley, I've a great respect for Thomas Hap "*n." "Yes?" returned Rickard, whose llk? Ids had been captured by the speaker. The impression of distinction sharpened. The stranger wore a laundered pongee silk shirt, open at the neck but restricted by a brown silk tie; and It was trimly belted. There were but two neckties In the entire car, and | ti>py occupied, Rlckard observed, the same seat. "The beginning of the canal system." x Rlckard looked out upon a flat, oneicned country, marked off In rectangles by plows and scrapers. Farther south these rectangles were edged by young willows. He fancied he could see, even at that distance, the gleam of water. I It was the passing of the desert. A few miles back he had seen the desert In Its primitive nakedness, which not even cactus relieved. He was passing over the land which man and horses | were preparing for water. And he j nniiM cna Ion/? whoro Tunfpr WAS. "That was the way Riverside looked when I first saw it," commented the other man who wore a tie. "Come out on the rear platform. We can see bet- j ter^ (To Be Continued Tuesday.) HERBERT RAWLINSON, STAR j OF "COME THROUGH", NOW "SMASHING THROUGH" At the Opera House To-Night. Some poor fish who paid ten cents, to see Herbert Rawlinson in "Come Through", at a small house, over-! looking the gripping story and the; whirlwind fight, complained to tne( manager that Rawlinson did not look^ used up and had not a mark on his( face in the final close-up. Now that^ wouldn't faze some people, but the^ manager wrote to Rawlinson and the star got peeved. "I want a story," he told Henry McRae, "that shows that I'm being placed in danger of my life. I've taken all kinds of chances in films! and been hurt many times. But this guy makes me sore. He wntas to see me suffer. All right, it doesn't hurt me any more if he sees it. Ij have to feel it either way. So give: me a story that has all the stunts! you ever saw." The scenario department was thenj searched and a story which was under consideration for enlarging into^ a serial was shown to him. It was called "Smashing Through." All the' Korn Vl a rl 4rv ^n Kx- wqtt a# awnm^nn MV?V iiwu WW uv UJ TTC*jr VI CAC1VXOC I was to figfiht a posse of cowboys who were after another man, escape down a mine shaft with the girl in his arms pursue the girl in an auto, permit it to be wrecked by a collision with another car, steal a motorcycle and ride like , jump from the motorcycle going at full speed to a freight' train, and land on the trucks just over the track, while the train is making thirty miles an hour. Of course, there were such minor. things as personal combats ?o do, but these did not particularly interest the star. The stunts did, however, and that's, why the Universal is releasing "Smashing Through" as a Herbert j Rawlinson Special Attraction instead^ of as a serial. It bears the same re-j lation to "Come Through" as the word smashing does to the word i come. It will be seen in this citv ? ] first at the Opera House, where all the Specials have been playing lately, tonight, (Friday). Elmer Clifton is( responsible for the remarkable speed and dash of "Smashing Through." HOUSE TO TAKE UP PLAN FOR ARMY OF 175,000 Washington, Feb. 19.?The House j late Tuesday afternoon, by a vote of i 172 to 162, adopted a special rulel to consider the Senate bill, providing; for a peace tame army of 175,000 men to be raised by voluntary enlistment. ?Buy W. S. S.? Subscribe to The Press and Banner WFIOVED DfW8tM BfTtlHlTlORil 1 j SUfSONOL Lesson | (By P- B. FITZWATER, X>. Teacher of English Bible In the Moody j Bible Institute of Chicago.) (Copyright, 1918, Westers Newspaper Union.) | LESSON FOR FEBRUARY 23 THE BREACH OF THE COVENANT AND MOSES' PRAYER FOR ISRAEL. (May Be Used With Missionary Application.) WESSON TEXT-Exodus *2:1-84:9. GOLDEN TEXT?The effectual fervent \ prayer of a righteous man avalleth i much.?James 5:1S. ADDITIONAL MATERIAL?Deut ] ?: Et?h. 3:14-21: James 1:16-18. PRIMARY TOPIC?A?k God's help for I etfcerg. Memory Verse?James 5:16. JUNIOR TOPIC?Praying for other people. INTERMEDIATE TOPIC-Intercedlng ! for others. 