Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-05
NICHOLSON

; and who, moreover. needed something TO
do. Saxtons acquaintance with the west
had been gained by a bitter experience
of ranching in Wyoming. A blizzard had
destroyed his cattle, and the subsequent
depression in land values In the neighbour
! hood of his ranch had left him encountered
| with a property for which there was no
market. His friends had been correct in
| the assumption that he needed employ
/ ment, and he was. moreover glad OF the
| chance to get away from home, where the
| impression was making Roadway that ne
| had failed at something in the vague, nom
Understanding west When, on his return
| from Wyoming, 1t became necessary for
| his former acquaintance to Identify him
| to one another, they said. with varying
degrees of kindness that John had gone
broke at ranchng; and they liked him
particularly. they said 1t was too bad; II
they had not known him we'll in his fortu-
nate days, they mildly intimated that
fool and his money found quicker divorce
at ranching :han In any other way. Most
of Saxton's friends and contemporaries
had made good beginnings at home, and
he felt, unnecessarily perhaps. that his fall
ure made him a marked man among them.
Now said Porter presently, scrutniz-
ing telegram carefully before signing 1t,
TN take you up to the Office we've been
keeping for your people, and show you
what it looks like. Some of these things
are run corp orationS, you understand,
and in our state corporations have to main
tain a tangible residence"
so that the sheriff may find them more
easily" added Saxton.
well, that's no joke" returned Porter,
as they entered the elevator from the outer
hall; but they don't necessarily have much
office furniture to levy on
The room proved to be a small one at the
top of the building. pn the ground glass
door was inscribed THE Interstate Irriga-
ton Company" The room contained a
safe, a fiat-top desk and few chairs.
Several maps hung on the wall, some of
them railroad advertisements, and others
were engineers charts of ranch lands and
irrigation bitches.
1T amt pretty" said Porter critically,
'but if you don't like It you can move
when you get ready. The bank is your
landlord, and we don't charge you much
for it. You've doubtless got your inventory
of stuff with you, and here in the safe
you'll find the accounts of these companies,
copies of public records relating to them.
and so on AS Porter talked he stood in the
middle of the room with his hands in his
pockets, and puffed at a cigar, throwing
his head back in effort to escape the
smoke He stood with one foot on a chair
and pushed his hat away from his fore
mead as he continued refiectvely: You're
going up against pretty tough PROPOSE
ton, young man. You'll hear a hard luck
story wherever you go out here just now;
people who owe your friends money will be
mighty sorry they can't pay. Many of the
ranch lands your people own will be worth
something after a while. That Colorado
irrigation scheme ought to pan out in time,
and l believe 1t will; but you've got to
nurse all these things. Make your princi-
pals let you alone. Those fellows get in a
hurry at the wrong time-that's my
perience with eastern investors. Tell them
to go to Europe-get rid of them for a
while, and make them give you a chance
to work out their money for them They're
not the only pebbles" A slight smile
seemed to creep over a small area about
the bankers lips, but his cigar only partly
revealed it. His eyes rarely betrayed him,
and the monotonous drawl of his voice was
without humorous intention.
"Fl send the combination OF the safe up
by the boy he said, moving toward the
door, land you can get a bird s-eye view
of the situation before lunch. Mr. Wheaton,
our cashier, is away today, but he's ia
miliar with these matters and will be glad
to help you when he gets home. He'll be
back tonight. When you get stuck call on
us. And drop down about 1890 and go up
to the club Cor lunch. Take it easy; you
can't do 1t all in one day." he added.
said the younger man. I'm going to fight
it out on the best lines 1 know how'll it
takes several summers
We'll, it'll take them all right" said
Porter, sententiously.
Left to himself Saxton examined his new
quarters, found feather buster hanging in
a corner and brushed the dirt from the
scanty furniture. This done, he drew a
pipe from his pocket, filled it from his to-
baccO pouch and sat down by the open
window, through which the breeze came
cool out of the great valley; and here he