Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-18
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got their money. Let Um-rn-h! | hooked
them in about three years apart, and at that time
don't think they knew each other Then they get IN
and came together this Ford settlement, somehow,
when old Henry Ford died. and that of his wouldn't
follow after the old mans example, but left his few hun
dred millions to be handled by Others. They say it's
all Ford money that controls the line; that's where
they landed
Up this point his deductions had been undevatngy
true; but he reaching point where conectures
might go awry.
They gumshoe it out West here trying, like all rail-
way projectors do, to pry loose whatever concessions
they from the biggest towns along the route They
have heard much about Port Hatch through the adj
vertising that they to themselves Wen just sneak
up there and look her over. That's when of
EN-. l don't know they've climbed up the dollar lad
der far and think they've to give away, and
l bolt. They hear about here in the town while
they're browsing around, and send for the Colonel
to come to Seattle meet them. He, poor old cuss,
loses his nerve Also he don't know how to handle
them Seattle looks better to them for the A O. than
Port Hatch and the Lord only knows what inducements
Seattle made them.
Maybe they didn't give me away to the Colonel at
all. No who is director of transcontnental
railway likes to tell anyone about the gold bricks he
bought. He likes to have folks think he's alfred
that nobody in the world could ever bunko him
of 1t hurts his pride and his reputation to
squeal If had all the money that's been paid by the
big bankers for phony stuff I'd build two three rail-
ways before breakfast every morning for a month
Probably Carleton, Thornton or Sprague none OF EN-
said word; but they got me just the same as they
look it. Maybe if it hadn't been for they would
have here with the road and the Colonel and Ara
bella and everyone would have really been rich-h it
hadn't been for the dirty crookedness of mel Just mel
He groaned and shook his fists at his reflection in
the mrror and his clear eyes arraigned the reflection
line by line as he mathematical it. He began with his
childhood and chased its history through the devious
years. cursing them all because they had led to this
point where when he wanted to be honest and straight
forward that past held out sinister hand and barred
him from all that good, and condemned him to the
retrbutive chains of his reputation. He sat for an
hour desperately trying, from the fertility of his
sources and his splendid imagination to conceive
method of saving the situation, and in all that hour
there time a thought of self. He could see
nothing ahead but failure for Port Hatch and all con-
cerned Its doom sealed and unless something
could be done to mend its fallen fortunes it would in
evtably be veritable deserted city, First of all he
must the Colonel
AND so it was that he stood the ornate cement
pier waiting for the steamer when she appeared
round the of the bay and whisted her salute.
Others there also drawnfaced men, who talked
quietly in groups and occasionally to him. and
asked him in voices that bravely tried to suppress
t1emor whether the news conveyed in the morning
papers true. Invariably he responded cheerfuly
that he hoped not but could not tell until the Colonel
arrived. The shadow of ruin already darkenng the
skies above the @City Beautiful. 1t seemed as If
large majority of the business of the town were
there beside him when the Golden Eagle threw out her
gangplank.
The Colonel was almost the only passenger, and it
was as if he had already come be of the sole resi-
dents Of Port Hatch and that traffic had reversed itself
He down the gangplank, looking as though he had
aged years in day. His face white and set;
but his eyes had the old brave look in them, the look
Of the who still dreamed of victory to the end
Of the fight. The anxious crowd rushed upon him. all
questioning at once and he met the issue fairly.