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;/ jj vrm m w SYNOPSIS. u CHAPTER I?K. C. Rickard, a t engineer of the Overland Pacific, i d called to the office of President Mar-i h shall in Tucson, Ariz. "Casey" is an' enigma to the office force; he Wears "dude" clothes, but he had resigned * a chair of engineering in the East to d go on the road as a fireman and hip r promotion had been spectacular.! tl While waiting for Marshall Richard i< reads a report on the ravages of the I j, Colorado, despite the efforts of Tho- ^ mas Hardin of th e Desert Reclama-j tion company. This Hardin had been a student under Rickard and had v married Gerty Holmes, with whom H Rickard had fancied he was in love. ! v CHAPTER II?Marshall tells Rick-J li ard the Overland Pacific has got to step in to save the Imperial Valleyi M and sends him to the break. Rickard declines because he does not want to's supplant Hardin, but is won over. I 11 "Stop the River; damn the expense',"( k says Marshall. i s " CHAPTER III?Rickard journeys h to Calexico, sees the irrigated desert b and learns much about Hardin and ^ his work. , ! ., . CHAPTER IV?At the hotel he J - meets Mr: and Mrs. Hardin and Innes . Hardin, Hardin's half -sister. Disap- 8 pointed in her husband and an in- t corrigible coquette, Mrs. Hardin sets 'J hfer* cap for her former lover and in- c vites him to dqmgr. ? r CHAPTER^ V?Rickard visits the company's offices ami taxes control. t; He finds the engineers loyal to Har- . djn and, hostile to hia. Estrada,;s.a Mexican, s*m. of the "Fathar of the J Imperial V&Hey," teDs h*? of the > general situation. " tl ; CHAPTER VI?Bfckard attends a ? meeting of the directors and asserts c his authority. Hardin rages. Estrada d tflls I&ckard of his foreboding that c his work wiH falL can't see it finished.** * ;' 3 k - CHAPTER "Vfi V , J (Continued From Tuesday) 0 v " * "* o , "Hitc >ee the force to to-begln tl at ?noey 'demanded RickartL n .** had It/* evaded Hardin. '1 had c emylhjMg steady to go on?men, ma- ii teria!?when to stopped the last h time." , * c "Answer my question, please." p "I should have to assemble them tl again," admitted Hardin sulkily. a Iliekard consulted his notebook. "1 B fktnlr au^M mvnwrf avorvfhlnv VftV Vi I want to propose the laying of a spur [ E track' from Hamlin's Junction to the j Heading." His manner cleared the tl stage of supernumeraries; this was Y the climax. Hardin looked ready to V spring. ... F *And in connection.with that the development of a quarry in the graftlte i V hms back of Hamlin's," ^coptinued Rick- ! n and, not looking at Hardin. Instantly Hardin was on his feet E His fist thundered on the table. "I' a shall oppose that,** he flared. ""It is ab-! L " u . H t 6l Instantly Hardin Was on His Feet. tl 5 solutely unnecessary. We can't afford ? it. Do yon know what that will cost, gentlemen?" ' '-M-' ' * "One hundred thousand dollars!" T Blckard Interrupted him. "I want an appropriation this morning for that . amount It is, In my opinion, abso lutely necessary 11 we are 10 save me t. alley. We cannot afford not to do it, Mr. Hardin!" * J Hardin glared at the other men for e, support; he found MacLean's face a js blank wall; Estrada looked uncom- t( fprtable. Babcock had pricked up his ears at the sound of the desired appro- u; prlatlon; his head on one side, be looked like an Inquisitive terrier. *? Jl. .....J hi. V ~1_ If-i mi n vyimu wuk u^m iumi^ m uny lea desperation. "Yoa'ii ratal ???" b# j , *w. "If* jour money, the 0. P.