The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-08-25

bis second pay envelope he did not
commence crossing the street to the
restaurant for n noon lunch. When he
sat down for II few minutes at the
noon hour he did not double over In
trcmulo,is heap M he had done ut first.
and though his face wns whittier and
thinner. itg flesh wns Hrmcr than vixen
Inc first came and his eyes were clcntcr.
The boss looked NJ him with moro
approval now and was beginning TO
see that the man knew things outside
the working of his hands and that cvcs,
their incfliciency would be overcome in
time 10y his determination. For the
most part the mc,, were illitcrntc. ana
many Of them among the foreigners
could not even read or write. Az Pen
nington'E hands acquired II working
knowledge of the materials and hia
mind began to more thoroughly grasp
the details the boss gave him nccn-
sionaI Jobs Of oversight or authority,
for he seemed the best man at hand
for them. At first It was IN hour or
stock takiug of some Of the materials
or perhaps II commission downtown TO
purchase things that required lnspcc-
ton and could moi be ordered by ordi-
nary messenger or phone: then. after
year or so. he began To be left In
temporary charge during the enforced
absences of both foreman and boss.
And by that time pcnningtona hand,
were MS firm and hard ns the avcragH
rktunn's. and his thin face and mr.
row shoulders were filling out with
good. solid flesh
AT the end OF three years the fore
man started ont ne an independent
contractor. and the boss took his
place. Pennington would then have
become boss. but the new contractor
asked that he go with him nS fore
man. and Pennington. with an odd
feeling Of cxultation and wonder. con
scented.
All this time the agent had henrd
nothing and nm expression of spccun-
ton was beginning to appear Oh hiE
face. OF course Pennington must be
dcnd, for he wna n man who required
II great deal of money. and being In
Europe made the money more inpern-
tive. The agent was in half mind to
communicate with the nearest rea-
tive. but hcsitated and concluded to
wait II little longer
A small portion Of Esther klton'a
property consisted OF downtown t"nc-
mepls. and in the last few years she
had become infected with the reform
movement and WIS remodeling them
with more regard for the inmates wei
fare than her rent roll. Several blocks
had already been rebuilt and occupied.
and recently to hasten the work she
had given n block to n new contractor.
ished and the new walls up a dozen
or more feet she went down to look
at the work.
Men were springing up to the cross
tlmbers, dropping back and walking
about on the narrow beams carrying
heavy loads. and all with such uncon-
Germ and fearlcssness that she stood
looking at them. fearful and yet fasci-
mated.
Poised on the very end of timber
almost above her was an alert, com
pactly built man who seemed to he
directing the work. Something about
him drew her gaze back again and
again. yet even while her eyes kndle1
they filled mistily. He was so like and
yet so unlike. so what the other might
have been and was not
Presently the man sprang lightly
across to another timber. seven or
eight feet away. explained something
about the work to new man, then
crouched and dropped to the ground
twelve feet below.
AS he turned he stood facing the
owner and they gazed for some min