Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-12-01

Empire Builders
| By FRANCIS LYNDE
Copyright 19os-By Francis Lynde

By FRANCIS LYNDE
Copyright loosely Francis Lynde.

Does that clear up the doubt?"
Perfectly" was the quiet rejoinder.
Under these conditions, suppose it
is UP to me to wire the executive
committee, withdrawing my objections
to the MacMorroghs. isn't it?''
"That is the one thing Mr.. Mac
Morrosh asks" The secretary whip
ped out a notebook and pencil ''Shall
take your message? l can send it
when / go back to the Office"
Thank you,' said Ford; then he
began to dictate, slowly and metho-
Ideally: "To s. j. Colbrith, care Nc
Weigh and Mackie, New York. This is
to recall my objections to MacMor-
rogn Brothers, as stated in letter OF
the twenty-fifth from Chicago Furth-
er investigation develops the fact
that they are quite honest and cap
able, and that they will pay me ten
thousand dollars year for withdraw
ing my objection"
Eckstein's pencil had. stopped and
he was gaspins for breath.
"Great Scott" he calculated.
THAT won't do, Mr.. Ford! You can't
put thing like that into telegram
to the PRESIDENT"
why not?" was the cool inquiry.
you said it was perfectly legitimate,
didn't you?'
Eyes. but" the entrance of a
waiter to clear the table provided
merciful stop-gap, and EcEstein. hur-
riedly consulting his watch. switched
abruptly. by Jove! I'm due at the
Office 10 meet q lot of cattlemen," he
stammered. and escaped like man
hastening for first aid 10 the mis-
taken.
Ford laughed long and silently
when he found himself alone in the
private dining-room; and he was still
chuckling by fits and starts when. aft
or an afternoon spend with Auditor
Evans, he recounted his adventure to
Frisbie over the Brown cafe dinner
table that evening. But Frisbie took
all the humor out of the luncheon
when he said soberly:
"He laughs best who laughs last
Stuart. Eckstein took fall out of
you one way, even if he did fail in
the other: he kept you safely shut
up at Tortonis while Mr.. North and
the chief of the MacMorroghs got
away on special train for New York.
Beard. the Union station operator.
told me. Which means that they'll
have full day with Mr.. Colbrith and
the executive committee before you
can possibly get there to butt in" i
NO, il doesn't; necessarily Ford
contradicted, rising suddenly and sig
mailing waiter.
What are you going to do?"
queried Frisbie. dropping his knife
and fork and preparing to second his
chief
Come and see. I'm going to get
out another special train and give Mr..
North run for his money" was the
fncisive answer Hike down to the
despatcher's office with me and help
cut out the minutes"
CHAPTER XII.
Has civilized humanity, inc the
plenitude Of twentieth century soph-
istication, fully determined that there
is no such thing as luck?--that all
thing are ordered. if not by Provi-
dence, at least by an interchangeable Sc
Quence of cause and effect?
Stuart Ford was firm believer in
the luck of the energetic: which is to
say that he. regarded obstacles only
as things to be beaten down and abol-
ished. But in the dash to overtakle
the general managers one-car special,
the belief was shaken almost to its
reversal
He knew the Pacific Southwestern
locomotives-and something of the
meI who ran them. The 1915 was one
of the fast eight-wheelers; and Olsen,
the engineer, who had once pulled
passenger on the Plug Mountain, was
loyal and efficient. Happily, botn
the man and the machine were avail.
able; and while Frisbie was calling
up the division superintendent at his
house to ask the loan of his private
car for the assistant to the president
Ford was figuring the schedule with
the dispatcher, and insisting upon
speed-more speed.
| Whats come over you big bosses
all at once?" said Darby, to whom
/ Ford's promotion was no bar to fel
lowship or free speech. First Mr.
North wants me to schedule a spec.
ial that will break the record; and
now you want to string one that will
beat his record
Never mind my troubles. julius.
was the evasive reply. Gust you
|. figure TO keep things out Of my way
and give me clear track. Let's see
where were we? Cheyenne Cross
ing at a. m, water at Riddle Creek
| coal at Brockton--'
The schedule was completed when
I Frisbie came back to say that the
1915. with the superintendent car at
tached, was waiting on track six Ford
went down, looked the gift horse in
the mouth, and had the running gear
of the car overhauled under his own
supervision before he would give
Olson the word to go, pressing the
night car inspectors into service and
making them repack the truck jour
nails while he waited
| I'm taking no chances :" he said
| to Frisbie:: and truly it seemed tina,
all the findrances had been care
fully forestalled when he finally board
ed the 's01" and ordered his flagmar
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