Show DA I 1 t f amr e deom adolpn arargil anna LILLIAN r T HE C M I 1 I 1 1 SYNOPSIS i 4 at a vestry meeting of ie ibe market aquaro re church gall sargent listens to a 06 disc discussion ton about tho the sale bale of the church tene tenements ments to edward E allison All lson local traction king and when asked her opinion of the church by rev hoy smith boyd mays ays it Is apparent apparently t y a lucrative business busine R enterprise allison takes gall riding in ills motor car when he aug jests lie he la entitled to rest on the 1 laurels aures of his achievements she eho asks the disturbing burstion question estion why gall returning to her bu uncle acl jims hoine hoina from her drive with allison ands finds cold din disapproval approval in the ays eys 0 of rev smith boyd who Is calling there t her at a bobsled party gall finds the world uncomfortably full of men and allison tells jim sargent that his now new ambition Is 18 to conquer the world allison starts a campaign tor for consolidation and control of the entire transportation system of the world CHAPTER V continued ile he allowed himself four hours for steel sleep kimt night and the next afternoon headed for denver on tho the way he studied maps again but the one to which ho he paid most atte attention ution was a now new ono one drawn by himself on which the various ranges of the rocky mountains were represented by scrawled lead penciled spirals right where his thin line crossed these spirals dt at a converging point was yando chasm a pass created by nature which was the proud possession of the inland pa cefic now the most prosperous and d direct I 1 of all the pacific systems and the inland with an insolent pride in the natural fortune which had been found tor for it by the cleverest of all engineers guarded its precious right of way as no jewell jewel was ever protected just east of yando chasm there crossed a little one horse horae railroad which starting at the important city of Silver knob served some good mining towns below the In lands line and on the north side curved up and around through the mountains ram bling blang wherever there was freight or passengers to be carried and ending on the other side of the range at nugget city only twenty miles north of the In lands main line and a hundred miles west into the fair country which sloped eloped down to the pacific this road which had its headquarters in denver was called the SlIver knob and nugget city and into its meeting walked al ilson with control hla his course here was different from that in jersey city he ousted every director direct oron on the board and elected elect edmen men think of it declared wll cox looking at the map ot of his own immediately after in the directors meeting he elected himself president and kindly consenting to talk with the reporters of the denver newspapers hurried back to chicago where he drove directly to the head offices of the inland pacific ive lust just secured control of the sll sit and nugget city he informed the general manager of the inland so I 1 noticed returned wilcox who was a young oung man of fifty and wore vore picturesque velvet hats the papers here made quite a sensation of your going into railroading welcome grinned allison All lson say wilcox it build a branch from pines to nugget city well give you our nugget city freight where we cross at east of the range wilcox headed beaded tor for the map the distance he be inquired twenty two miles airey fairly airly level grade and one bridge think of li it decided wil COK coic looking at the map we wed d like to have your freight for theres a lot af f traffic between SlIver knob and nugget city but its not our territory the shelters smelters sm elters are at Stiver knob and they ship chip east over the white range line anyway why do you want to take way away the haulage from your northern branch figure on discontinuing it the evades brades are steep the local traffie Is light and the roadbed Is in a rotten condition 1 H naeda rebuilding through chrouk h out ill make you another proposition ill build the line from pines to nugget city myself it give us track connection at Copp copperville erville and at pines and will give us ua a traffic contract for or our rolling stock on oa a tea reasonable basis again wilcox looked at the map the SlIver knob and nugget city road began nowhere and ran nowhere so BO far as the larger transportation world was concerned and it could never figure as a competitor the hundred miles through the precious natural pass known as the Yando chasm was not so busy a stretch of road as it was important and the revenue from the passage of the Silver knob and nugget cites trains would deduct considerably from the expense of maintaining that much prized key to the golden west ill take it up with priestly and gorman german promised wilcox how hov soon can you let me know A monday londay that afternoon saw allison headed back for new york and the next morning lie he popped into the offices of the slope and puget sound where he secured a rental privilege to run the trains of the orange valley road into san francisco and down to los angeles over the tracks of at the P S and P P S the orange valley was a little blind pocket of a road which made a juncture with the P S and P 8 just a short shor tHaul above san