Evening star., 1913-12-28

he recognized the elder Todd, the man who
had taken on himself the burden of caring
for the helpless, and Burmah Jones sud
denly whirled back from the window and
brought one fat fist smashing into the other
palm.
"It's crooked, It's plumb crooked" he
muttered emphatically. "The railway
won't come here; but if it does, or it don't,
I'm goin' to play the game as square as | can
from now on. I'm through fakin'. If 1t kills
mel"
ANGRY with himself for ever wavering,
- Burmah tramped down the stairs and
into Hubbard's office, where he found the
engineer going over some plans that had just
been submitted by one of the hired archi-
tectS.
"What's that?T demanded Burmah, look
ing over Hubbard's shoulder at something
that looked like miniature Greek temple.
"The new city hall we are to build, said
the author of the City Beautiful.
Burmah's lips parted and he drew in his
breath. "Who's dom that?" he asked, al
though guessing the answer.
Colonel Hatch is donating it to the city,
replied Hubbard.
4Humph! l might have known it, said
Burmah, looking at the drawing. And
how much will that cost him?"
"Probably little less than ten thousand
dollars" the engineer said. consulting
tablet of figures on his desk.
And what are all these sketch things
you've got here?' asked Burrnah, pointing
at pile of drawings in water color on an
other table.
"Those are for the park that we are laying
out back up at the head of Main-st., an
swered Hubbard. @But that is fairly well
completed now. The Colonel insisted that
we have at least hundred men working
there, and with that number it doesn't take
very long to make all the purely mechanical
outlay on a park. Nature has to have time
to do her part. 1t will be very fine when
finished. You see | have modelled it some
what after the Englischer Gartens of Munich,
Bavaria, which | have always considered a
rare combination of art and nature. The
lake you see there is already nearly full, be-
cause we found hollow that opportunely
fitted our purpose, and diverted water from
the reservoir for it. Here is the geological
garden. This is for"
He did not finish, but stood with the
drawing in his hand staring at the angry
back of Burmah Jones as the latter, with
gesture of impotence, suddenly turned and
Waddled out of the room.
@No sense of the artistic whateverlN ex-
Claimed T1uDDdTQ WTdlHIully, dS He Threw
the drawing back on the pile. How in the
world he and the Colonel ever got together
can't understand He knows money, and
nothing else! He has absolutely no artistic
perception
Burmah felt himself a stranger to Port
Hatch as he climbed back up the stairs
to his own work and immersed himself in
memoranda for press notices, and details Of
his task that had to be picked up. He was
disturbed by the sounds of shouting outside,
and lifted his window to ask the nearest man
whose attention he could attract the cause
of the turmoil. "Why. its the dedication
of the new schoolhouse," replied the man, a
stranger to Burmah. Colonel Hatch is
going to speak, and there are to be some
exercises, and singing, and flag raising, and
everyone with an interest in the town'n be
there.
RURMAH slipped on his coat, being tired of
= work, and joined the movement. Up the
street came one of the two town taxicabs,
with the Colonel and Arabella in it, and the
Colonel was bowling and smiling from right
and left in acknowledgment of the greetings
of those who knew him, and he appeared as
happy as an Emperor driving to the forum
to receive congratulations for a triumph.
Behind him came the second taxicab with
the newly elected members of the school
board, and they too bowed and smiled. Be-