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BARNWELL SENTINEL. BARNWELL. SOX^TH CAROLINA p*0E THWi. ■Bing* 1 ** im *-ztr ■I*1-4 ■ WfVriui' Copyright by Fleming H. Revell Co, them- That Was. thevoiiiy message what'.she *uic 4f them, tin* man site loved and ru y. and wodevoted’'to B< ns, as 'received from' lief lover. Ife had sought. And Rmlneyl 4fnod by bar -shl»>; Whirrying-—" •' • r " . • ated -dropped ou't of sight oompleiely. They -equally interested, searching the crowd “Yon new} say nothin* Hided* caused search "to lie made for him. with his glance, also. t y IfUugwo-rtli. I kridw all a te of sought, tidihgs of him in •.every possible; There was nothin*: In, the town to at- 'iitioh. Rodney wrote.me Continued. .he«»r being banned* she tvasfsilent.' She . . e' was wise enough not to -try -to worry had -dismissed o>.- bother -her father with: nrgu merits 'cause he hated on that point, ,to which, of course, fie’ irth refrained *Voahfwi,nt~have listened in any eveptp I to her father •’ Accordingly the -conferences with So they were Rodney had never been brought to his ■esence without notice.--'' There was po use stirring" up '-Thts was a trouble and strife. There,Ajps’no^veces- • thinking of I souroe-of gri On occasion father almost found him-self ftilTTI. site had found more proof, houtinfc at his daiurh- lie at burnt had no, suspicions its t 4, ' \ ‘ . c .j_ .^Tdimel ‘ Illingwi Meade fro'm his mind .because ■ ) him. Helen ♦ Illingworth refrained from talking about him to her father because sim~ioved him. So they were never in each other's* nresenoe wll-hout wnaldm/mhavi Accordingly the Rodney had never been notice at the point of shouting at his dm ter to talk -about him. And that ♦die so 'carefully avoided the subject and -as the H\|oidtInee was-so obviously in ae- lie jumped to- tliv conclusion that Th cordanoe with his own, wish, the re- j was none. • stfairit- irritiited him ,tne more. The In course- nf time, as Miss Illirig no, suspicions as tuher treatment of ShupflilT. lie could not see any end to he gained and therefore sought so' 1 relations fact that they both to maintain the old it more Impossible. Tor relationships which are primarily founded on love cannot he maintained by constraint without the weakening of the -g-feat force upon which their tenure had pre viously depended. Tliere is nothing -. like concealment to impair and weak en a tie nniess’tt he a ban 1 Pmh i) ii- tion’s rarity pp^riihit. J StilT’tlou e ri maim'd a deep and abid ing affect ion between {father and daughter lind they managed somehow •to get along outwardly iilm h as before. Indeed Colonel Illingworth was more kind and considerate than, ever to his daughter, and she njiaut-Jiim with , more Ruin ustlal care and' devotion The wry fact Hurt* she secured to have accepted the situation and obeyed ihe law lie had laid dow n gave him sdine compunctions of conscience. Ori that account, perhaps, lie had been the more willing to accede to her request to take ShurtlitY into his employ. In no wav was ShurtlitY responsible, for tin* fail ure of the bridge or for iiny_ mistake in the calculations of the Mcp.des, and ShurllilY was an invaluable man, not only for an engineer hut for. the presi dent of the Martlet Hridge company. lie wa? familiar w ith the* subjects that C olonel Illingworth discussed, and wrote about, lie was intelligent ini<| reliable to the last degree, his* reputa tion for- ; steadiness nmf discretion un questioned. niiij he .was Marvelously ef- lieient in his suhccdiiiiite position .The colonel, having first tried him out, had advanced him rapidly ’after h*arning his }vorth. lie was now his private secretary.' Sliurtliff being an old bach elor without kith or kin, and not orig- f+ialhr fond of women, found himself suddenly in touch* with one of the sweetest and kindest, as well as the youngest rind most beautiful of a sbx about which he knew nothing. Ills new position naturally brought him into close-touch with the colonel. The old man transacted a good deal of his business .in his own house. ShurtlitY was frequently there> Vnflet* other circumstances Helen Illingworth would have treated him with fliat fine and gracious couriqsy which she ex- „Umdcdyto everyopo with whom She earnPtn contact, hut idp' would.