francisco and it ran up into a rich fruit country but its terminus was tar far far away from any possible connection with a northwestern competitor and that bargain was easy that night allison All lson glowing with an exultation which erased his fatigue dressed to call on gall gail sargent CHAPTER VI had they spoiled her music re sounded in the parlors of jim sargents Sar gents house music so sweet and compelling in its ita harmony that aunt grace slipped to the head bead of the stairs to listen in mingled ecstasy and pride up through the hallway floated a clear mellow soprano and a rich deep baritone blended so perfectly that they seemed twin tones aunt grace drawn by a fascination she could not resist crept down downto to where she could see the source of the melody gall exceptionally pretty tonight in her simple dove colored gown with its one pink rose oat eat at the piano while towering above her with his bis chest expanded and a look of perfect peace on his face stood rev smith boyd enraptured aunt grace stood and listened until the close of the ballad leafing through her music tor for the tha next treat gall gail looked up at the young doctor and made some smiling remark liar her shining brown hair waving about her forehead was caught up tn in a simple knot at the back and the dell deli cate color of her cheeks was like the fresh glow of dawn rev smith boyd bent slightly to answer and he too smiled as he spoke but as he happened to find himself gazing deep into the brown eyes of gall gail the smile began to fade and aunt grace sargent scared ran back up the stairs and into her own room where she took a book and held it in her lap upside down the remark which gall gail had made was this you should have used your tour voice professionally the reply of the rector was 1 I do 11 1 I mean she laughed then returned nervously to her search for the next selection she had bad seen that change in the smile it Is so BO rare to find a perfect speaking voice coupled with a perfect singing voice she rattled on heres that simple little may song just harmony all once more their voices rose irl id that perfect blend blending ng which Is the most delicate of all in the melody itself there was an appealing sympathy and in that moment these two were in as perfect accord as their voices there Is something in the music of the human tone which exerts a magnetic attraction like no other tn in the world which breaks down the barriers of antagonism which sweeps away the walls of at self entrenchment which attracts and draws which explains PI also and does away with explanation this was the first hour they had spent without a clash and rev smita smith doyd boyd his eyes quite bulto blue tonight brought another stack of music fro from m the rack the butler an aggravating image with only one joint tn in his body paraded solemnly through the hall and back again with the card ray iray while gall gall and the rector sang juanita from an old college songbook which the reverend boyd had discovered tn in high glee aunt grace came down the stairs and out past the doors of the music salon there were voices of animated greeting tn in the hall and aunty aulty returned to the door just as tho the r rector was spreading oka open the book at sweet and low pardon me beamed aunty aulty theres a little surprise out here tor for you ou A rush of noise filled the 1111 I 1 ill luelle and ted teasdale handsome dick rodley and arly fosland and houston van vail aloon had come clattering in as an escort for mrs davies whose pet fad was wa 11 to t 0 have as many young oung people as possible bring nor her homo home from any place wheres Wh erea tho the baby demanded handsome handsor oo dick dodley heading for the stairs silly you m cried lucile and started after him flakes should I 1 be asleep althis at this hour 1 I came in for the sole purpose 0 of teaching flakes tho the turkey trot declared handsome deckand DIc dick kand and ran away followed by luclle Luelle lucilea Luclle Lu ciles a becoming passe c criticized ted ashes flirting with rodney for the second time can you blame her defended arly fosland she was sitting in the deep corner of her favorite couch nursing a slender ankle and even her bar shining black hair to say nothing of her shining black eyes seemed to be snapping with wicked delight luclle lucile and handsome dick came struggling down the stairway with flakes beewen them and gall gail sprang instantly to take the bewildered puppy from them both little blonde luclle lucile gave up her interest to the prior right but rodley pretended to be obstinate about it ills his deep eyes burned down into galls as lie he stood bonding bending above her and his smile to howards concentrated cent rated gaze had in it that dangerous fascination which few women could resist gall was positively smiling up into his bis ebest tableau Table aul called ted all ready for the next reel hold it a while bogged begged arly and even ev i en rev reif smith doyd boyd was forced to admit that the picture was handsome enough to be retained the adonis like dick with his black vair hair and black eyes his turly black mustache and his black goatee his pink cheeks and his white teeth gall gracefully erect her head thrown back her brown hair waving and her fluffy white flakes between them it was