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Show " .ui .1 - "-- ' - ' THE VALLEY of the GIANTS I M By PETER B. KYNE SB Author of "Cappy Ricks" 9fij Copyrlcbl by Ptr B. Kyne KAPTER XVIII Continued. HHBr 20 MpMgwy lore!" ho cried happily. "I BMMdiircil dream of such happiness BBSly. You were so unnttaln- jMagjjilp obstacles between us were fl4Pf nnd se great " JEJWf today, Ilryce?" she Interrupt- HJlMteok Iter adorable little nose In ftilWyit thumb nnd rcirolliiRor nnd wSm& It gently. "The light began W&Sfn yesterday, my dear little en- JwJMWlnwing mi Interesting linlf- jgyftiilcli I put In with his honor the -JjjBft Acting upon suspicion only, ajaHI'oiindstnne I was prepared tn 9flJMn tn the rock pile If he didn't jHSXhlmsclf In the matter of my flHEent fmnehlsv for the N. C. O. lKolly old Invertehrate wept mid jKil me anything If I wouldn't fljflgb lilm. .So I promised I wouldn't flRlhlug until the frauehle mat- flfljiuhl he deflultely nettled after 99JI returned to my olllce. to (hid jHk me there no less a person Kg'10 right-nfwuy man for the flSiestcrn Pacific. He wan n per- . Hfljfetlghtful young fellow, and he flDproposltlon to unfold. It seems HHfrtliucstcrn I'aellle bus deehled fljBlj up from Wllllts. and nil thai IBft' and puhllelty of Buck Ogll- jfl9Jput the N. C. O. was In all )H"-V the very thing that spurred HTn action. They figured the fcSt P. was hack of the X. O. (. BBtt was to he the first link In u ifljSj'f count roads to he connected fifth with the terminus of the flflRst P. on Cray's Harbor. Wash- fAml If the X. C. (). Hhould he ABBim-unt that u rival road would HHR' cdc on them In the matter flflflr Mick of Humboldt and Del flflfledwond and they'd he left flBlhe Hack." jflRdlil they think that, dear?" jflflFaintizIng rascal, Buck Ogllvy. JHHhc n C M. & St. P. limn ; they flflBlhcy traced nu analogy. I dare flflfl)hnps lluck tlhhed to them. At jflflfle this right-of-way man was 'HHHnnxlous to know whether or 99- C. O. had purchased from HHHjIgnti Hedwooil Lumber com- flHtc for n terminus on tide- -H control nil the deep-water Aflflfion the hny), and when I told flHB,''011' had not yet been closed JflHBfd tn close one with me." :fllJou closo?" Hear girl, will n duck swim? wHHBf I closed. I sold three-qunr- :9H" we had, for three-quarters a99f'"" dollars, and nn hour ago Wghl n wire from my attorney In SIl'taKiclsco Informing me thnt the wwtBlffld been deposited In escrow JggMvnltlng formal deed. Thnt MtOTftguna Grande Luinoer Com- ino3jUts the Cardigan Itedwood WVjjflBJMPriiiny In tho clear no re-jjplnjwtor re-jjplnjwtor iih now, my dear one. WlTiHpPlnB right nhcuil with tho II!pff,the N. C. O. while our Idlngown on tho San Hetlrln Uble In.yalue, for the reason that thin three years they will he nccos-ile nccos-ile nnd win be logged over tho rails .tljeWorthwestcrn I'nclllel" ' '&$$$? Shirley declared, "haven't Iwny&told you I'd never permit you bnlljlMlio N. O. O " Oflcourse.'' Iio replied, "but surely ftyigolng to withdraw your objee- winow." iKnJnot. You must choose be- tnItho N. C. O. nnd me." And who Bggjsurprlsed gaze unflinchingly. ghjrlgyt You don't rnenn It?" Wogienn It. I have nlwnys meant Kgtovp you. dear, but for all Unit jppUM not build that road." 5sS(1 UP nr"t towpred nbovo her pilj"I must build It, Shirley. .I'vo Wracted to do It, nnd I must keep pjwltli Gregory of tho Trinidad SWerMompnny. He's putthiB up tho jgejafend I'm to do the work nnd yratcIUio line. I can't go back on Wjnow." sNPor my sake?" she pleaded. He shook his heud. "I must go on," he reiterated. "Do you rpnllzp whnt that resolution means to us?" The girl's tones were grave, her glance graver. "I realize what It means to met" She came closer to him. Suddenly the blaze In her violet eyes gave way to one of mirth. "Oh, you dear big booby I" she cried. "I was Just test-Ins test-Ins you." And she clung to him, Inugh-lug. Inugh-lug. "You nlwnys heat me down you always win. ISryee. denr, I'm the La-guna La-guna Ornnde Lumber company at least I will he toimirrt., and I repent for the last time that you.Miull not