{not have especially interested herself In him. She would nut have made‘him the object of the delicate attention and ..'given hint the careful consideration . wYPt'h would havo eoniple?• -Jy turned the. head of a younger and more sus-' - gcptiiile wan-. - * ■ ;■ caTefully worth never referred to M aide In the tionship -inadi* ^secretary’s presence;- atl his mistrust disappeared. FinsrHy'he even brought , .... was nothing tn,the tmvn to at tic argument so laboriously, built up way. hut in vain. IJer heart 'almost tract Helen out of the car. She had v the friend and woman. And they broke sometimes at the separation. She visited \CcKt* anej Southwest many were decide'dly indicative of a growing-Imd confidence "enough in her power, times, (.’olonel Illingworth,~w4th-R'*d- montnl condition on the part of Sim at- over him,, and'In her woman's wit, to. hey and SeverencK there left the train. . feel that if' she- ittrd -only another op Miss RlingWorth-det ided to go int.u thV expected. \ ' - ^ ..purtiyiity sh.t? r inig|iLluuru-ilui truth, i hills and get away fruhi the arid and Tut Shurtliff could not bring him- force it from him, constrain him to tell * ‘ self toc come out ho!dly : amp confess, 1 it, bdcau.^u.she lovbd him! an«I dlls failure to do that. tim'de him"; ^ L rnore, Miss Iililtgw(»rth. I kfuVw all about the situ ation. Rodney wrote, me and “YVt'll. thou, you imdcrstand nij’ anx- ivty. my r» ason (irr asking?” ; - /‘I do.” “And'you will tell bs?”' r ~ ‘UUwish t<> heisjejfci’ could." «-r' 1 V/A % v : .% ♦> '> d CHAPTER XVII. x • X * Once More Unto the Work. The Maftlet Bridge Cojnpauy had finally weathered the stormXlthough it was, of course, -not intruded with Avifs about to lie coimim'hced, When BeK truin Meade nuid of the nt'W* urldertak- ing, it cut him to the heart! This tinier there- w ould he no mistake. In the necessity of rceouping'its fortunes, ^Hm—APirthj.f ^.ttroroil .miserable. At first Tilst conscience had been entirely clear, lie , had viewed his conduct in the light of a noble sacrifice for the. great ihan/' Now lie began to question: Was it: right, to Mast the future of the living for J the sake of the fame.of the dead? j the new International bridge whic I'rohahly he would have questioned that eventually without regard to Helen Illingworth, hut When he,began t»*-grow fund of the woman and wlmn he realized, ns she unmistakably, dis- ejnseil .fit to mill, that her own happl-’ tic"' was engaged mid that he was not orriy ruining tin* career of a man hut wrecking the Jlte aqd crushing the heart of an entjlrely-i innocent w o'nian, he had ^i consiaTi® fiattlVi rRyal with hunself to pursiuc his course and to keep silent.. Jfv _ ^ Yet such is the character of a tern-, pern merit like that of • Shurtliff,*, har rowed and contracted by -a--.single- pas sion of life and lacking the breadth w hich comes fruin. intercourse with men and women, that his compunctions of conscience only imide him the more resolved. The lohelv, heart-broken oTd man swoh- that he wtuild never tell. lild go-liis own gait »wri salvation; or h«* nist. The woman's Heart might break, pitiful , ns \tlist.t 11 V mini swore rum ni The young man elu and work out-liislo damned, if *1h‘ rm The Oldj Man Got to Thinking of Her ” | as a Daughter. un the slihject of Meade’s w hereabouts was fairly wild to talk and ask ques- t'ious sin*—liajri wit -quid re«nlutmn enoug'jL to ehajige 'he subject when, it had been firstjhroacheil aiul for many times thereafter. Helen IIJmgworth was tightiirg for the refnitaiion of the man she loved and for her own happiness, and she was resolved to neglect no point in tin* game. She partook in a large measure of her father's, capacity, hilt khejadd- ed to his somewhat blunt and mili tary way of dping things the infinite tact of woman, stimulated by a grow ing, overwhelming devotion to her ab sent lover. She cherished that feeling for him i« any event and would have done so hut the whdle situation was so . 