*% ^ bat ta&fic tt,..Bgt rtrtaf it to n ? - - * J ^ EDNAH AIKEN Ia <S> mrooeaa-rtSM/u. COM/MY , ^ is." You are going to swamp the Des rt Reclamation company. We can't hrow funds away Mke that." Qne hun- *c red thousand dollars! Why, he coukl ave stopped tne river at any time it " e had had that sum; once a paltry Cl housand would have saved them? "1 er idn't ask the O. P. to come in and ei uin us, but to stop the river; not to . hrow money away in hog-wild fash- w in." He was stammering inarticulate- r* 7. "There's no need of a spur-track ** P you rush my gate through." "If," Rickard nodded. "Granted, cl re can rush it through. But suppose t fails? Marshall said the railroad rould stand for no contingencies. The ^ aterests at stake are too vital?" * "Interests!" cried Tom Hardin. .. What do you know of the interest at take? You or your railroad? Coming 5* 1 at the eleventh hour, what can you j31 now? Did you promise safety to thou ands of families If they made their v* omes In this valley? Are you responsi- ai le? Did you get up this company, In- ^ uce your friends to put their money, ^ a It, promise to see them through 1 Vhat do you know of the interests ai ^ take? You want to put one hundred housand dollars into a frill. God, do * ou know what that means to my ? oinpany? It means ruin?" Estrada railed him down In his seat. a] RJcfcard explained *o the directors lie necessity in. his opinion of the spur- ^ rack and the quarry. Rock in great a nan titles would be needed; cars must w e rushed in tb the break. He urged k( he importance of clenching the Issue. a' If It's not won this time, It's a lost ause^" he,maintained. "If it cuts a ^ eepe?r gorge, t?e ImpeHal valley is i u hlmera; so is Laguna dam." " The other men were drawn into the rgnment fiabcock leaned toward Harin^B conservation. IfacLean was Ju- 1,1 IdaL ?8tritda upheld Rlckard. The 1- vt_ n nnnAn Iiumxui:*, lu ills upiuiuu, noa cooculal to success. Hardin coald see the 1< leeting managed between the new- w omer and the Mexican, and hid anger npotently raged. His temper made ts im Incoherent. He could see Rlckard, le ool and Impersonal, adding to his to olnts,, and MacLean slowly won to lie stronger side. Hardin, on his feet gain, tfas sputtering helplessly nt ai ijibcock, when Rlckard called for a It ote. The appropriation was carried, [ardin's face was swollen with rage. b< Rlckard then called for a report on le clam-shell dredge being rushed at M uma. Where was the machinery? st 7as It not to have been finished In fr ebruary? tt "Why not get the machinery here? G that's the use of taking chances?" de- tt landed Rlckard. tt Hardin felt the personal Implication, w fe was1>n his feet in a second. "There ai re no chances." He looked at Maclean. "The machinery's done. It's no bi se getting it here until we're ready." f ic "There are always chances," Interipted his opponent coolly. "We. are m olng to take,none. I want Mr. Har- w In, gentlemen, appointed a committee f one to see that the machinery Is de- m vered at once, and the dredge rushed." ea The working force was Informally or iscussed. Hardin said they could de- d< end on hobo labor. Rlckard agreed tr lat they would find such help, but it ould not do to rely on It The big et ?wer system of New Orleans was Ei bout completed; he had planned to to Ttte there; stating the need. And lere was a man in Zacatecas, named dt orter? ca "Frank Porter?" sneered Hardin, b< that?murderer?" h? "His brother," Rlckard answered w leasantly. "Jim furnishes the men at )r the big mines In Sonora and Slna- ft 1a. jtie ii Bena us an uie laoor we se ant, the best j?or our purpose. When gets red-hofT there's no one like a eon or an Indian. "You'll be Infringing on the lnternaonal contract law," suggested Macean. H "No. The camp is on the Mexican t de," laughed Casey. "I'd thought of th lat. We'll have them shipped to the di earest Mexican point, *and then w, rought to the border. Mr. Estrada bj ill help us." de The meeting had already adjourned. Di hey were standing around the flat- i0 >p desk. Estrada Invited them all to a? inch with hlsp, In the car on the sld- T1 kg. MacLean said that be ha? to get ne ack to Los Angeles. Mr. Babcock as going to take him out to Grant's th leading in the machine. He had nev- jn r been there. They had breakfasted tte. He looked very much the colonel ,j ) Rlekard. his full ohest nnd utiff r?r. _ age made more military by his trim olforjn of khaki-colored cloth. ,p( "Maj I speak to yon about your boy, 0* tr. MacLean?" 