The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-11-03
CHAPTER II.

mons, conveyed to him by the tele-
phone. Smith, known to his familiars
as Jimsy, 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. Scant
success attended his efforts in this di-
rection, however, and after working
with the dogged determination that
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, for
that matter, to take to him on sight.
The unbounded good nature, big heart
edness and unselfshness 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 had
been known to "get a move on" not
even when a premature blast in a
mine had sent the diggers helter skel-
ter for safety and carried death and
suffering to many. Smith had walked
TRANQUILITY away amid the rain of rock
and earth until it was all over. Then
he had returned and organized the
work of rescue, bis placidity causing
the others instinctively to look to him
for direction. Nor was his speech
more hurried than were his move
ments. He spoke but little, and then
his words came in a quiet, even, dis
tinct drawl. But he "got there" as
quickly as most men, and good deal
quicker than some whose nerves were
highly strung and With whom rapidity
of action was as 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 unshakable as the rock of Gibral-
tar. AS a fitting, almost necessary,
complement of such a nature he was
endowed with q sense Of humor that
added not a little to the attraction he
exercised for those who knew him
sufficiently well to be able to appre-
ciate 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
q cordial motion of the hand and in.
structed a boy to notify Captain Will
liams of his arrival. He was ushered
Immediately into the chiefs presence.
That worthy, who, like his superin'
tendent, was clean shaven, 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 burly man, and the short, thick
neck, the broad shoulders, the power
full, big jointed fingers and the mus,
cles that stood out in punches on the
hairy arms disclosed by his rolled VI
shirt sleeves denoted that he possessed
unusual physical strength. An ugly
man to set into an argument with was
reader to judge, would be capable OF
following the word with q blow that
would crush an ordinary opponent
For years, as Brooks had intimated
he had led the toughest life a mar
can lead, hammering by sheer brute
strength way to wealth by ways ii
which scruple had counted for nothing
at all and eXpediency for a good deal
and his entrance upon higher plane
of civilization had not impaired mucl
polish to his appearance, habits OF
speech, which were those of the ole
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-American line wheI
he obtained control of it. He had {
way Of glaring at person from un
der his bushy eyebrows with q scru
tiny that seemed to read through ant
up and down him and made him mos
i'll at ease under it.
He made his decisions promptly, au
thoritatively, after the manner Of {
man accustomed to command and t,
be obeyed without question, and h,
never changed them, at least in hi
business and administrative dealings
Add to all this voice like foghorn
the effect Of which, when he raised
it, was, as he knew full we'll, to maxi
his subordinates quake and to intimI
date others who had to do with him
and it will be realized that he lived III
fully to his reputation of being a har,
man.
For his quiet, unmovable and thor
oughly capable dock superintendent h
entertained a certain respect. H
knew from experience that the maj