4 g. - charged with rnvstery and surcharged with romance that it made the most pow erl'.uP^and stimulating appeal" - to !i- r. ... - . She lived—to vindicate Meade and she bent every effort toward that end. She did not overdo it, either. Final ly. ms lie himself continued to press i lie subject upon her, she made no si- : cret to ShurtlilY of .her diwotion to the, .Wennget^Mcudc, her sorrmVlthat '!>*»''lin'd Ids heart wrote his sct»re.Q.„ might hear of Meade. Thut It miglit Th(*re had been a prejudice in Slmrt- liff'SLlnlnd against women in geni'ral, nmi Helen’' Illtngworfh in particular. He had quickly- realized that she above all persons luid the fcro'ntest interest.' in disprovii^g Mende's sfaternept nad Ills own and'in laving the blame for. the failure of the bridge* w here it t fie- (trvin f Ill’s" Was made such ji declaration, and her de- ierminaiion to wiirtt for him. She was always careful to end every conversa tion by saying that she knew her/but- luuk was perfwctly hop»'h*ss and that she _cokld exjiect nothing'- exeejit snr-" row. untlf the^ yon.igcr Meade ‘was re- hahilitated'. She .so contrived matters. - longed on the- iduihldoru of the pnt-fion—ytit^*constantly a dinning her feeling Would he, hut lie W'ouM never tell, ^le was as unhaiqW-in that determinajKm as any other man lighting against his Conscience must inevitably he. Sometimes looking at the misery in the old.man’s face (for qji his IrounH*- nnnee Helen Illingworth experienced coiii- p.unetions of cqpsele'rieo. of her own, which she t>«ld to Rodney in default of other confessor. That fine young man appreciated fully the woman’s feelings and understood her keen sen sibilities, and his comprehension was a great comfort to her. He encouraged her to persevere. Since it was only through Shurtliff that the truth could he established, she must not falter -nor reject any fair and reasonable means to gain - his whole confidence and make him speak. It was, after all, simply a question <jf whether the game was worth the cap^Ie. How best could they expose or fight a deceit? AthT that the deception was for a noble purpose-arid to serve a laudable end in the minds <sf the deceivers did not alter that fapt.-’ , - t 1 “You are doing nothing in filt least degree dishonorable. Miss Illingworth,” said Rodney, rimssuringly. "Wormin'* I wiles have been her Weapons since , file Stone ^ge." ’ l j "Rut I do fee! compunctions of c<»n-’ Science occasionally.” “Rersoniijly I think you are ahunt- nntly justified,” urged'-Rodney. ■ - "Yes, to establish the. truth,, to give the man I love his good name would justify more than this,” she replied: “and yet"—she smiled faintly—"my conscience docs' hurt me a little! The *- <>ld man is Kginptng to lovelne." “That’s the nusonTfliurts you.” said. ’Rodney,. "When ho Ipycs you i t ftHUgh upon an eveii wider career,. Tlic dircc- tors took c( >ntracts which they hud hitherto disdiYined because they were comparatively unimpor.t hid on . operations.. hitherto left to coiiqa building the great steel "viaduct by the town of Coronado below the dam, and they had already built the splendid steel arch that spanned the .ravine, here almost a gorge, in the/valley of the Kicking Horse to the/eastward of the fiig nresa. After ChristmaSj^olonel Illingworth decided to mak^uotiier of his tours of insp(*ction, tipd as Helen w as not look ing particMfariy well fromrjTffe Strain under wfih h she was laboring, he of fered" to take her with him, especially its he was going to the far Southwest, where the