build the X. C. O. because I'm going to oh, dear. I shall die laughing nt you because I'm going to merge with the Cardigan Itedwood Lumber company, com-pany, and then my railroad -dinl! he your railroad, and we'll' extend It nnd haul Gregory's logs to tidewater for him aNo. And silly, didn't I tell you you'd never build the X. C. O.?" "God bless my mildewed soul!" be murmured, nod drew her to lilm. In the gathering dunk tho walked down the trail. Iteslde the madrono tree John Cardigan waited patiently. "Well." he queried when they Joined him, "did you llml my handkerchief handker-chief for me, son?" "I didn't find your handkerchief. John Cardigan," Ilryce answered, "bill 'I did Mud what I suspect you sent me back for and that Is u perfectly wonderful won-derful diiughteMn-lnw for you!" John Cardigan smiled nnd held out his arms for her. "This." he said. "Is tho happiest day that I have known since my hoy was horn." CHAPTER XIX. Col. Seth I'ennlnglon was thoroughly crushed. Look which way he would the bedeviled old rascal could find no loophole for escapo "You win, Cardigan," he muttered desperately as be sat In his olllce nfter Shirley had left him. "You've hnd more than a shade In every round thus far, and at the finish you've lauded n clenn knockout. If I hnd to fight nny tnnn but you" Ho sighed resignedly and pressed the push-button on his desk. Sexton entered. "Sexton," he said bluntly nnd with a slight quiver In his voice, "my niece nnd I have hnd n disagreement. disagree-ment. We hnve quarreled over young Cardigan. She's going to mnrry him. Now, our affairs nre somewhat Involved, In-volved, and In order to strnlghten them out we spun n coin to see whether she should sell her stock in Ingunn Grande to me or whether I should sell mine to her nnd I lost. The book vnluation of the stock nt the close of hist yeor's business, plus ten per cent will determine tho selling price, nnd I shall resign as president. You will. In nil probability, be retained to manage man-age the company until It Is merged with the Onrdlgnn Itedwood Lumber rompnny when, I Imagine, you will be given ample notice to seek a new Job elsewhere. Call Miss Sumner's nttor-ney, nttor-ney, Judge Moore, on the telephone and nsk him tn como to the olllce nt nine o'clock tomorrow, when the pn-pers pn-pers can he drawn up and signed. That Is all." The Colonel did not return to his home In Itedwood boulevard that night. He had no nppetlte for dinner nnd sat brooding In his olllce until very Into; then he went to tho Hotel Sequoia anil engaged a room. He did not possess Milllclent courage to face his niece again. At four o'clock the next day the Colonel, his baggage, his automobile, his chauffeur and the solemn butler. Jnmes, hoarded the passenger steamer for Sail Francisco, and at four-thirty sailed out of Humboldt hay over the thundering bar and on Into the south. The Colonel was still u rich man, but his dream of a redwood empire hnd faded, and once more lie was laklng up the search for cheap timber. Whether he ever found It or not Is n matter that does not concern us. At a moment when young Henry rouiKisinnes iirenm or legal opulence was fading, when Mayor I'ouudstone's hopes for domestic peace had been shattered boynnd repair, the while his cheap political aspirations bad been equally devastated because of a certain cer-tain damnnhlo document In the possession posses-sion of Ilryce Cardigan, many events of Importance wero transpiring. On tho vernndn of Ids old fashioned homo John Cardigan snt tapping thp lloor with his stick nnd dreaming dreams which for the first time In pianv years were rose-tlnluL Ileslde him Shirley sat. her glance bent musingly out ncros the roofs of Sequoin and on to the hny shore, where tho smoke and exhaust steam (loafed up from two wiwmllls her own and liryce Cardigan's. Cardi-gan's. To her came nt regularly spaced Intervals tho faint whining of the saws nnd tho rumble of log trains crawling out of tho log dumps; high over the piles of bright, freshly snwn lumbor siio caught from tlmo to tlmo tho llnsh of white spray ns tho