Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-11-26

He was possibly paid to say it."
said Ford hotly. There can never
been shadow of doubt touching our
trackage rights on the c. p. & D. con-
tracts. or upon our ability to main
! tain them. All the Transcontinental
people hoped to do was to make a
newspaper stir to help keep our stock
down. They know what we are going
to do to them over in their western
territory, and they won't stop at any
thing to block u.s.
OF course; I think we were all in
clined to be little short-sighted and
pessimistic here, Mr. Ford. When do
you go back to your fighting ground 2"
| Tonight
"You won't wait to see what hap
pens here?"
! Il don't need to, l am sure. And
the minutes-my minutes-are worth
dollars to the company just now"
| We'll. go in and win-only don't
forget to give me that tip. You
wouldn't want to see man of my age
going to the poorhouse'
| "OneHother word, Mr.. Brewster"
Ford begged, as the copper magnate
was pointing for the door Of escape.
| Please don't let any of these timid
gentlemen sell till we get our bonds
| floated You mark my word: the temp
tation to make big killing is going to
be very great, within a week"
| The copper king laughed; openly,
/ this time.
you overrate my influence, Mr..
Ford; but I'll do what l CANDY word
of mouth and by example. You can
count on meas long as you let me
stay on your side of the market.
i have lost an entire day because
| could not take the time to secure a
stenographer befole leaving Chicago
night before last. 1 must find one
now and go to work.
All right; if you must. But | was
hoping could take you out to Over
look to dinner this evening. Can't
you come anyhow, and take a later
train west?"
Don't tempt me-" said Ford. And
then: "The ladies are quite we'll |
hope?"
"Oh, yes; they are in town today,
and we are all going to luncheon to-
gether-though 1 shant know just
where until | go to the club Failing
the dinner, won't you make a knife
and fork with us at one, oclock?n
II should like to-more than any
thing else in the world" Ford pro
tested, meaning it. But you'll make
my excuses to Mrs. Adair, won't you?
We've simply got to get a three
cornered hustle Oh now, if we want to
save the day in the west"
why? Is there anything new in
that quarter?'
There is: something that | didn't
dare TO mention back yonder in the
board meeting. You may remember
that l told you I had left a man in
my place on the Plug Mountain
Frisbie? 1 had wire from him, night
| before last, just as | was leaving Chi
cago AS you know, the Pacific
Southwestern inherits, from the old
narrowgause purchase, the. right-of-
way over Plug Pass and down the
valley of the Pannilin. Frisbie wires
that the Transcontinental people have
begun massing building material at
| the terminus of their Saguache branch
| only twenty miles from the Pass"
| "And that means-T'm lame on geo.
graphy."
1T mean that they'll cut in ahead of
u.s. IL they can. Plug Pass is the
only available unoccupied outlet
through the mountains for thirty or
forty miles north or south; and if we
| don't get our building force on the
ground mighty suddenly, we'll find out
fortified and held by the enemy"
The touring car had turned into
Broadway, and the traffic precluded
further talk But when Ford was dis
mounting from the tonneau at the en-
| trance to his hotel, Adair said: There
appears to be no rest for the wicked.
You ought to have some of that thirty
million dollars to spend right now"
Fords smile was little more than a
sardonic grin.
"Adair," he said I'm going to tell
you something else that I didn't tell
those money-tremulous people in Nc
Weigh and Mackie's private office. l
have been signing contracts and buy
ing material by the train-load ever
since the first grain shipment was
started eastward on our main line
Also, I've got my engineering corps
modified, and It will take the field
lllueI FIlSDle DIS us Culel uOC later
than tomorrow. Putting one thing
with another should say that we are
something over fresh million Of dol
lars on the wrong side of solvency for
these little antics of mine, and I'm
adding to the deficit by the hundred
thousand every time l can get
chance to dictate a letter..
Adair lighted cigarette and made
a tair show of taking it easily But
moment later he was lifting his hat
to wipe the perspiration from his
forehead.
Lord! but you have the confidence
Of your convictions!" he said. breath
ing hard. "If we shouldn't happen to
be able to float the bonds
1--WE are in too deep to admit the
if' The bonds must be floated. and
at the earliest possible moment that
Magnus will move in it. You wanted
something big enough to keep you in
terested. I have been trying my best
to accommodate you
Adair leaned forward and spoke to
his chaffeur. The man watched his