weather would be mild arpl pleasant, to inspect the growing via duct and the completed arch. She gladly nvaileti herself, of the permit sion. There was always u possibility, albeit a most remote one, that she. heated plains. A siding had been built nyar thp steel arch under the slope of the . hill from which* the ’ huge mesa arose, within two tulles of the (lu;n; sand the ear w,qs ; to b,e placed there. The men left behind would use the prl vate ear (»f th«‘ division superintendent of 4he fail road when they iinJ ended their several tasks. - . It had been raining dismally during the afternoon,-and' when the car, was detached ‘ und switched to JJie kiding amTleft up in. the hills some twenty miles from the town, it was too wet and uncomfortable to leave it. I>is- regarding tire dow npour, howevcr. Cnc Tlss, who hml e/Hu-e up with it t made a very^ ,-carefuK iXestLgation of the completed hfidge. which more than “Weil, yes,'(I can. ‘What?’’ .“11 .may he a breach of confidence.** “1 'd fake the risk,” said t!\e girl, her bosom heaving. "Was she at last about to hear from her lover? “J\aow wdpre.TnriH, old man?” asked Rodnly. J ‘I think sfe—not sur.e, but—"• "Where?"—efrom the woman, breath lessly. . ' t , ‘ “I didn’t agree to t*‘)4 you that." “What- th.-n?” “All I can say Is that after ttye deatl ed up^it.mj^ rancl wg^vatu 1-to-ld of his father he tu/ one day some •Did (drfant, a/ul they | surjiassejTnls expectatiohs In its ap- whidft they liad iteartmfe of sthnly grace, as well ns 'tiK»rs. T-fiey Were in ^ttfe-evidences X c ' urt *f u I workmun- weiL. to invite a representative of.The l’.ngineering News, to wit. KodJrfey, to accompany them, so 1 That the really; splendid work the Martlex company was doing . might be ./made widely known. The party .Consisted of the father and dsWliteff Curtiss, the chief engineer^ iWtojr Severence, -the -vice president a'rub / firiancial mun, s und Itod- ney. / Now Ijmen Illingworth had not the least reason in the world to suspect that Bertram Meade was in any way connected with this engineering proj-* ect, but Rodney had pointed out and had imbued, her with his own belief that sooner or later, when Meade was found. Ire would he. found engaged in engineering In some capacity. "It’s iii liis Mood," said Rodney. “He cun no more keep away from it than he can stop breathing. Lie can’t do anything else. Somewhere he’s'nf tin me jLds story,"/ “What!” exclaimed Rodney, lie fell yduyfie was innocent?" “Not ny first. He fold rue he was guilty." “Ryou didn't believe him, did you?" asked the Woman impulsively. ,■ I certainly did not." < “Why not?” . ' . K Well. I don’t know* why. I Jqst ^ didn't^ thafs all. I know Meade. I know hiim well. I know; his make-up.i luct. Everything was procepding_JtiN N ''* e ’I accustomed to sizing, up he most, satrsfactory wav a>l Colonel X.n’s uctionsXut West here, and it / . . .11, I-V *4 4.. 1. A V tr\ /-*. ,n iVtnn 1 t I* /\ l> ship in its erection. That evening ahe -special^ engine pushed t lie other private far tip the valley, bringing the peXje aid inspected tire bridge 1 . A. few more -veeks vqould complete the greiifXa- froin llingworth was very mucXclnted over didrft take me Yonger than it took ho. situation. / * him tVtell the storKto know that It' “Who would Ivaveytfiqught,*’ ije said Wasn't iXm is they sat dowuF to dinner in the “<>h, thuX.you for thaf^ suid the •rightly ligliterr observation room, woman. ‘that it wouhr rqln in this country at “Rut our belief^ are not evidence, his season/of tKe year?" !)iek,” interposed Rodney. “It wjjt probably he over by tomor- “MV can’t ...prove It and that's the^ fowJ.womjing,” observed Rodney. point. I told him,” continued Wintf it continued long enough and { “that it was a da—darned ite-7*i heg lyim-d luird enougli, that darn would" your pardon, Miss Illingwortb/i\mean lave to Ipe looked after. \\V11 go ove»* ; I told him that it was notjtfue andffiat f tomorrow,” said the colnnd he. was a fool for sticking to It, and—*• to loVe whom had bfen the lmhit of lif«*. Therefore'the old secretary constantly op hjs guard lest h« trapped in4o ^hdmisstrfn^ or-.