Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-28
Continued from page II

dreamily out OF the window. And he an
swered Burmah as if he had but half heard,
asserting, as usual, to any arrangement that
might be made.
THAT'S right good of you, Burmah, to
take SO much work off my shoulders. I'll
give you advice whenever you nee | It, and
I'll send them all to you if they cone to me.
I'm right glad YOU made this last deal, be-
cause I've got a right smart need for the
money I'm studyin' mighty hard whether
gray or blue would be the best colors for
uniforms for the police force, and whether
or not Skaggs and F1ay would make good
officers of the law. They do aggravate me
sometimes
Burnah got up as near to a hopeless rage
as he ever got, and clapped his hat on his
head. "If was you, he said, turning toward
the door, "I'd have 'em pink
Pink? Pink?7 queried the Colonel, rising
to show him out. Il never thought of that.
l think III ask Hubbard about it.
Out at the door he recalled the statement
that Burmah was going to make his head
quarters in Port Hatch. "Of course" he
said, @you sent your trunk here, Bur-
mah2"
mo, Colonel, think it's better for me
to take the rooms over the offices"
The Colonel's face expressed great disap-
pointment. why, Burmah," he declared,
his voice expressing hurt amazement, when
we built Marquard Villa, Arabella and |
pointed to the room on the plans that we
were to call the Burmah room! It's the one
you slept in the other night. If that room
doesn't suit you, you can have anyone in the
house. You can have two, if none of 'em
are big enough"
As usual, Burmah's adroit wits found
that same room for me, Colonel" he said,
come UP and fill it. I'd do it now; only
while this rush is on l guess l ought to be
down there where | can talk to customers
nights if they happen to come in late"
The Colonel did not seem sufficiently i'm
pressed. Bur1nah promptly adopted another
tack He swelled his chest with something
of his oldtime famboyant air, and held his
finger aloft in the manner of the man who
said, There is hopel' and spoke with great
decision.
This is no time for us to jib at the Jumps.
Colonel, me and you are making the most
glorious city that has ever been kicked into
existence. 1t must be Port Hatch first, last,
and all the time. Everything must be sacri-
feed to Port Hatch! You are furnishin' all
the brains, and me the executive work. Un-
til we can get her ahead leetle mite further,
I've got to be close on the job. The amt
nothin' in the world would suit me so much
as to come up here to live; but I've just got
to stick down there for awhile, till Port
Hatch is recognized as the Queen City of the
Northwest
The Colonel, touched on the tender spot,
rose to the occasion. "Burmah, beg your
pardon, Sir, for having seemed to be defect
ing you from your manifest duties. 1t is
most commendable that you are a man who
follows an undertaking line toward an ideal.
You make me feel ashamed of myself, Sir,
and proud to be associated with such man
as you; but no other man shall ever sleep in
the Burmah room, be he King or President,
until you come to take it as your own. My
hand, Sir!'
He walked as far as the gate with Burmah,
extracted a promise from him to call that
evening, and then, his message to the people
forgotten, began adrniring some roses on
bushes that had been brought at consider
able expense from Tennessee.
RURMAH trudged slowly and thought
- fully along the road, stopping in front
of every building and pile of lumber and
scrutinizing it. His tabulated memory in
stantly recalled each owner, and the detail
of each sale. Here was a residence being
built by man who had told him that he