1 Hartib caught a slight that was not iteoded. Be pushed past the group t the door without civility or cere'iff iiiaTli iitfr lift a- jj fa ** rame looked" af KickarcT Inquiringly. "He wants to stay out another year, hope you will let him. It's not disinirested. I shall have to take a stenogipher to the Heading this summer, 'here Is a girl here; I couldn't take er, and then, too, I'm old-fashioned; I on't like women in offices. My posion promises to be a peculiar one. I'd ke to have your son to rely on for iiergencies a stenographer could not )ver." MacLean's grave features relaxed as 5 lo'oKed dowri on the engineer, who as no small man himself, 'and sugjsted that liis son was not very well p In stenography. "That's the least of it." "I hope that he will make a good enographer! Good morning, gentleien." At table, neither Estrada nor his nest uncovered their active thought hich revolved around Hardin and his urt. Instead, Ricknrd had questions > ask his host on river history. As ley talked, It came to him that someone wns amiss?Estrndn wns no irate; he had all his facts. Was it ithusiasm, sympathy, he lacked? Presltly he challenged him with it. Estrada's eyes dreamed out of the indow, followed the gorge of the New ver, as though out there, somewhere. ie answer hovered. "Do you mean, do you doubt it?" exaimed Rlckard, watching the melanloly in the beautiful eyes. Estrada shook-his head, but without ;cision. "Nothing you'd not laugh at. can laugh at it myself, sometimes." Rickard waited, not sure that anyilng more was cdming. The Mexiin's dark eyes were troubled; a puzzle ooded in them. "It's a purely negave sense that I've had, since I was a llld. Something falls between me id a plan. If I said it was a veil, it ould be?something!" His voice fell > a ghost of tunefulness. "And It's? athinjr. A blank?I know then it's jt going to happen. It is terribly 1 I n>. ?, ? ???? Vntrr 1 uui; avo uu^cunui uncu. aiwni * nit tor that?veil. When it falls, 1 now what it means." "And you have had that?sens< t)out this tfver business!" Estrada turned hla pensive gaze on ie American. "Yes, often. I thought Cter- father's death, that that ^at bat it meant. But it came again. It ept coming. I had it while you were 11 talking, just now. I don't speak ol Us. It sounds chicken-hearted. And m in this with all my" soul?my faler?I couldn't do it any other way Qt?" ^ Ton think we are going to fail?" *1 can't see It finished," was Estraa's mournful answer. He turneo gain to stare out of the window. , "VtTio are the river men in the val ;y?" demanded the newcomer. ant to meet them, to talk to them." "Cor'nel, he's an Indian. He's worth ilking to. He knows its history; it* gends. Perhaps some of it is his>ry." "Where's he to be found?" "You'll run across him! Whenevei lything's up, he Is on band. He senses . And-then there's Matt Hamlin." "Ill see him, of course. Has he ?en up the river?" "No, but I'll tell you two who have aldonado, a .half-breed, who lives >me twenty miles down the rlvei om Hamlin's. Efe knows the Gila as lough he were pure Indian. The lla's tricky! Maldonado's grandfaler was a trapper, his great-gr^ndfaier,. they say, a priest. The women ere all Indian. He's smart. Smart id bad." Estrada's Japanese .servant came ick into the car to offer tea, freshlj ed. "That's what I want, smart rlvei en, not tea!" laughed RJckard. "1 ant river history." "There's another man you ought to nnt. n. w~ ~ 14.U 1L. 1 ecu JUO WU0 WHU LUC oauuu TUWCl] rpedition. He's written the best book 1 the river. He knows It, if any man >es. You wanted these maps." Bsada was gathering them together. "Thank you. And you can Just rangle that foreboding of yours, Mr. strada. For I tell you, we're going govern that river!" Estrada's pensive smile followed the mcing s^ep of the? engineer until II irried him out of sight. Perhaps 1 ecause he was the son of his father, i must work as hard as 4f conviction ent with him, as if success awaited the other end of the long road. Bui was not going to be. He would never e that river shackled? f CHAPTER VII. A Garden in a Desert. His dwelling leaped Into sight as ardin turned the corner of the street, here was but one street running rough the Win towns, flanked by thre tches of running water. The rest ere ditches of running water edged