-«ctMft« which ridglit be used to discredit 1ht older Meade and convict tie two c fcpiratorsj _ | too for Meade, as - to let Shurtliff infer: »ii- was convinced th( that he had . a(l j truth in what he had* ' —i But Helen 4 IUIngwoi;th vjras far clever to rfHcBv any inkiing of suck a design to appear,- Not- the remotest hint of such a purpose did she betray. She deliberately set about to win the old 111101’.* regard mul respect ami per haps eventually his affection. She lpid lu the ordering of her father’s -household, of course. That was a matter in which the colonel coniccrned himself not at that sli beep chid ( After a time she deftly, uppealed fo. m to know if he could not help iiNi scover tin* truth she tactfully mimv ine(f evi'i in face of the evidence that lurtiifY had given. And she (lid this* in such ari adroit way that Jdairtliff • M Mime convinced that she did not cou nt ct, him with any willful deception, and that she believed that he was de,- d himself and occupied the post in' will do anytjri'fig/you want, ns I would—” '* . The young man stopped. Jo<>knl long at-.he.r , mid then turneiljiwav with n. lit tle gesture of—was it iipporU---or .ro- piurveiation? He was too loyal T?5 his friend.to- Speak, hut he could not con-j trol everything. T)io tone of his voice, the took irr his eyes, his quick avoid ance of her, told the woman a llttlf’ story. They had' been very closely as sociated. these two. -Rodney also had all ^o long as ^things went smoothly, as they .always- did. He was a Tittle ■ astonishedpit her treatment of-Shurt- llfT, hut the.bld secretary was at heart a gentleman, uhd there was no reasoj wliy/ if Helen cliose to include him among her friends. nb<t invite him to the hf dinner and x)ttierwise mhke hiiu wel- whq had come in the house, she should .not do so. And in,his dry, preciseXiy Shurt- Was any Way to sect} HIT was ratjier likable, \ he! dons ti'->n of an iipiocent abettor. And Sliurt- Rjr. in his strange, old, self-contained way, finally grew to like Helen Illing- w'drth. excei’dityily. Indeed he started his work with natural antagonism in to Colonel Illingworth, and when lie sensed, as lie very soon did, the dif ference tifat had arisen lM’twe*ui father ffmTdaygliler, h(»'4''spoused the cause of He* was the kind of a man tefsievote liimself to S'ome- hody. "lie hegarrTo wonder if there spite iff liis sus] ^.afiyigrc'v les^di. . 'himself ta-4how ' A _ A. f - i ^ iu iira^nini!si*ri he girl’s hap was touched j pitiess without befraylngXhe elder iindness, and in I Meade. I 1 which gradu- she compassed the . Secretary, who y the way, he exerted vvast of 1 course, om vn'mgli Pi he.Tier his appreciation and father, ivith gwqej (»l»S(frvances and he seemingly in jtis hew found it increasingly hard to keep true not had much-ndvnnta|ge of woman’s society, certainly not of a woman like oman •had given him the intimacy, ed like others. Helen Tiling-worth. She' her full confidence in He was .a man. He lo\ She w as too fond of him, _too great, too true a woman to pretend. - “Mr. Rodney,” said the. girl, laying her.hand on his arm ns though jo re strain him. “that way madness lies.” "Miss JniTngw'orth"jsn'id Rodney, turning :|hd facing her/his lips firhT- ly compressed, Ijjs' pyes.shining. “I’m devoted lo Bert- Meade and to you"— he lifted [her.hand frhjn his arm and. kissed it-p“andTm gofni to do-every thing for yottr happiness^” c . Brave words and he said theni nmrp bravely, j j “T understand,” said | the'- wnman. “n.n(| I honor you fort your loyalty to your friend and your devotion to rm =95 and £4*0 cheerfuliV. "Whati would happen if it gave ■way?” aijiked his daughter, i "It would flood the valley, sweep away the town, and—,""Tib