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Show THE WEEKLY REFLEX. KAYSVILLEi' UTAH When the Colorado Burst Its Banks and Flooded the Imperial Valley of California Frr By k. Edriati Aiken Copyright, Tiolibs Merrill Company vT CHAPTER XXXII. 13 v The White Night. "Lord, Im tired." groaned Rickard. - stumbling into camp, wet to the skin. "Dont you say letters to me, Mac. Ling I don t Im going to bed. Tell want to fuss want any dinner. Hell to see want dont I tip something. food." "The day, confused and Jumbled, burned across his eyeballs; a turmoil of bustle and hurry of insurrection. lie had made a Bwift stand against that, lie was to be minded to the last man-jacof them, or anyone would go, his threat Including the engineers. Silent, Irish, Wooster, Hardin himself. This whs no time for factions, for leader feeling. In bed, the day with Its Irritations fell away. He conld see now the step ahead that had been taken; the last trestle was done; the well on; he called that going some! He felt pleasantly languid, but not yet sleepy. His thought wandered over the resting camp. And then Innes Hardin came to him. Not herself, but ns a soft little thought which came creeping around the corner of his dreams. She had been there, of course, all day, tucked away In his mind, ns though In his home waiting for him to come back to her, weary from the pricks of the day. The way he would come home to her, please dod, some day. Not bearing Ms burdens to her, he did not believe In that, but asking her. rty versions. Contentment spread her soft wings over him. He fell asleep. Rickard wakened as to a call. What had startled him? He listened, raising himself by his elbow. From a distance, a sweet high voice, unreal In its pitch and thrilling quality, came to him. It was Godfrey, somewhere on the levee, singing by the river. It brought him again to Innes Hardin, lie pulled aside his curtain which hung over the screening of his tent and looked out into a world. Rickards eyes fell on a little tent over yonder, a white shrine. White as that fine sweet soul of k rock-pourin- g moon-floode- d hers! the footlights, the listening great audiences were calling to him. d To him, the levee, the glistening water, made a star-se-t scene. He was treading the boards, the rushing waters by the bank gave La the orchestration for his melody Donna e Mobile." He began It to Gerty Hardin ; she would hear it In her tent ; she would take it as the tender he had teased her with that afternoon In the ramada. He gave for encore a ballad long forgotten ; he had palled It back from the cobwebs of two decades; he had voice, moon-floode- made It his own. But, my darling, you will be, Ever young and fair to me. It came, the soaring voice, to Tom Hardin, outside Gertys tent on his lonely cot He knew that song. Disdained by his wife, a pretty figure a man cuts! If his wife cant stand him, who can? ne wasnt good enough for her. He was rough. Ills life had kept him from fitting himself to her taste. She needed people who could talk like Rickard, sing like Godfrey. People, other people, might mlscon-tru- e her preferences. He knew they were not flirtations; she needed her kind. She would always keep straight ; she was straight as a whip. Life was as hard for her as It was for him; he could feel sorry for her; his pity was divided between the two of them, the husband, the wife, both lonely In their own way. On the other side pf the canvas walls, Gerty Hardin lay listening to the message meant for her. The fickle ex, he had called hers; no constancy In woman, he had declared, fondling her hair. He had tried to coax her into pledges, pledges which were also disavowals to the man ontslde. Silver threads! Age shuddered at her threshold. She hated that song. Cruel, life had been to her ; none of Its promises had been kept. To be happy, why, that was a humans birthright; rab It, that was her creed! There was a chance yef ; youth had not gone. He was singing it to her, her escape Darling, yon will be, Ever young and fair to roe. Godfrey, singing to Gerty Hardin, had awakened the camp. Innes, In ker tent, too, was listening. "Darling, yon will be. Ever young and fair to me I So that Is the miracle, that wild Tush of certain feeling! Yesterday, doubting, tomorrow, more doubts but tonight,, the song, the night Isolated them, herself and Rickard, Into a rtd of their own. Life with him on ay terms she wanted. -- CHAPTER XXXIII. not have him sure of her. An exclamation from him recalled her. She found that he was no longer staring at her; his eyes were fixed on the trembling structure over which a laden with rock, was battleship, creeping. I want to stay with you, you know that dearest. But it doesnt feel right to see them all working like niggers and me loafing here. You dont mind? She Oh, no, Gerty did not mind! was tired, anyway I She was going back to her tent He thrust a yellow paper Into her hands. I sent thut off today. Perhaps you will be glad?" She flung another of her Inscrutable smiles at him, and went up the bank, the