Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-15

the wind veered Two three of the officers Of the
company were there and from them Kent OBJ aimed per
mission to put up the also he got news Of the par
alvZIng disaster.
"Our mills and the others and the brick railway sta
ton are about all that's left someone sad to him.
From the block eastward the whole pla gone
1t gone in less than four hours. It's onv burning
the edge of the town 1t the frame houses
that made it go quickly.
The railway station his objective, Kent FASTENED
through the cluttered streets There an appalling
silence everywhere about him. The townspe pie stood
about the ruins with hands in their pockets dumbly
surveying the catastrophe that had overtaken them
Nine thousand people had lived in A1illvle and
at least eight thousand of them were without home
business place.
At the railway station Kent found crowd of men,
women and children in dismayed groups upon he plat
form, beside which stood emergency tram from
Jacksonville with food and medicines and such other
things had been quickly gathered. There also
several newspaper there, and two railroad
officials. Kent flung himself into the telegraph Office,
where the regular operator and three Others rushed
there from the capital red-eyed pounding
paper copy. fourth man who seemed to be charge
made quick demand of Kent as to his bushes.
Wait minute don't stop me now he replied
breathessy i've got rush message that's got to go,
It's orders. Give blank
The man in charge already bewdered by what had
taken place in the last seventeen hours, and suitably
impressed got the blanks With the paper against the
wall Kent wrote this message to his house:
Ship Millvle special train 20 roofers
by six eight ten; 20 two by four six eight
twelve dimension four by four six by six eight by
duplicate order
"Now rush this.' Kent grabbed the man by the
sleeve and urged him to the desk of the local
operator. Get this through at will YOU We've
got get this town started That stuff1 be here
afternoon if you hustle. Don't stop to read it,
Manget it the wire! 1t means shelter for all these
people," He waved his hand toward the windows,
where faces clustered against the panes.
Without another word the man bent down the
operator and Kent heard the instructions
bang the back, and out of the in bound.
On the platform he singled out of the railroad
men and explained that the following afternoon he
would want to unload special lumber train the
right of way. 1--WE ordered the lumber It'll be here
on special and I've got have place to dump it
down., he declared.
The official looked at him in frank surprise and ad-
rniration This "going to it with vengeance.
"You bet you can! You can have anything You want
They need people like you around here to put
little heart into EN-"
The Mayor of Miville was the next one on Kent's
list, and when he had learned from reporter where to
find him started off in hasty quest Then it that
thought popped into his brain. Il wonder what
they're think ing back there in Riverport? he said
himself And as he hurried along the n-fanked main
street he permitted himself one chuckle.
DERHAPS it is just as well that Kent did not know
what they thought at first in the office of the Mani
towish concern because ii was in the words OF the sales
manager that he had gone bug" The first telegram
amazed them; they could not make head tail of it.
Here trusted salesman an important Job, one
given him order that he might "show, and what
the answer? impossible meet requirements then
the blunt announcement, Deal off. The no fault OF
mine looked very much like Crawl Nelson, the
sales manager, in ordinary times rather person,
promptly profane when he read the message. But
his efforts with the language were anateurlsh copared
with what Watcher the head of the firm, did it. He
irascble at best; now his outburst Homerc.
He still shaking Kents first telegram in his hand
when the second one arrived The Old Man read it
with srnodering eye.
"When did you tell Kent to go to Millvlle Neson?"
he asked.