puused. “.Well, fathers?” “Ruin the bridge.” . . "We can’t a{Tord to have another failure after; the International,” said Severance. -. X- Now there was a newcomer at the table, a big runcher .named \Ylnters, whom Rodney hod met in the town and had introduced to Colonel' Illing worth. The latter had invited him, to dinner and to stay the night in the extra sleeper, and Winters, who had particular reasons for wanting to talk' with Rodney and to meet Miss Illing worth, hud accepted. . H'ou can count on its stopping,” he %pjid at last.' “My ranch in u hundred 'miles to the north of here. I heard Rodney was with your fmrt&\ and as lie vvus pu phi classmate of mine—in fact, my best’-friend at Harvard along with Bert.Meade’’-—and the mention of the foyhidden name caused -■quick - glances tn be passed arouTYd the table, ’ +mt ruised no comment—"the cluince of seeing him. brought me down here. I know tlie weather" along this whole section of the-country ; it’s tin* dryest place on eartjp and I would almost of fer to r swallow- all the raiu that w ill fall after tills storrn spends itself.” """ “Weil, that’s good,” said Curti s, “be-t. cause I've heard that the dam. lacks' very little of completion, but that the’ spMTway has been delayed.” “You'll thutnimiaturufrhus bro ken in tlu? morfiitig,” said Winters con fidently. . ' After dinner Colonel Illingworth, de sirous of talking business, called the "Then of the party, except Rodney and Winters, hack into the observation room of tlie other car, leaving the two cr—he—admitted—F^er,” floundered Winters, suddenly realizing that he. w as. on the eve of n breach of confl* donee* aud checking himself Just In time. “In fact, the subject was patnfut - I thing oft earth^ ‘1 know.” mrwiww Helen Illingworth Stood on the Steps ~of the Private Car. ' . \ A old Jotfr- It’ fiiight be in , America, and it might be out there at Coronado., or it might be In South America, Europe,' Asia, or-r-” j "I wonder If we can’t find out all t^ie engineering work that Is being done in tlie. world-and send representatives |o seek hitn,” ’said Helen Illingworth. ’ ( Rodney laughed. ~ ' -- “To. hunt that way wepld be like li-unTtn-g a needle in a haystack. I Can not hid you hope that he is there; in fact, I think Lt is most unlikely that he would he any place near-where the Martlet people are operating, hut there’s a chance, even ‘f onlv the faint- ■wrwff."" • iin ■' men with. Helen. “Mr. SluirtiifT,” said Helen, as the men stepped out .on. the~platform, the secretary followJngi since his employer had intimated his services might lie needed, “if you can, 1 wish you would come back here ak$-tf6oi>' aa-.'yoneijde.’gj^ “Certainly, Misp. IliingwonTt,” said the secretary, ' “immediately, if your father flyds that he does not need me.” “Rod,” said Winters When they were alone, ‘Td go a long-way to. see yoip but I might as- well be 'frank. I tiid not come-.djawm these hundred miles,! leaving my ran'ch in the detpl of w inter with-all its possibilities of mishap,to the' cattle, simply to see you. or even Miss imngw-oMh liere. alUlough she is w*brth Iti’ he wpnt on with the frank hluntnesi of a western man. *——-- “Of course yon didn’t,” said Rodney, smiling. "I know I’m not a sufficient attraction.” To.Tiim, and I let him alone, which is \viint wergoneruMy do to" a man who doesn’t want his affairs inquired Into too ./closely," Winters ended lamely, .realizing how near he had come to betraying his friend’s confidence and telling of Meade’s own admission that he had said what he had to, save th® fame and honor of the fatheh *■' ’ "Well, what v next?” asked Rodney, understanding as did Helen Illing worth herself the ranchman’s hesita tion, and respectlng~Ttr-41though the unavoidable inference gave her great J<>y. ‘ 1 “He hung nroutid the raneh for a month or six weeks to get his balance. He was pretty badly broken up. I’m a bachelor myself and dofi’t knolr much about those