paper unread In her hands. The long afternoon wore away. They were now dynamiting the largest rocks on the cars before unlonding them. The heavy londs could not be emptied quickly enough. Not dribbled, the rock, but dumped simultaneously, else the gravel and rock might be washed down stream faster than they could be put together. Many cars must be unloaded at once; the din on 'Silents train was terrific. Ills crew looked like devils, drenched from the spray which rose from the river each time the rock-pobegan ; blackened by the smoke from th6 belching engine. The river was ugly In Its wrath. It was humping Itself for its final stand against the absurdity of human Intention; Its yellow tall swished through the bents of the trestle. The order came for more speed. Rickard moved from bank to raft; knee deep In water, screaming orders through the din; directing the gangs; speeding the rock trains. Hardin oscillated between the levee and dams, taking orders, giving o'rders. His energy was superb. It had grown dark, but no one yet had thought of the lights, the great Wells burners stretched across the channel. Suddenly, the lights flared out brightly. Not one of those who labored or watched would ever forget that night. The spirit of recklessness entered eveninto the stolid native. The men of the Reclamation forgot this was not their enterprise; the Hardin faction Jumped to Rickards orders. The watchers on the bank sat tense, thrilled out of recognition of aching muscles, or the midnight creeping chill. No one would go home. To Innes, the struggle was vested In' two men, Rickard running down, yonder with that light foot of his, and Hardin with the fighting mouth tense. And somewhere, she remembered, working with the rest, was Estrada. Those three were fighting for thejusti flcatlon of a vision an idea was at stake, a hope for the future. Rickard passed and repassed her. And bad not seen her! Not daring those honrs would he think of beg, not until the Idea faded, or was triumphant, would he turn to look for her. Visibly, the drama moved toward Its climax. Before many hours passed the river would be captured or the idea forever mocked. Each time a belching engine pulled . across that hazardous track It flung a credit to the man-sidEach time the waters, slowly rising, hurled their weight against the creaking trestles where the rock was thin, a point was gained by the militant roar sounded' like the last cry of a wounded animal In Innes ear; the Dragon was a reality that night as it spent Its rage against the shackles of puny men. v Molly Silent had seen ber husbands train pull In. She watched for It to go out again. The whistle Mew twice. ur , e. 5 camp groups to watch the last stand of the river against the rock bombardment. Molly Silent had crept down from the Crossing, full of fears. Out somewhere on the trestlea, a ia er hne. He turned a nmmte to see ids chief standing hnre-- ' d shining ghastly pale under the soot, pull himself up from the battleship where hejuul beta leaning. Estrada, sent by Rickard to find out why the train did not pull out, saw In t i t lie sumo iustaut ns did Molly. Silent swayed, wining tin m hack uuseeingty. like a nmn who Is drunk. God, man, you cant go like that 1" cried Estrada. Whos going? demanded Silent, his tongue thick with thirst and ehaus tton. The whistle blew again. I will! The train tinned out on the trestle, ns the whistle blew angrily twice. (nl.v Molly and Silent saw Es- - l.ir e h d. Ilis own rap came otY. Wete burjmg the lad," said Mar- - S.l minute of funeral had to be aside. The rner would not " n Tram after train was rushed on ' l.e trestles; wae after wave hit i1 But perceptibly the dam was s.i 'uig The rapid fire of" rock was h. 'il I i i i. g i . i i ther rnlge of yellow waters rose. 'n lull of water came slowly, dwln-- ' ng as it came; It broke against the i s 'o weakly. For the first time the tu -- To m er shuddered. Workers and w.iii ini-- , t eat lied as a unit the first di i p I n nth that night. There was a Change Eery eye was oil the river anos edge; ami the swift erupt uni scorched her. It was the pitiable wreck (f dignity, of pride. Ills words were. incoherent; Ins wrath involved his ctomhlng in tears. Iniies sin sink from turn, the man she did not know, 'llit- coarse streak was uiieoveied m all It s repulstvenes.s. He turned on bines was She crying, a huddled suddenly. heap on the couch. ct ween I ve hud et mgh crying Ive out? Will and you get Gerty. you got to lmve some sleep." Through her sobs lie could make out that she was afraid to leave Mm. Well, then. Ill go. Im used to having to leave my own tent. A dogs life. He flung out Into the night. lov totalled the rliu of the dam. a chorused cry rose. The had stepped rising. The whistles si rt aim d ihenisdes bourse. nd then a girl, sitting on the bank, saw two men grab each other by the hand, .she was too fur away to henr their voices, but the sun, rising red through the banks of smoke, fell on the Mm l.i iied fnee.s of her brother and Rieka' site did not care who saw it