great logs tossed from tho trucks liurtlpd down tho skids nnd crashed Into tho bay. At the 'icks of both mills vessels wore londlng. their tall spars cuttlnt? the sky lino nbovo and boynnd the smoko stacks; far down tho hay n steam schooner, loaded until her main dert. was almost flush with the wntor, was putting out to sen. mid Shirley heard the faint echo of her siren ns she whistled her Intention to pass to starboard star-board of a wind jnmmer Inward bound In tow of n Cardlgi'ii tug. "It's wonderful," sUe said presently, apropos of nothing. "Aye," he replied In his deep, melodious melo-dious voice. "I've been sitting here, my dear, listening to your thounhts. You know something, now, of the tie that hinds my boy to Sequoia. Tbls" he waved his arm abroad In the darkness dark-ness "this Is the true essence of life to crente. to develop the gifts Hint God has given us to work nnd know the blessing of weariness to hnve dreams and see them come true. That Is life, and I have lived. And now I nm ready to rest." He smiled wistfully. wist-fully. " The king Is dead. Long llvo the king.' I wonder If you. raised as you have been, can face life In Sequoin resolutely with my son. It Is n dull, drnh sawmill town, where life unfolds gradually wlllulut thrill where the years stretch ahead of one with only trees, among simple folk. The life may he hard on you. Shirley; one has to acquire n taste for It, you know." "I lime known the lilt or battle, John-pa rlner." she answered; "hence I think I enn enjoy the sweets of victory. vic-tory. I am content." "And what u run you did give that hoy Ilryce!" She laughed soflly. "I wnnted him to fight ; I had n great curiosity to see the sturr tliat was In him," she explained. Next day Ilryce Cardigan, riding the top log on the end truck of a long train Just tn from Cardigan's woods In Township Xlne. dropped from the end of the log us the train crawled through the mill yard on Its way to the log dump. He hailed lluck Ogllvy, where tho lutter stood In the door of 'he olllce. "Itlg doings up on Little Limrcl creek this morning. lluck." "Do tell!" Mr. Ogllvy murmured morosely. "It wns great." Ilryce continued. "Old Duncan McTnvlsh returned. I knew he would. Ills yenr on the mourner's bench expired yesterdny, and ho cumo back to claim Ids old job of woods boss." "He's one yenr too late," Ogllvy declared. de-clared. "I wouldn't let that big Canadian Cana-dian Jules Hondenu quit for a farm. Some woods boss, that and Ids first Job with this company was tho dirtiest you could Iinml him smearing grease on the skid road at a dollar and a half a day and found. He's made ton good to lose out now. I don't enre what his private morals may be. Ho enn get out tho logs, hang his rascally hide, nnd I'm for lilm" "I'm afraid you haven't anything to say about It, lluck." Ilryce replied dryly. "I naven't eh? Well, any tlmo you deny me the privilege of hiring nnd firing you're going to be out the service serv-ice of a rattling good general manager, mana-ger, my son. Yes, sir! If you hold mo responsible for results I must select se-lect tho tools I want to work with." "Oh, very well," llryco laughed. "Have It your own wny. Only If you can drive Duncan McTnvlsh out of Cardigan's woods I'd like to see you do It. Possession Is nine points of the law, lluck nnd Old Duncan Is In possession." "Whutdoyou mean In possession?" "I mean that at ten o'clock this morning Duncan McTavlsb appeared at our log landing. Tho whisky fat wns all gone from him and lie appeared ap-peared forty years old Instead of the sixty that he Is. With a whoop he camo Jumping over tho logs, straight for Jules Itondeau. The big Canuck saw him coming and knew what his visit portended so he wasn't tuken unawares. It was a case of fight for bis Job and Itondeau fought." "The devil you say!" "I do and there was the devil to pay. (t was a rough and tumble and no grips bnrred Just the. kind of n light Itondeau likes. Nevertheless Old Duncan floored lilm. While he's been away somebody taught lilm the hammer ham-mer lock and the crotch bold and n few more