8*KTOR AND ADULT TOPIC-The i rmlue of lotereeesory prayer. i Lees thin six weeks have elapsed since Israel took the oath of allegiance to JekoralL In less than forty days they flagrantly break the first and second commandments. I. The Golden Calf (32:1-6). 1. Moses1 delay ( . 1) This they In t?rpreted to mean that thtir leader had either lost his way in the dark- | nets or had perished In the fire that < hovered over the mount. 2. The people's demand (v. 1). They demanded of Aaron that he make then a god to go before them. Their profession of allegiance to God collapsed as soon as the strong personality of their leader was no longer felt S. Aaron's cowardly compliance (w. 2-4). He was an eloquent man, bat lacked moral courage. Many today can talk fluently, but vacillate before j the real issues of life. In order to gain time with the rebels he demand- > ed that they cast off their jewelry and bring it to him. Perhaps he thought j that their love for it would cause them to forego their demands, but they j cheerfully gave up their Jewelry for a false god. Aaron, like many compromising men of this age, opened a door which he could not shut 4. Wanton revelry (w. 5, 6). See wg msir aiapowituD, aiuuu ??icuau altar afcd proclaimed a fast unto Je- j hovab. He do doubt wished tbem to worship the Lord through the Image, but he had made a god for them aod it was a very short stsp to the heathen orgies connected with Idolatrous tforshlt). II. God's Burning Wrath (82:7-10). ! God's nature is such that be cannot tolerate a rival. No gods shall be be- i fore his face. The rival must be removed or the people must be consumed with divine wrath. God does pot own them as his people, for they had cast him off. III. The Mediation of Moms (82:1114). The declaration of a divine purpose , to destroy the Israelites did not deter j Moses from making intercession for ; them. What was his threefold plea? : (w. 11, 12, 18). j Moses knew full well that the people deserved to die, therefore he could not I plead any merit on their part His ! plea was based wholly on God's pur- i pose for Israel. Through his interestsion God relents. IV. Judgment Falls (32:15-35). * 1' t- u. iV* i.WU. 4^41 A. JU.O&B9 uruiko UiO UIU1CV VI IVW4* j p mony (tv. 15-19) emblematic of ths |1 breach of their covenant with God. 2. Moses destroyed the Image (v. 20) and made the people drink of the water which contained its dust, thus making them to experience in a physical sense the bitterness which results from sin. 3. Moses showed Aaron that he was I Inexcusable for his part In the dls- j graceful affair (n. 21-24). 4. Moses called for those who would | take a stand for the Lord to gird their words and alay all who stood oat in rebellion. The tribe of Leri ranged themselves on hla side and became the instniment by which God chastened his people ( . 26-29). 5. Moses confessed the great sin of the people and begged that God would forgive them. He was willing to suffer the punishment himself, if possible, and let the people go free. The Lord declared te him in answer that every mnn should bear his own sin (w. 30- . 367. V. The Covenant Renewed (33:1-1 I 1. Hoses' commission renewed (Ch. j 38). j 2. The second tables of the law j given (34:1-9). In the giving of these j tables he reiterated God's Justice, but j gave particular emphasis to his merey. | "The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in good-! ness and truth, keeping mercy for! thousands, forgiving Iniquity and | transgression and sin, and that will by | no means clear the guilty; visiting the l Iniquity of the fathers upon the cMl- j dren, and upon the children's children, ? *** *Va and trtxTtamHnn " I UiiBU IliO UliiU ?MU AVIUUi BVUV?H MV1M What to Pray For. Oh, do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to yonr powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle. But you shall be a miracle. Every day you shall wonder at yourself, at the richness of life which has come to you by the grace of God.?Phillips Brooks. Fellowship. Those who follow Christ are blessed with the fellowship