STnldi nly i.ti 1. In r 1 mg. CHAPTER XXXIV. A Desertion. Wlit'ii tln nitcnioou waned and God-fir- y did tint call on ber Geity was rou-ei- l to uneasiness. Ibid site angered him by n to make the definite Gould It be love, tie sort of pimm-e- ? love Mu. wanted, if lie could slay uway like this when they could Hive the camp to themselves, every ond down at the hve.ik, no ll.u'dins running In every lu-iin- g minute? Their first chance and Godfrey slighting It He would surely come that evening, knowing that she would be nlonel Tiie little watih Tom had given ber for an almost forgotten birthday set the pace for her resentment. Nine, ten, eleven! I low dared he trout her .so? She blew out the lumps when she found that she was slinking with anger and undressed in the (lurk. She could not see him. If he cume now, her all gone! But she could not go to bed. She stood In her darkened tent, shaken by her angry pussions. Suppose thnt he were only trifling with her? What was that paper he had thrust In her hand? With a candle she found the yellow paper. It was a copy of a telegram to Godfreys .Start divorce proceedings at once. Any grounds possible. Back soon. Godfrey. The frightened blood resumed its normal flow. If he had done this for her then she had not lost him. An apparent elopement, why hnd she never thought of that before? That would cement their bond. Her Bcruples could grow on the road. Oh, she could manage Godfrey! She would go with him. She remembered that she must go to bed If she were to have any looks in the morning. When Godfrey came to her next af ternoon, penitent, refreshed after a long mornings sleep, he found a charming hostess. She was shy about his telegram. Enohantingly distant wlten he tried to reach her hand! I cant go without you," he cried, lie had discovered her interpretation of his telegram and It delighted him; he began to believe In his own intention. I know. You shrink from It all. You dread the steps that will free you. You need me beside you to help you. Lets cut the knot. Tonight I Not tonight Maybe tomorrow,' whispered Gerty, and then she managed a few tears and he was allowed to kiss her. It was all arranged before he left the ramada. They were to leave together the next day. Her object would be accomplished by their leaving together. He would feel that he owed her his name. Of course Gerty must do It In' the conventional way! She would hafve used rope ladders had they been needed. The conventional note was pinned to her bureau scarf. Innes was with Tom when he found It. They came In together from the river. Neither had noticed the odd looks from the men as they passed through the encampment. A dozen men had seen nardlns wife leave for the North with Godfrey. Gerty's letter told Tom that !t was all over. She had tried to stand it, to be true even through bis cruelty, but a feeling stronger than she was made her true to herself, ahd so true at last to him ! , Innes. revulsion lacked speech. Tbe common blatter sickened her. She could offer no comfort. His eyes told her It was worse than death. ne struck off her hand when. It touched his shoulder. Gerty's hand had coerced him that way. ne was done with softness. His silence oppressed her. This was a man she did not know; Inarticulate, smitten. She told herself that even a sMTT' wa S' an in trud or T dt "shew as afraid to leave him alone. She took a station by her own tent door. She would not go down to dinner. For hours she watched his tent. When It grew dark she could no longer endure he found him where she had left him. She forced herself toward the vol- ! God, lyian, You Cant Go Lika That!" trudn go. Silent staggered unseolngly up the bunk toward the camp, Molly following. The river was humping out yonder; the rolling mass came roaring, flank-oagainst the dam. Quick, for .Gods sake, quick yelled Rickard. Ills signals soundec Short and .sharp. Dump It on, throw the cars in! Marshall was dancing, his mouth full of oaths, on the bank edge. Breathlessly all watched the rushing water fling Itself over the dam. For several hushed seconds the structure could not be seen. When the foam fell a cheer went up. The dum was standing. Silent, It wus supposed, was bringing In his train. Above the distant Jagged line of mountains rose a red ball. A new day began. And again the Dragon rose; a mountain of water came rolling n, 1 dam-war- d. Three trains ran steaming on the rails. Dont stop now to blast the big ones. Pour era on I ordered Rickard There was a long wait before any rock fell. Marshall and Rickard waited for the pour. The whistles blew Then they saw what was again. wrong. The morning light showed a rook weighing several tons which was resisting the efforts of the pressing crew. Out of the gloom sprang other figures with crowbars. The rock tottered, fell. The river tossfld It as though It were a tennis ball, sent It hurtling down the lower face of the dum. Things began to go wild. The men were reckless. They were sagging toward exhaustion; mistakes were made. Another rock, as heavy as the last, was