painfully beautiful children go home suddenly commanded mrs airs davies dick put the dog back where coif you found it 1 I suppose well have to go home drawled ted dick put back that hat dog put away the dog dick ordered the heavier voice of young van aloon come along gall ill put dia him away at his bis approach dick placed the puppy with great care in galls gails charge and took her arm van aloon took her other arm and together the trio laughing went away flakes to his bed they clung to her most moat affectionately bending over her on an either side and they called liar her gaill the others were ready to go when they rp returned turned from the collie nurs nursery ry and the three young men stood for fora a moment in a row near the door gall gal looked thorn thom over with a puzzled expression what was there about them which was so attractive was it poise sureness polish breeding experience insolence grooming what even the stiff van aloon seemed smooth of bearing tonight they still were standing in the hall ball and the front door opened brought you a prodigal hailed balled uncle jim slipping his latchkey in his bis pocket as he held the door open for the prodigal in question gall was watching the doorway someone outside was vigorously stamping his feet the prodigal came in and proved to be allison All lson buoyant of step sparkling of eye firmon firm of jaw and ruddy from the night wind smiling with the sureness sur eneas of welcome he came eagerly up to gall gail and took her band retaining it until blie she felt compelled to withdraw it recognizing again that thrill the barest trace of a flush came into her cheeks and paled again gall changed her garments and let down her waving hair and disdaining the help of her maid performed all the little nightly duties to the putting away of her clothing then in a perfectly neat and orderly boudoir she sat down to take herself seriously tn in hano handt there was a knock at the door and on invitation the tall and stately mrs helen davies cams came tn in frilled and d ruffled for the night she found the dainty little guest boudoir in green tinted dimness gall call had turned down all the lights in the room except the green lamps under the canopy and she sat on the divan with her brown hair rippling about her shoulders her knees clasped in her arms and her dainty little boudoir slippers peeping froni from her flowing pink negligee while child the dim green light suited to her present chions only enhanced the clear pink of her complexion mrs davies moved over to theother side of gall gail where she could surround her and laid the brown head on on her shoulder gall gail whose quick intelligence no movement escaped lay comfortably on aunt helens shoulder and a clear laugh rippled out she could not see the smile of satisfaction and relief relict with which aunt helen davies dadles received that laugh my dear I 1 am quite well pleased with you she said tou fou have a brilliant future before you galls gails eyelids eyel lils closed the long brown lashes curved down on her cheeks revealing just a sparkle of brightness while the mischievous little smile twitched twitch fd at the corners of her lips it you were an ordinary girl I 1 would urge you tonight to td ma make k a selection among the exceptionally excellent matrimonial mitri mantal material of at which you havo have a choice but with your ex talents and beauty my advice la is just to the alio contrary you should delay until you have had a wider ider opportunity for judgment you have not as yet shown any marked preference I 1 hope galla calls quite unreasoning impulse was vaa to giggle 6 ut sho she clothed her voice demur demurely ply no aunt helen you are remarkably wise viso complimented aunt helen a bit of ap appreciation which quite chocked checked galls gails impulse to giggle in tho the meantime mcnut it la is just juat na as well vell to study your opportunities of course theres dick rodley odley Il whom no one considers seriously and willis cunningham whose one and only drawback Is such questionable health that lie he might persistently tn interfere with your soda social activities houston van aloon I 1 am rank frank to say Is tho the most eligible of all and to have attracted tits his attention la Is a distinct triumph mr air allison All lson while rather advanced vanc edin in years cleasel Pl easel cried gall call think I 1 was waa a horse 1 I know just how you feet feel abated aunt holen helen entirely unruffled but j she sat with her brown hair rippling around her shoulders you cave have your future to consider and I 1 to dinv inv invite to your confidence and in her voice there was the quaver of much concern thank you aunt helen said gall call realizing the sincerity of the older womans comans intentions and putting her arms around mrs davies neck she kissed her it Is dear of you to take so much interest 1 I think its ita pride confessed mrs davies da vies nal naively velY 1 I wont keep you up a minute longer gall go to bed and get all the ale sleep ep you can only sleep will keep those roses in your cheeks goodnight good night and with a parting caress she went to her own room with inith a sense of a duty well performed gall gail smiled retrospectively i and tried the blue light under the canopy lamp but turned it out immediately the |