Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-17
THE TANNING OF RED BUTTE
WESTERN.
BY FRANCIS LYNDE.
by Charles Serbs. soasJ

tendents once. LidFerwood looked UP
and saw a small man wearing the khaki
Of the engineers. with soft felt hat to
match. The swapping black eyes. with
the straight brows almost meeting over
Che nose. suggested Goethe's Mephis-
/ topheles. and Flemister shaved TO 1T tho
part. with curling mustaches and q dag
ger pointed imperial. Instantly Ljdger-
an effort to recall where he had seen the
man before. but II vas not until f1em-
lister began to speak that he remembered
his first day In authority. the wreck at
driven up in a blackboard TO hold con-
verse with the master mechanic.
I've been trying to find time for q
month or more to come up and get ac-
visitor began. when L.dgerwood had
| waved him to a chair. II hope you are
not going to hold 1t against me that
| haven't done it sooner
Iidgerwoods smile WAS meant TO De no
| more than decently hospitable.
I'VE are not standing much upon cere,
| mony in these days Of reorganization,
he said. Then. to hold the interview
down firmly to business basis: nal
can i do for you, Mr.. Flemister?"
Notwithstanding on top OF earth; II
the other way round. came to do some
| thing for you-or. rather. for one OF your
| subordinates. Hailock tells me that the
ghost Of the old Mesa Building and Loan
| intimates that some of the SURVIVORS are
trying to make II unpleasant for him by
accusing him to you"
Yes" said I.idserwood. studying his
man shrewdly by the road OF the eye. and
without prejudice to the listening ear
ASH understand II, the complaint OF
the survivors Is based upon the fact tha'
they think they ought to have nad q
cash dividend forthcoming on the clos ,n as
went on: and Lidgerwood again SAL
Yes"
las Hallock has probably told you.
had the misfortune to be the president OIL
the company. Perhaps It's only fair &c
say that It was a losing venture from the
first for those Of Us who put the loaninR
| capital into II. AS you probably know
| the money In these mutual benent com
panies is made on lapses. but when the
lapses come all In q bunch
II am not particularly interested IN the
general subject, Mr.. Flemister, Lid2er'
wood cut In. las the matter has beer
presented to me. I understand there wa:
a cash balance shown on the books. and
that there was no cash in the treasury &c
make il good. Since HAilock was the
treasurer. l can scarcely do less than
have done. l am merely asking him.
and you--to make some sort OF an ex-
planation which will satisfy the losers.
made" said the excluding and loar
president, brazenly. "A few of us who
were the officers Of the company we're
| the heaviest losers. and We felt that we
were entitled to the scraps and leavings.
I'm other words. you looted the treas
| ury among you," said Lidgerwood, cod
| ~. us that it, Mr.. F1emisteF?
The mine owner laughed easily. m
not going to quarrel with You over the
word" he returned. Possibly the pro-
ceeding was q little informal. II you
measure it by some Of the more highly
civilized standards"
II don't care to go into that" was Lid
gerwood's comment, but l cannot eTade
my responsibility for the one member OF
YOUR official staff who Is still On my pay
, roll How far was Hallock implicated? 2
He was not implicated at all, save IN
clerical way.
You mean that he did not share in
the distribution of the money?
"He did not"
Then it is only fair that You shouio
| set him straight with the others, Mr.
| Flemister.'
(To be continued tomorrow