worked toward the edge. Men were thick about It with crowbars. They hurried. One concerted effort, drawing Wck as the rock toppled over the edge. One man was too slow, or too tired. He slipped. The watchers on the bank saw a flash of waving arms, heard a cry; they had a glimpse of a blackened face as the foam caught it. The waters closed over him. There was a hush of horror; a halt. God himself couldnt save that poor devil," cried Marshall. Have the work go on! Pour rocks on that wretch down there? Pin him down? Never had it seemed more like war! A man down? Ride over him! to victory Soberly Rickard signaled for the work to go on. r The stuttered as if In horror. The women turned sick with fear. No oae knew who it was. Some poor Mexican, probably. Who was it? demanded Rickard, running down to the track. "The young Mexican, Ilestrada. E tried to 'elp, B wasn't fit Wha was lt7" Marshall had run down to see why the work paused. Rickard turned shocked eyes' on his chief. Estrada ! The beautiful mournful eyes of Eduardo were on him, not Marshall's, horrified. Now he knewwhyEstrada had said, I cant see It finished. Rickard! The engineer dd not recognize the quenched voice. "The vvork has got Jo go on. . came to'Rickard as he gave th orders that Eduardo was closer to Marshall than to him. "As near a son- as jp-owin- 1 rock-pou- sit - self-contr- -- luw-ye- r. liin-- i i him 1. 1 Im love you? 1 Ait, but oll b Vd G ity!" that slipped from ber. SI , hid not no unt to say that Does that hurt?" A1 ashed by her own dnring, yet M- v as yj.ul she had ull rod. Sin- wanted Inin to deny it. 1'or lie would di n it? She wondered f lie wennngiv, bin she could not look at him. The minutes-- ibiurcmg like wiitrhted hours, told her that he was not going to answer her. It came to her then (lint she would never know whether Gettys story vwn wholly false, or partly tine. She knew, then, that no wheedling, wifes of -- Kweet hearts, would tease that doty from him. It did not belong to him. His silence ft Dhtciicd her into ur-- t iciilnteness. He must not think Hint she was ml s It was not that, In itself, she meant. The words Jostled one another in Hi ir soft swift rush, lie lie hud made a mistake once before. lie had hived the sot t of woman lie had thought Gertv was. she herself was not like the r al Geity any more than she was like tin- - other, the woman that did md ol-lie would find that they did not think alike, believe alike, that there were differences "Arent you making .something out of nothing, Innes?" That voice emild always chide her Into silence! Her speech lay Guttered In ruins, iter words like seless broken bricks falling from the wall she was building. He t ook her hand and led Iter to a pile of rock tin river had not gaten. He pulled down beside him. "Isnt It true, with us?" It Is, with me," breathed Innes. Their voices were low as though they were in church. And you think Is isnt, with me! Rickard stood before ior. Is It because I trust you, I wonder? That L loving you, love to have the others love you, too? Dont you suppose I n know how It Is with the rest, hovv It was with Estrada? ; Should I be Jealous? Why, Im not. Im proud Isnt that because I know you, know the flue steady heart of you? You hated .rad qt flrst and I am proud of that I ' dont love you He knelt at her feet, not enough? listening to her pleading. He bent down and kissed one foot ; then the other. I love them 1" Th$, face he raised to her Innes had never seen before. lie pressed a kiss against her knee. That, tool Its mine. Ive not said my prayers since I was a boy. I shall say thenT again, here, you teaching me." "His kisses run up her arm, from tho tips of her limp fingers. Ills mouth, close to hers, stopped there, lie whispered; You kiss me, my girl I" Slowly, unseolngly, as though drawn by an external will, her face raised to his; slowly, their lips met. Ills atins were around her; tho world was blotted out. Innes, minutes later, put her mouth against his car. It was the Innes hs did not know, that he had seen with others, mischievous, whimsical, romping as a young boy. I love rod, she whispered. "And heat and sunshine. But I love blue, on you ; and cold, If It were with you and the rest of the differences He caught her to him. There are not going to be any differences! (TnE END.) ! - - . XXXV. A Corner of Hl Heart. The second evening after the closure Rickard was dining with the in their car. The Palmyra was to pull out tho uext day. Hardin's name was brought up by Tod MarShe was light potatoes, he shall. But she's dismissed the woman. broken the mans spirit. Rickard, it was discovered, had nothing to say on the subject of the ls elopement. I'm sorry Ills sister is not hero tonight." begun Marshall mischievously. I did ask her. Tod Glaudiu hastened to Interrupt her lord. "But she would not leave her brother her last evening. Her Inst evening?" exclaimed Rickard. "Is she going away? We Marshall subdued Ids tvvlnklo. nre carrying her off. She is to visit Mrs. Marshall while I am on the road. Rickard gulped