fancy ones, and he got to work on Itondeau In a hurry. In fact be had to, for If the tussle hud gone over five minutes Ilondenu's jouth would have decided the Issue." "Anil Hondenu was whipped?" "To u whisper. Mac floored him. and choked him until he bent the ground with bis free hand In token of surrender; whereupon old Duncan let lilm up, and Itondeau went to his shiintj and packed his turkey. The last I saw of lilm lie was bonded over the hill to Camp Two on Liiguua Grande. He'll probably chase that assistant as-sistant woods boss I hired nfter the consolidation out of Shirley's woods nnd help himself to the fellow'H Job. I don't cure If ho doos. Whnt Intorosts me Is the fact that the old Cardigan woods boss Is back on the Job In Cardigan's Car-digan's woods, mid I'm mighty glad of It. The old horsethlof lias had his lesson nnd will remain sober hereafter. here-after. I think he's cured." "The Infamous old nut law I" "Mac knows the San Hedrln as I know my own pocket. He'll he a tower of strength when we open up that "lift ufttr 'the riillrtmU builds In. Ily the wnv. hns my dad been down this morning?" "Yes. Molrn rend the mall to him and then took htm up to the Valley of the Giants. He said he wnnted to do n little quiet figuring on that new steam schooner you're thinking of bnlhllng. He thinks she ought to bo bigger big enough to carry two million mil-lion feet." Ilryce glanced nt his watch. "It's half after eleven." be said. "Guess I'll run up to the Olnnts and bring him home to luncheon." He stepped Into the Napier stundlng outside the olllce nnd drove away, lluck Ogllvy waited until Ilryce was out of sight; then with sudden determination deter-mination he entered the.oflleo. "Molrn," he said abruptly, nppronch-Irg nppronch-Irg the desk where she Worked, "your ilnd Is hack, and what's more, Ilryce Cardigan has let him hnve his old Job ns woods boss. And I'm here to an-nounrMhnt an-nounrMhnt you're no going buck to the woods to keep house for him. Understand? Un-derstand? Now, look here, Molm. I've shllly-sluilllrd around you for months protesting my love, anil I haven't gotten got-ten anywhere. Today I'm going to nsk you for the Inst time. Will you marry me? I need you worse than thnt ras cut of a father of yours does, and I tell you I'll not have you go back to the woods to take care of him. Come, .now. Molrn. Do give me a definite nn swer." "I'm nfrnld I don't love you well enough to mnrry you. Mr. Ogllvy." Molrn pleaded. "I'm truly fond of you, hut" "The Inst boat's gone," cried Mr Oglly despnrotofy. ''I'm unswered Well. I'll not stick around hero much longer. Molrn. I realize I must lie n nuisance, hut I can't help being n nuisance nui-sance when you're, near me. So I'll quit my Job here nnd go back to my old gnmo of rnllrondlng." "Oh. you wouldn't quit a ten-thou-sand-dollar Job," Molra cried aghast. "I'd quit n million-dollar Job. I'm desnornte enough to go over to the mill and pick a fight with the big bnndsnw. I'm going nwny whore I can't see you. Your eyes ure driving me crazy." "Hut I don't want you to go, Mr. Ogllvy." "Cnll mo Buck," ho commanded sharply. "I don't want you to go, nuck." she repeated meekly. "I shnll feel guilty, driving you out of n fine position." "Then mnrry me nnd I'll stny." "Hut suppose I don't lovo you the wny you deserve "Suppose! Suppose 1" Buck Ogllvy cried. "You're no longer certain of yourself. How dare you deny your I love for mo? Kb? Molrn, I'll risk It," Her eyes turned to him timidly, nnd for the first time ho snw In their smoky depths n lambent flame. "I don't know," she quavered, "nnd It's if big responsibility In ense " "Oh. the devil tnke the ensol" he cried rapturously, and took her hands In his. "Do I Improve with nge, denr Molrn?" he asked with boyish eagerness; eager-ness; then, before she could nnswer. bo swept on, a tornndo of lovo nnd pleading. And presently Molrn was In bis arms, and he was kissing her, nnd she wns crying softly because well, she admired Mr. Buck Ogllvy; more, she respected him and wns genuinely fond of him. She wondered and she wondered, u