Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-04

crs that if the line had ever intended to go
to Seattle or Tacoma it would have SO
stated, and that logically Port Hatch was
the terminus intended.
Port Hatch was one of the best advertised
cities on the Pacific Coast, and Colonel
Hatch with his eccentricities, had become
a nationally known character. He was good
copy that Burmah had not hesitated to use;
although he spent weary hours when alone
cussing the Colonel for being fine old fool.
Port Hatch had become more than frontier
town: it was a thriving little city, built on
the sands of hope, and Burmah Jones was
the only one who knew that its foundation
was lie. From that very day when he had
resolved to stick it out" he had never an
nounced as a certainty that the railway was
coming there. There were some two or
three hundred persons who wondered at this
reticence, when remembering his bald state
ments made in the beginning; but Fate had
taken hand in Burmah' behalf, and there
was railway slowly advancing toward the
coast He was making hard fight every
hour Of his life, and his mind was battle
ground between his newly discovered con-
science and his old habits of "gettin' the
money, no matter how" Added to this was
the distress of having come at last to the one
obstacle he had ever met IN his career that
could not be surmounted, avoided, or left
behind, and that was the Colonel's extrava-
gance; for the conspiracy had failed abso-
lutely.
THE Colonel had given Port Hatch two or
three other delicious surprises; the first
by building a concert hall for Herr Schmldts
band, with club and living rooms for the
musicians, and Herr Schmidt, in the ecstasy
of creation, had gathered together most
creditable organization, which would have
shamed the one he had brought to Port
Hatch Just seven months before. His dream
had been realized, and, as if Fate had again
been kindly, the band had made concert
trip on the coast and been highly successful.
Little Billy had been lent for this enterprise,
and had proved a most adept manager, and
Pick had taken vacation long enough to
act as press agent, and thus was the Colo
nels purse spared some few thousands of
dollars.
The Colonel had presented the city with
beautiful baths down at the waters edge,
where in winter young men might dlsport
themselves beneath colored glass dome in
artihcially heated water, and the new tire
engine house, with its ornamental front and
elegant rooms above. 1t was the Colonel
who had bought the automobile fire ap-
paratus and fine line of uniforms and equip
ment. 1t was the Colonel who caused TO be
constructed miniature house in the park,
had the alarm turned in for the first fire in
Port Hatch, and then ridden, gaily whoop-
ing, to see it extinguished and to test the
company's efficiency. The city was the best
lighted of its size in the world, with prof
lgate display of street clusters on ornamen-
tai pillars of concrete, because the Colonel
had presented Port Hatch an electric light
plant, run by power from high up in the
mountains. At night the city's waterfront
glowed like a fairy land, and Marquard
Villa shone far down the sound, to the as
constituent of voyaging strangers.
Hubbard had wrought well, and had once
refused a position as chief architect for a
worlds fair; but had said nothing of the
proffer until after it became known in Port
Hatch, because he was still desperately in
love with the City Beautiful, and inciden-
tally with Arabella.
RURMAH'S last futile stand with the
= Colonel had been when he announced
that he would yet build the marble opera
house On that night Burmah had risen to
tempestuous heights in his harassment.
I'VE talked of that once before, Colonel.
You promised to chop down expenses. Then
what did you doo Humph! You went and
bought lousy menagerie and Dutch band.
l. L. IL hot