things, but I can say that he loved you. Miss Illingworth, more .thun life itself.”, “But not more than the reputation of Ids father!” she said with a little tinge of bitterness. * • “Well.T take-It he looked at that as a matter of .honor. You know* a.mai got to keep his ideals of honor.” “Even at tlie expense of a woman’s heart?” said the girl. " “It sounds hard, but I guess we’ve got to admit That. But that’s neither here nor there/” he continued, gliding ov(*r the sui>ject, “the point is I found that he had to fight it out himself, and I idalnJyTet him alone. I gave him a Iinrse arid gun and turned him loose in tlie wilds. Best place on earth for a inaiir in his condition. Miss Illingworth. You can go out inA» the wilderness a pi get nearch to Gf>d there than an,? place I* know of. iB*- came: back finally, turned in his gun. borrowed the hors?* bade-Hie good-hy. and said he was g(» Ing out to make a new start” “YVheYe did he. gh?' Which wayT*’ “He was headed south when I saw him last, a-ud-a-U “this lay-in his way." “Yon mean—?" cried the woman. “Tfe may he here?” said Rodney. - Winters nodded. “B have, thought so. I It’s only a guess, of course, and pronably a poor one. But when I rOad in the paper* that ’ ToloTiel Illing^vorth was coming- liere; und that you were along;- and •Miss Illingworth, I Thought I’d Jus®? take d run down here and $ee whftt could he done.” “Oh, I'm so glad you have come.” I. “He's not workihf on tl^e bridge, 1 * build Ih had no suspi-. able of fascinating liigger personalities cions, whatsoever thijt there had been than Shurtliff, although she cared 114 any_e«^«q)ira<?y to suppress tbe v truth tie for that power and rarely exercised und shift the blame-. True, bis jdafigli- Yt. Tlie 7)Id jirian actually got to think- had protested on that fatal day ing of hpr as u dadghR’r. Sometimes' that she did riot believe-Meade anil when they had jnn hour together he Shurtliff,. but that was in the excite- fourid himself seconding her arguments ment of^ the, monumt and understand- for the—Innocence of fHe youfigeri al)le in view pf<her plighted troth. Meade, for she had progressed that fan to her and bqde her not forget, al- work suspended^otja'momerif that the Helen had never discussed that with , by now, with lUtle detail* which hi^ though that Was admofiltion hlinjW^^t* the very name of the engi- .(knowledge and experience of the twp ,not "heed. . 1 “Y^ou make it easy for me because you understand.” • “ .. the fall and winter were -filled Interest to Helen' Illingworth-nnd Etfs in-her days no lack of hope. th Well, women’s hearts can great deal on a falht chance. They are calculated for the forlorn- hope. And so Helen Illingworth stood on the steps Of the private car as it rolletf across tKe mile-long temporary bridge at fk»r(£ “Mr. Winters,” said Helen, .clasping: her hands over - her Tcnees and lean ing forward, “‘if yon know arfythlng Evhry Saturday the flowers that'Mei\<Te ni^lo, ajjd scanned the,, workmen jhadj[rrangedMfhr ^P^ke words of lowe gnmped on one Side of the track, their rk suspended-focji mpinen t tTiat the she did train jnlght pass On the wooden trps- . tling, In hope that- she'qquJd see ini f. —* A doing, how he fates;; is ho' well, does he think' of-—I bfeg you to tell me.” /‘Mrss 111irigworth. there is nothing I Would refuse foil 11 you If lt rested With me.” j ”1 don’t mindR are such old frli A iftssing to you. "you you and Mi. Rod- said Rodney.- : “How do you know. Rod?” 1 “I examined all the pay rolls, arid none of them 1 bears his name.” . “He wouldn’t work under his own name In the Mallei Hridge combany!” rtPtty-t saldThP" woman. 4 - “Certainly not. That was inly my first j(tep.'~ I weflr around among the workmen, too, and t I got a look at every one of them. I’(sure he’s not there?* (TO BE CONTINUED.) ‘ ' Clock 8truck One. ' Horrid Bette *T, rise jbjr an alanr clock.” Pretty Girl—“I retire by ore, There It goea aow{"