quiet Joy thrilled her In the knowledge that it did not seem nt nil Impossible for tier to grow. In time, absurdly fond of this wholesome red rascal. "Oh. Buck, denr," she whispered. "I don't know, I'm sure, hut perhaps I've loved you a little lilt for a long time." "I'm perfectly wild over you. You're tho most wonderful woman I ever heard of. Old rosy-cheeks I" And he pinched Uiem Just to see the color cumo nml go, John Cardigan was seated In Ills lumberjack's easy choir as his son approached. ap-proached. His hat lay on the Utter or brown twigs beside him; his chin was sunk on his breast, and bis head was held a little to one side in n listening lis-tening attitude; a vagrant little breeze rustled gently a lock of his fine, long while hair. Ilryce stooped over the old man nnd shook him gently by the shoulder. "Wnko up, partner," be called cheerfully. cheer-fully. But John Cardigan did not wake, nml again his son shook him. Still receiving no resixinsn. Ilryce lifted lift-ed the leonine old head nnd guzed Into his father's fnco. "John Cardigan Cardi-gan I" he cried sharply. "Wake up, old pal." The old ej-es opened and John Car-llgnn Car-llgnn smiled up at his, hoy, "Good sou." be whispered, "good son!" He closed Ids sightless eyes again as If the mere offort of holding them open wearied him. "I'vo been sitting hero waiting," he wont on in tho same gentle whisper. "No, not waiting for you, hoy waiting " His head fell over on ids son's shoulder; shoul-der; his hand went groping for Ilryco's. "Listen," lie continued. "Can't you hoar it tho Silence? I'll wait for you here, my son. Mothor and I will wait together now In this spot she fancied. I'm tired I wnnt rest. Look nftur old Sine nnd Molra and Bill Dandy, who lost his log nt Camp Seven last fnll uud Tom Klllneton'fl chil dren nnd nil the others, son. Yon know, Ilryce. They're your responsibilities. responsi-bilities. Sorry I can't wait to see the San Hedrln opened up, hut I've lived my life nnd loved my love? Ah, yes, I'e been happy so happy Just doing things nnd dreaming here nmnug my Qlnnts nnd " Tie sighed gently. "Good son," he whispered ngnln ; his big body relaxed, and the great heart of tho Argonaut waH still. Bryco held lilm until tho realization came to him that his father was no more that like u watch, the winding of which hns been neglected, he had gradually slowed up and stopped. "Ooodby. old Jolm-pnrtncrl" ho murmured. "You've escaped Into tho light nt last. We'll go homo together now. but we'll come bntk ngnln." And with his father's: body in his strong arms he departed from the little nmphlthenler, walking lightly with his heavy burden down the old skid road to the waiting automobile. And two slnyn Inter John Cnrdlgati returned to rest forever with his lost mate nmoe tlo Giants, himself nt last an Inflnttcf-linnl Inflnttcf-linnl portion of that tremendous sllcncn that Is the diapason of the ages. When the funeral was over Shirley nnd 'Ilryce lingered until they found themselves alono beside tho freshly turned earth. Through a rift In tliu great branches two hundred feet above a pulch of cerulean sky showed faintly faint-ly ; the sunlight fell like a broad golden gold-en sbnft over the blossom-laden grave and from the brown trunk of nn adjacent ad-jacent tree u gray squirrel, a descendant, descend-ant, perhaps, of tho gray squirrel that "He Was a Giant Amono Man." had been wont to roll Bryce's pockets I of pine nuts twenty years before, chirped at them Inquiringly. "He wns u giant uniting men," paid Ilryce presently. "Whnt a lifting plnco for him to lie!" Ho passed his arm around his wife's shoulders and drew her to him. "You made It possible, sweetheart." Slio gnzed up nt htm In ndnrntton. And presently they left tho Valley of the Giants to fnce tho world tv getlier, strong In their faith to llvo their lives and lovo their loves, to' dream their dreams und perchance when life should bo done with and the hour of rest at hand, to surrender, sustained sus-tained and comforted by tho knowledge knowl-edge that those dreams had come true. Tin: knix |