Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1909-12-31
S.-......---- ..-.--T
P A ] u
Novelized rom
Eugene Walter S
Great Play ~
CHAPTER II.

as JlmSy. was a tall. gaunt. angular
man. bearing all over him the STAMP
of weSterner. He was. In fact. from
Colorado. where he began his active
career by engaging in mining. Scanl
success attended his efforts in this di
rectiOn. however. and after working
with the logged determination thai
was one of his traits until even his
patience was exhausted he finally en-
tered the employ of the steamship
company in whose service he had
risen. to his present position. with
headquarters in New York
There was something about Smith
that caused men. and women also. fol
that matter. to take to him on sight
The unbounded good nature. big Heart
edness and unseltishness beaming in
his blue eyes and In his whimsical
smile were written in every line of his
clean shaven face. Another thing that
made him remarked by all who came
In contact with him was his absolute
imperturbability. In all his thirty
seven years Of existence he never haG
been known to get move on" not
even when premature blast in 8
mine had sent the diggers heller skel
ter for safety and carried death and
suffering to many. Smith had walked
TRANQUILITY away amid the rain of rocb
and earth until IT was all over Their
he had returned and organized the
work of rescue. his placidity causing
the others lnstinctively to look to him
for direction. Nor was his speech
more hurried than were his move
ments. He spoke but little. and Their
his words came in a quiet. even. dis
tinct drawl. But he got there" a.
quickly as most men. and good dea
quicker than some whose nerves were
highly strung and with whom rapidity
of action was MS necessary as breath
Ing. for he was possessed of keen pow
ers of observation and common sense
an earnestness of purpose that gave
his utterances weight and an integrity
as unshaknble as the rock of Gibral-
tar. AS fitting. almost necessary.
complement of such nature he was
added not little to the attraction he
exercised for those who knew him
sufficiently well to be able to- appre-
ciale his qualities of heart and mind
He took a calm. all embracing survey
of the office as he entered. looked over
to Brooks desk and saluted him with
a cordial motion of the hand and In
structed boy to notify Captain VIII
liams of his arrival. He was ushered
Immediately into the chiefs presence
That worthy. who. like his superin-
tendcnt. was clean shaver. was seated
at his desk in his shirt sleeves and
the whole room. despite the wide open
windows. was thick from the smoke
from an old blackened corncob pipe at
which he was putting vigorously. He
was Il burly man. and the short. thick
neck. the broad shoulders the power
full, big jointed fingers and the mus
cles that stood out in lunches on the
hairy arms disclosed by his rolled up
shirt sleeves denoted that he possessed
unusual physical strength. An ugly
man to get into an argument with was
Williams, one who. it needed no mind
reader to judge. would be capable of
following the word with blow that
would crush an ordinary opponent.
For years. as Brooks had intimated.
he had led the toughest life man
can lead. hammering by sheer brute
strength way to wealth by ways in
which scruple had counted for nothing
at all and eXpediency for good deal.
and his entrance upon higher plane
of civilization had not impaired much
speech. which were those of the old
time sailing ship mariner. although of
late years he had striven to conform
more closely to the examples of re-
finement he witnessed In the only pO-
lite society he cared for. which was
that Of the family of his dead friend
Stanley Harris. who was general man
ager of the Latin-A American line when
he obtained control of 1t. He had a
way Of glaring at person from I'M
der his bushy eyebrows with scru-
tiny that seemed to read through and
up and down him and made him most
Ill at ease under It,
He made his decisions promptly. au-
thoritatively. after the manner of Il
man accustomed to command and to
be obeyed without question. ard he
never changed them, at least in his
business and administrative dealings
Add to all this voice like Il foghorn.
the effect of which. when he raised
1t, was. as he knew full well. to make
his subordinates quake and to intimi
date others who had to do with him.
and 1t will be realized that he lived up
fully to his reputation of being hard
man.
oughly capable dock superintendent he
entertained certain respect He
knew from experience that the man
was not the least bit afraid or even
disturbed by his bullying manner and
his believing and that his glare. al
ways squarely met, had no more effect
upon him than 1t would have upon The
bronze statue of Washington which
stands sentinel on the steps of the sub.
treasury In Wall street.
Smith lowered himself slowly and
easily into big armchair beside the
presidents desk.
Two delegates from the Longshore-
mems union were here just now" an
nounced the captain. "They say the
freight handlers are going to strike"
"Ya-as?" said Smith interrogatively.
Eyes. What do you know about it 2"