r ioorpams. scowling, ne passed un>r the overhanging bird cages of the esert Ttetel without a greeting for the ungers, whose chairs were drawn up ;ainst the shade of the brick walls, le momentum slackened as 1-Jardin tared the place he called his home. 1 Inner tenderness diluted the sneer at disfigured his face. He could see nes as she moved around In the lit; fenced-in strip that surrounded her tsert tent. She Insisted on calling it garden, in spite of his raillery. "Gerty'a in bed, I suppose," thought >m. He had a sudden vivid picture her accusing martyrdom. His mouth jrdened aggjji. Innes, stooping ova rose, passed out of his vision. It came to Hardin suddenly that in has made a circle of failure when tiftV *ir anrnnft^ir* J* home. "A 'has-been' at forty!" he muse Where were all his ships drifting? Innes, straightening, waved a gi hand. "She's raising a goodly crop of ba rels." His thought mocked and c ressea her. Her garden devotion wi ^ A* ~"'m . i uA .^.aJ ALA rM?u u ; nc iauvcu uic naruivi ii?ii in nc a tender joke "with him. He loved tl Hardin trait in her, the persistent which will not be daunted. An occup tion with a,Hardin was a dedicatlo He would not acknowledge the Inn< blood In her. Like that fancy inothi of hers? Innes was a Hardin throuf and through! v "It's in the blood," ran his thougfc "She can't help it All the Hardii work that way. The Hardins alwa; 'make fools of themselvesI"N Innes, lifting her eyes from a crl pled rose, saw that the black devl were cV.isumlng him again. "Will you look at this wreck 1" el cried. . (To be Continued Tuesday) ( * V COLD SPRING NEWS. 1 - V Cold Springs, March 11.?Th community was visited by an awf rain and wind storm last Wednesdi afternoon, but not much damage wj done by it. Mr. Roy McComba spent Fridi night with Mr. Erskme Hagen. Mr. Frfenk Uldrick spent Saturdi night with Mr. William Uldrick. Miss Addie Bo Wen gj>ent the wee end with her grandparents, Mr. at Mrs. J. A. King. Mrs. Mattie Bo Wen spent a fe days last week with her granddaug] ter, Mrs. C. C. Kay. Miss Maggie Hagen is spendir Subscribe to The Press and Banne . . . .. . > . == A C - . . - ' I/UJ JBBfi AU' NOW The I line of 1 econom for a de !S. P Distributor i ABBEVILLE, ^ sometime at Mr. CT P. McMahan's while Mrs. McMahan is in the hospi15 tal at Chester. Her many friends 1 will be glad to know that she is expected home this week. Mrs. Mattie Bo wen spent Thursday < , FARM FOR S/ ^ 87 ACRES?12 milei McCtormick Cou: of W. D. Morrah f Pl 40 ACRES?About s ville, no improve j and timber. r.l 79 3-4 ACRES?3 mil ;e * . one settlement? a- on place. Plenty ?s running through er 227 1-2 ACRES?1] is ' ville. This is a sp Pa A .erly. a. iui u? saw p- Pj l? . ? 100 1-2 ACRES?15 ville. Good resid ings. Well atere \ and timber. . Pi ^ 189 1-4 ACRES?1( k ville. A splendi v . provements, aboi i, toifi lands, ' P 541 A&RES?1-2 mill mile from Calhc farm being oper ,y Lies well, is well iy abundance" of wc Pri id 1 ' Can Aftran ? ROBERT AR Li E55 of those good ,555 rvmriiATl L1?/Y nuu * H / H Y rOMOBI ON DIS fall Investment Co., no\jr h those light weight, medium ical Chevrolet Automobile 0 imnnstra tinn I GILM For Abbeville and Anders sc nigfit with Mr. ana Mrs. R. A. Hagen. Mr. J. H. Sharpe dined at Mr. C. C. Kay's Friday. Miss Janie Winn spent a few days last week with her sister, Mrs. Tom Cochran. > * LANDS iLE . ?? + s from Abbeville, in nty, adjoining lands i \ rice, $30.00 per acre. dx miles from Abbe;ments, all in wood Price, $25 per acre. les from Abbeville? two horse farm open wood, and stream place. Price, $2,000.00. L-miles from Abbelendid piece of propj timber on this place , rice, $17.50 per acre. I miles from Abbeence and but build- ' . ; d and plenty wood rice, $30:00 per acre. 3 miles from Abbeid farm but no ixriiit 50 or 60 acres bot; rice, $18.00 pet |cle. * lie from Hester, one >un Falls. 15 horse ated on the place. watered and has kn kA/l on/1 fimlfvov? /VU UXlVi >AAAfN/yX? ice, $40.00 per acre. tge Terms S. LINK ? - - 7 . -J r? .t PAD I LES I PLAY I / as a full gS i priced, |g is. Ask |f [ E R ion Counties I CAROLINA