The evening world., 1915-02-08

Two of them, Jose Alfaro and Nj
Of Relampago Water Company, and
!; Banco de Reiampago: they were on
! sdirsctorate. should formalities be nee
The other two were better worth,
Miguelo Pacato. president Of 81
banco de Relampago. president OF tn
dosen other things. leaned forward ,
md his thin brown fingers interlocke,
Z and then. and nodded in his own swii
; animatedly, and ever and anon he turl
end OF the table. and vented an expl,
~ "Ahl You hear7"
Capt Velvet merely grunted ac-
euiescence. Retired buccaneer: this
last quarter-century supreme special-
ist In South American revolutions,
dominant personality Of the entire re-
public: there was nothing In this first
annual directors meeting Of the Re-
slAmpago Water Company to bring the
inush OF excitement to Capt Velvet's
bronzed cheek.
=. "we come then" the secretary Of
the board was proclaiming in flowing
(. Spanish ito the final summary of this.
our first years corporate existence.
blessed as We have been. through
the inspired agency Of Capt. Velvet.
in discovering beneath our city the
worlt's greatest subterranean supply
OF absolutely pure water, the expense
supply has been-nothingi"
He paused impressively.
Even now, even after q year, can
not believe" breathed Senior Pacato.
"The total cost of connecting this
supply to our previous city mains has
been. In round figures. $27.bo0. United
States. The total cost OF salaries has
bsen $4,000. Our gross expenditures.
therefore. are o trifie over $4,000.
Opposed to which we find the revenue
which has been paid to the company.
From the city of Relampago for reg
ular water supply. 3l,000. 900; from the
seven Incorporated villages which have
contracted for water from our mains.
,,SSl6, ,00o."
"Dios!" calculated Pacato - with
some warrant, since - per cent. OF tho
stock belonged to himself.
:. spsciai service, S75. 1000: from suburban
! are departments for similar service.
/, 10000; from manufacturing CORPORA:
tions for independent service. e1t6.ooo."
The splendid voice grew thick with
emotion as It's owner reached the END
Of the sheet and Its astounding con-
clusion. A.,
80 that We have declared . divi;
stock ~ issued. The net proht OF
the. Relampago Water Company for
this. the first year Of Its existence. 10
And here instructive dramatic eject
dribbled away from Senor Ramon
-Matirez, the Secretary. and plain
human nature took its place for the
moment. He looked at Senior Pacato
and at Capt. Velvet with eyes oi
sheer envy, and there was . sour
twang to his final observation Of:
sAnd this vast amount of money,
contributed by a kindly nature. ID
divided essentially between you two
Meetings adjourned for anothe!
year." announced the Captain. and
rose and stretched. The rest OF the
The Dominating hgurs Of Santa
Chansa turned TO the President Of
that torrid republic with:
sThat's q million apiece. Mike, on
an Investment Of nothing!"
at 10 the truth. my dear Velvet
the President asssnted In awsd Eng
I "IGlks. that's . million dollar.
. apiece we've made this year almos,
without raising . hand--and we owe
every darned cent Of 1t to piair
New York crook"
q "PaNdon!"
',It's the truth" chuckled the Cap
tain, Elf Pollard hadn't shut on thu
water works year ago. we'd never
2 have discovered that We were hvinf
n on top Of the finest natural water sup
ply In the world. pressure and all. i
Pollard hadn't done that. you and II
never have organi sed the Reiampagt
2 Water Company and owned II between
y us. N vas Pollard's work-hum!"
1T u %. I presume" Senior Pacat'
AIRED with . touch OF impatience
ss~fSt, when one reflects that this Pol
; laYd would have murdered US all mos
;. ehesrfully, IL is not to feel gratitude
uncontroila liable, as one says. How
Sver. IL II not OF Pollard that I woul'
/ speak iust now, Velvet. but
"Robert Pollard-I wonder II that
his right name?" mused the captain
.And BIN Ryanr" chuckied Capt
Velvet a, What ws: w.!ns sTsAs s., M aiksF aI.n
"A brute indeed"
-'' ssThat's what they used to call him
s too, come to think Of 1.-THE spanis
Brute." said the captain. and grinne'
into space. "And the little. skim
feiier that used to slide around. MIX
% what was his name"
.. ,-"I have forgotten" Senior facat
said patiently. r..
IT haven't. though. II was Evan
Jimmy Evans. They called him IN
Snake among themselves. ! believe
"rhsy are quite forgotten. an
so"-
:, "They ain't forgotten-not by mi
Nike" said Velvet placidly. ia a
shot 'em cheerfully year ago II tho
hadn't been out OF range; but kinde
think I'd have been sorry for II latel
Two Of 'em didn't amount to mucf
but that feller Pollard had brains
'Pah!"
"He's got brains. and any auantlt
,of EN-. and l admire brains whereye
Ind EN-" the captain said stubborn
iIy, and then added with becomin
modesty: "Pollard's the only man
ever met with brains anywhere nea
as good as mine. He came nearer
eetting the best Of me than any ma
living anywhere else In my Ire, 7
10 sure, there was feller In tho IA
Of 1879 down IN
= "Dut even so?"
"Just this" said Capt. velv'
,crlsply. IT was thinking about hi
!. during that meeting and thinkin