The Washington herald., 1913-11-02
By George Randolph Chester @ Author Get Rich Quick Waneford &c
A MATTER OF FRANCHISE

'One certificate or sixty shares, one of
twenty, three Of five, and five OF one"
He folded them in a neat little pile, and
affectionately laid on top Of them their
grimy old string. How much will you
take for these, Mr.. Summer"
Jerry Summer came out of his trance.
His jaw dropped so that he could hardly
talk, and his eyes were staring as IL
they would pop out OF his head Three
times he tried to talk before he finally
made II.
"Two-two-two thousand dollars" n.
gasped.
Tom Dennison cast one twinkIinI
glance at Ames. and quietly produced his
check book and a fountain pen. Then,
and not until then. old Jerry Summer
sat down, in a grimy huddled heap, and
his face went pale.
John Ames hurried to the bar and
brought him back a drink Of whisky,
but old Jerry waved it feebIy away.
while his eyes watched in fascination,
the magic words and figures forming
themselves on that heavenly slip of
paper.
With 4 trembling hand, old Jerry as
signed his stock. and buttoned the check
In the pocket of his tattered coat
Now, II you don't mind, wen hunt
up my lawyer. and get a proper witness
to this transaction" suggested Denni-
son. looking at his watch.
Certainly" assented Jerry Summer,
rising, with five years OF youth in his
veins. 81 want to get out of this dump
anyhow" and he looked with disdain
on his longtime home.
CHAPTER V.
There was a sudden tremendous ac-
tIvity on Baltimore Avenue, up Irving
Road past the cemetery; an activity
which began at Monument Square and
ended out Houston Pike at the city limit
line. From every source at his com
mand. Tom Dennison brought his iron
rails, and wooden ties, and an army OF
men with picks and shovels. These
things appeared as IL by magic one
morning along the entire route, for
neither Dennison nor his alert lieutenant.
John Ames, had permitted a sign OF their
intentions to be seen until they were
ready TO lay the entire track. BY IC
o'clock they had torn into the roadway,
from one end OF the route to the other.
and the picks were licking into the as
phalt like steam riveters, when Bill
Cracken drove down from his late break
fast
Here, what's all this about?" demand
ed Bill, as he stopped at the crossing.
Not a workman wavered, and Bill
cracken. who kept earnest track OF
every inch Of paving or sewer contract
for well-founded commercial reasons of
his own. jumped out OF his car and
brought a busy Italian up by the
shoulder.
IT say, what is this jobT' he rumbled.
"Aska de boss!' shriIIed the moist lit
tie Italian, and jerking away, he slam
med his pick into the asphalt
That seeming to be reasonable advice
Bill Cracken, deserving his car, strods
up the street until he found, in the act
of giving some directions to a foreman
a tall, black-haired young man in an
enviably-i fitting gray business suit
Are you the boss of the OUTFIT
Cracken unceremoniously demanded
We'll, in a way" returned John Ames
pleasantly. I'm representing the Mid
state Interurban Company. We're run
ming a line in to Monument Square"
''The devil you are!'' snapped big Bill.
becoming doubly lop-sided- Where's
your permit?'
I'VE don't need any" Ames took the
trouble to explain. Mr.. Dennison is
working under the original franchise Of
the Houston Pike Stage Coach Com
pany."
Bill Cracken was a man who seldom
made mistakes. He wasted no time in
bluster' or, indeed, in conversation of any
kind. He glared at the pleasant John
Ames with his very worst eye, then he
turned his back on that tall young man.
and hit out for his office as fast as his
chauffeur could take him there. He had
the Mayor, the city prosecutor, and three
lawyers in his office inside of fifteen
minutes
Two days later there were signs all
up and down Baltimore Avenue and Irving
Road These signs, painted on long
wooden trussels, said, Street closed
and wagons began to deliver sewer pipe
along the route.
Most OF the residents along those i'll
favored highways stood the resultant
battle for about week, and then they
took trips out of town or moved to hotels;
for the two armies worked night ami
day, and the ambulance corps complained
Of overwork- Sometimes the traction
gang succeeded in filing up the sewer
trench, and sometimes the sewer dig
gers succeeded in tearing up the traction
ties. but nobody seemed TO care Bill
Cracken was thoroughly satisfied, as the
last week wore on, for there was no mira
Gle by which Tom Dennison could not
finish his track in time TO have an cleo
trio car, or even 4 horse car, running by
the last day of the stage coach franchise.
II Tom Dennison or his tall lieutenant
worried they did not show it They had
beaten the injunction fight in the begin
ming. They had secured ground for n
terminal station right on Monument
Square. and were building it. They were
constructing their entering line right
down Houston Pike to the city limit, and
betrayed a serene confidence, which Bill
Cracken characterized as a huge bluff.
although at the same time he had his
lawyers examine that old franchise for
days on end, under the eyes Of the court
guardians, who Dennison had appointed
on the evening of the day before he be-
gan work.
Two days after the expiration OF his
franchise, Tom Dennison suddenly called
of all Of his workmen, and even stopped
the construction Of his terminal building.
Bill Cracken met Dennison In the Com
mercial Club at noon OF that day.
well. see you got enough OF II. he
taunted.
what's the use?' returned Dennison,
with shrug of his shoulders. Il put
up n game enough fight, but there was
no possible chance to get those tracks
down before day after tomorrow.
II don't call IL a game tight, chuckiec
Cracken. leering with his best eye 1
call II a fool fight. Nobody ever har-
pooned me- Now. I'll tell You what I'll
do. I'll make you that same proposition.
and we'll finish your line down Irving
Road and Baltimore Avenue"
wait till next week" returned Denni-
son I'm tired out. and my men are
nearly dead. This has cost me a lot OF
money, BILL
The city's been digging the sewer"