down his coffee, Mrs. Marshall, will you let boiling. me run away early? Why should he give any excuse? They knew what he was running nway for! He made his way to the little white tent on the far side of the trapezium, limes, by the door, was bidding good-bto Sertora Maldonndo. He forgot to greet the Mexican. She stood waiting; her eyes full of him. Surely, the kind senor hnd something to say to her? He had taken tho white girls band. He was staring into the while girls eyes. Something came to her, a memory like forgotten music. Silently, she slipped away Into the y night 1 i ! f ln-- r Mac-Lea- I Rickard would not release Innes hand; her eyes could not meet the look In his. Come out and have a walk with me I You were not going ' to tell me you were going. You were running away from me? You know that I love you! I have been waiting for this minute, this woman, all these lonely years." Her head she kept turned from him. He could not see the little maternal smile that ran around the curves of her mouth. Those years, filled to tho brim with stern work, had not been lonely. Lonely moments he had had, that was all. Nothing for me? He stopped, and made her face him, by taking both of her hands In his. She would not look at him yet, would not meet the look which always Biblical Town of Gaza. or the watclitower, still exists to the east of the town of Gaza. It Is where Samson is said to have car--" rled the gates of the dty. On the road from Gaza to Jaffa are ancient olive trees, many of them more than one thousand years old, with gnarled bark and Immense trunks. There Is an old legend which credits Gaza with the Invention of the first mechanical clocks. These were perhaps the 6and clocks which are still used In some mosques. -- it , tbit's a fact; Ibsen li.it nr ' !. Does that or Hi ti r V I I, now I MU-l'-t d An llp :ihI cl h 1, r I. i.i- - r ib p nnUng. ! I In- '- cni v Do veil ll. nl. that s why - Mur-shnl- ml in sis-Ur- CHAPTER i or Rost ind; where Ilis eyes were on her now, she know, questioning, not quite sure of her. She had worried him yesterday because she would not pledge herself to marry him if he sued for his- - divorce. She had told him to ask her that after the courts had set him free. She could riv-erol- - vTbe Battle' In the Night. Gathering on ' the bank were the Something was wrong. She left her pl nee In time to see Silent, Ins face won. 1 Wandering Into the night, Godfrey passed down' the river, singing. His thr; one of those rook cars, was her Jini. She sat Su the hank by Innes ami Mrs. Marshall. Mrs. llardin, floated by In her crisp niusllns. A few feet behind stalked Godfrey, his eyes on the pretty figure by his side, innes turned from his look, abashed ns though she had been peering through a locked door. Gnvlv, with a fluttering of ruffles, Gerty established herself on the bank, a trifle out of hearing distance. A hard little smile played on the lips accented with Parisian rouge. The childish expression was gone; her look accused life of having trifled with her. But they would see Dont look so unhappy, dearest, Im whispered the man at her side. going to make you happy, dear! She flushed a brilliant, finished smile at him. Yes, she was proud of him. lie satisfied her sense of romance, or would, later, when she was away from here, a dull pain pricking at her deliberate planning. Godfrey found her young, young and distracting. "His life had been hungry, too; the wife, up there In Canada somewhere, had never understood him-- . GodfrejgyAvns ambitious, ambitious as she was. She would he his wife; she would see the cities of the world with him, the welcomed wife of Godfrey; she would share the plaudits his wonderful voice Little Things Cause Sunshine. The sunshine oflife Is made up of very little beams that are bright all the time. To give up something, when giving up will prevent unhappiness; to yield, when persisting will chafe and fret others; to go a little around rather than come against another ; to take Che Would Not. Look at Him Yet an ill look or a cross word quietly, rather than resent or return It these compelled her "will, stultified her ere the ways In which clouds and speech. She had something to say storms are kept off, and a pleasant first and steady sunshine secured. Aikla, 'Ye dont know each other; that Is, you dont know me !" Beginning of Pittsburgh. Is that all? There was relief In November 23 is the anniversary of his voice. I dont know you? Havent the raising of the English flag over the I seen you day by day? Havent I ruins of Fort Duquesne In 1754. The seen you r?e!f con troL tried,. provednamed Bittsburgh.in liuvent I seen your Justice, when you ptacewasthen honor of Britains famous prime miniscould not understand Look at me! ter. It owes its great growth to Its She shook her head, her eyes on the to coal and Iron fields of sand at her feet He could scarce- proximity vast magnitude. ly catch ber words. They did not know each ether, ne, did not know Daily Thought her! ne who begs timidly courts Q ro Dear! I dont know whether you. -- - |