Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-15

stiffness. Ford knew the president a lit
| tie by family repute and more particu-
general In command. 1t struck him forci-
bly, that the aspect of the house fitted
the man. With the broad river and the
distant Palisades to be dwelt upon, it's
outlook windows were narrow. With the
sloping park and the great trees to give
1t dignity. 1t seemed to assume an ar.i-
ficia1 plum-line dignity of its own. i'm
pressive only as the product Of rigid
measurements and mechanical upright
ness
From the boulevard there was q grav-
eled driveway with a stone portal The
iron gates were thrown wide, and at his
entrance Ford stood aside to let an out
going auto car have the right of way.
Being full Of his errand and of the alb
straction of a depressed soul, Ford mere
ly remarked that there were two persons
in the car a young man driving and a
young woman. yelled and dustcoated. in
the mechanician's seat beside him. None
the less there f1oated out Of the mist of
abstraction an instantly vanishing phan-
tom Of half recognition for the westerner.
Something in the pose Of the young
woman. the way she leaned forward and
held her hat with the tips Of her .gloved
fingers. was, for the fleeing moment, al
most reminiscent.
If Ford had wished to speculate upon
abstruse problems Of identity there was
neither time nor the mental aptitude. A
little later he had given his card to the
servant at the door and was waiting In a
darkened and most Oppressive library for
the coming of the master Of the house.
The five minutes of waiting nearly fin
ished him. AS the absurdly formal clock
between the BOOKCASES licked Off the
leaden-wfnKed seconds. his plan for the
rescue Of Pacific Southwestern took the
form of Grass impertinence, and only
the grim determination to see a lost cause
decently confined and buried kept the en-
thusiast with his face to the front
After ALL the beginning of the inter-
view with the tall. thin. gray-haired and
hatchet-faced old man, who presently
stalked into the library and gave his hand
with carefully adjusted cordially to the
son Of one of his college classmates. was
only little more depressing: it was not
mortal. Ford had been born in Illinois.
and SO. something better than a third of
a century earlier. had the president
Moreover. Mr.. Colbrith had. in the hey
day of his youth. shared rooms with the
elder Ford in the fresh-water university
which had later numbered the younger
Ford among its alumni. These things
count for somewhat. even when the gap
to he bridged Is that between the presi-
dent Of railroad and one Of his minor
officials.
But when the revolutionary project was
introduced the presidents guarded cor
diality faded like Photographic proof
print in the sunlight and the air OF the
darkened library grew coldly Indictment.
so you came to talk business. did
you:'' said the high. rasping voice out OF
the depths of the easy chair opposite:
and Ford ragged inwardly at the thought
that he had clearly placed himself al
disadvantage by becoming even construc-
lively the guest of the president. AS a
rule / positively refuse to discuss such
matters outside OF their proper environ
ment. but I'll make an exception for
Douglas Ford's son. Your plan is sim
ply impossible. / can understand how it
may appear possible. and even attractive,
to young man. and especially to the
young man who has invented il. But as
an investment for capital-my dear young
sir, go back to your division. and strive
by faithful service to rise In the accepted
and time honored way. You are wasting
your time in New York
Curiously enough. Ford found his evapo-
rated courage recrystallizinG under op-
position.
plan and the present condition of the
system sufficiently clear 70 you he in
sisted. whereupon he went patiently and
good ma uredly over the argument again.
emphasizing the desperate straits to
which the Pacific Southwestern was re-
duced.
We know all that. Mr.. Fora" was the
unyielding reply. But granting it to be
the fact. don't you see the absolute flu
tility of asking for thirty-tive millions ad-
diti6nai capita! at such crisis?'
mo. ] DON'T said Ford. stubbornly.
Il know-as I cannot explain to you in
plan OF mine can be made successful For |
two years. Mr.. Coibrith. have been tbe
man on the ground: no word that ] am |
saying to you is speculative Every