of Christ. Where , I th?re is fellowship tkere is fellowship. ' " Their Medicine Ch IT is characteristic of ; fol!:g after t'.icy puss the allotted 1 ' threo score J cars uud ton," 10 look i back ovi-r tlir? days that are pono I and though.lully live them over. \ I find myself, at rsronty-onc, frequently ; ' drifting Back a quarter < f a century, when j ' I see myself in the little d -ug riore I owned i i at B>'!ivar, JMo., making aud_ Felliitg'a j i vegetable compound ti my frien(i9 and I ) cuscomcra?what was then lmurii only ?s I Dr. Lewis' Jiedirine for Stomach, Liver j and Bowel Complaints. For many year* while I was perfecting my i formula "1 studied arul investigated tLc i laxatives ar.d cathartic i on the market and becamo convinced that tho.'r main fault was not that they did uot act ca tho bov.-els, I but that their action wa3 U<o vlo'cnt r.nd i rlrrvQf ir?. nnil rnsct t!:o rvftctn of tlse User; I which wr.s duo to t'.io fact t'.ir.t thry were not thorough er.orp'.iin their action, crnr.o simply ac:ing on tua upper or snail intestines, while other3 would act only on Ibo lower or larno i:ites;incs, end taat they almost invariably produced a habit requiring augmented doses. I believed that a preparation to produce the best effect must firrt tone the liver, then acton tho stomach and entire alimentary system. If this was accomplished, the medicine would produce a mild, but thorough elimination of the waste without the usual sickening sensations, and make the user feel better at once. After experimenting^ with ^ hundreds ol ! cunerent compounas, 1 31. last pcriecwu, mc formula that is now known as Nature's Remedy, which I truly believe goes further | McMURRAY DR ^P?Ss:;|:;; FARR Make Moi NEVER before, in the history will reap the benefit in bigg ducts brought such high pri the Crop, the greater will your pr you make each acre of land produ cotton, corn, truck?use Planters corn?1 to 2 bales of cotton pe: through use of this reputable Fer PLANTERS F M A n r~ ^ % 9 UVVDUC.9 T Ror many years Planters Fertilize South's most successful farmers, to produce bigger, better crops. M GET RESULTS THAT WILL PL for Free Advice, Information an TODAY. It means dollars to y Planters Fertilizei . MANUFA< CHARLESTON - - FERT1I .est For 20 Years j i-id does more tlian any laxative on the la^rke; toc.av. liii thousands of letters fr m US0.-3 have convinced n-.e I was right, in.l tl.at thauser of Nature's Remedy as a laniljv metiicine, even vuwvh jio m?/ iiic;! it for twenty-livo years, never has Lo increase tlio dose. y.y knowledgj of medicine and tlie results of its use in try rwn family and am njc ny friends, b> fo-e 1 ever offered it fr:r f '.ie, carded r.:c to hare great faith in Nature's Remedy from t'.:e very lir.st. And nowai I find riv elf ncaring the age ivl;cn I mutt bow to the inevitable and go to another life, mv greatest pleasure is to ait rac i day and rera tho letters that each mail brings from people as old or older tlian I, wlio toil cf having used Nature'; [Inmcrfy for ten, fifteen and twenty year?, r.rv.1 Lfnv they and t'icir children aur' grandchildren "have been benefitted by it. It 13 a consoling thought, my friends, fo. a man at my age to led that aside from his own 3ticccss, one has done something for his fellow man. My greatest satisfaction, my greatest happiness today, is the knowledge that tonight more tnan one niiil.on people win taue a rcauire s riemBQy (NR Tablet) and will be better, healthier, happier people for it. I hope you will be one of them. ' A. H. LEWIS MEDICINE CO., 8t. louis, Mo. UG COMPANY - ' flERS re Money of the country, have farm, pro;er profits! Naturally the larger ces. And the successful farmer ofit be; hence it is essential that ce its utmost. For prize crops of i Fertilizer. 90 to 95 bushels of r acre are records established filiTor nn Snnfhorn -farmc IRTUJZERS OUR YIELD r has been the preference of the because it has made it possible ake every acre count this year? (EASE YOU. Consult our Agent d Prices?or write us direct? ou. . ... ! ! 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