The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1910-05-19
+ The +
RED MOUSE
A Mystery Romance
By WILLIAM HAMILTON
OSBORNE
Copyright 1909. by Doad. Mead a Co.

the works the authorities refused nun
permission to use 1t.
This here is real job. We haven't
time to monkey with things like that.
they told him with q sneer.
But Challoner was not TO be turned
aside so easily. and still he persisted:
sit will do the work of two"
He now rugged himself up small
trial mold. bought some sand and ce-
ment and rock and demonstrated the
superiority OF his pump handle con.
trivance with its strong leverage. its
regularity and its strong, steady beat,
beat. beat. with two light tampers upon
adjacent spots. When they Knocked
of the mold these same authorities
found that Challoner was right This
bit Of concrete wall was as solid as If
st had been cut out Of smooth azoic
rock. So they called out:
"All right. Challoner Try II on"
Challoner tried it on the big wall. 1t
worked like charm.
At the pay window at the end OF
the week Challoner said:
81 want $3.50 day"
"What forT' asked the voice inside.
Challoner replied firmly:
Because I've done the work of
more than two men" lie was paid
at the rate OF 50 day.
Now he was allowed to have one OF
the corners all to himself for his con-
trivance. They laid off two men
Challoner was doing the work of three
men.
The boss was jubiiant.
Gee! guess we'll get this job
done on time after all. ! thought the
old man was In for few fines sure"
Nobody else tried Challoner's device
nobody else knew how to use II He
found that In his eagerness he labored
three times as hard as before. Be
sides. he was even better at the work
than the Italians who knew IT, had
become accustomed to II and who
were better fitted for II. And yet there
was nothing wonderful In this con-
trivance of his. But Challoner was
convinced that II some time he could
induce the boss to put II into constant
operation II would save that gentle
II ever enter Challoners head to have
It patented. Its principle was that of
the lever, and, of course, even II he
bad tried, be could not have obtained
a patent. In no way was there dol
lar In II.
But" he told himself, "if ever ! go
into this concrete business shall in
sist upon its use. As a business" he
went on. "what can be more profitable
than concrete? II produces wall as
solid as a rock and as indestructible
as brick. Bricklayers receive 50 and
SO day, and brick costs money. But
this sand, cement, stone and unSkilied
labor Challoner could see millions
In II.
Meanwhile he was useful at two and
a half dollars a day. Now they deter
mined to put his brain to work for
them. 1t became his duty to direct
the mixing gang at his end of the new
store.
Don't forget, now; watch out" said
the superintendent, taking him aside
$50 many barrels of cement. so many
barrels of sand and so much stone"
The very first day that he watched
the mixing process he discovered that
the mixer had put in too much rock
and too much sand and too little ce-
ment.
Look here" cried Challoner, you've
made mistake! Two more barrels Of
cement go in there"
But the mixer merely grinned.
1.-Two more barrels Of cement, | told
you" persisted Challoner. The head
superintendent had given him his In
Ttructions. and Challoner meant to see
that they were properly carried out.
The mixer grinned again. Challoner
leaped up on the platform and stood
over the mixer. At that the man
waved his arm. His signal brought
not the head superintendent, but the
general foreman Of the work.
whats the trouble?" he demanded
Challoner explained in few words
"You blamed idiotw burst out the
raging foreman. "You leave the mar
alone! DO you think that he doesn't
KNOW now 10 ull1 cOuCTtlef
But ChallOner now was not a mar
70 be so easily turned from his orders
and again he insisted:
1.-TWO more barrels of cement, told
you!"
A knot of laborers gathered aroun'
them to await the result. The fore
man saw that the head superintendent
was coming toward them.
"All right, then" he conceded re
luctantly; make 1t two more barrel
OF cement"
But that same afternoon the fore
man singled Challoner out and pai
him. Then he lunged out. and, strih
ing Challoner on the shoulder, he eS
claimed:
There, you internal jackass, your
discharged!
"Dischargedw The exclamation fe
from his lips before Challoner coul
check It, and. Notwithstanding ni
great disappointment. he turned on HI