The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1916-05-11


behind the laugh there was q menaca
Among the individual transforma.
tions wrought by the new conditions
the young chief OF the reclamation
service Afforded the most striking ex-
ample. From the morning when he had
summarily cancelled the lease for the
offices in the Niquoia building and had
returned his headquarters to the old
log buildings on the government reser-
Vation and thence had issued his first
series or orders for the resumption OF
full-force work on the dam and canals
those who had not known him best dis.
covered that they had not known him
at ALL Even to Grislow and the men
or his staff he was curt, crisply manda-
tory. almost brutal. For one and all
there was rarely anything beyond the
shotlike sentences: Drive IL. men.
drive it; that's what you're here for
drive itl"
The time he took to eat his hurried
meals at Bongras' could be measured
in minutes. and what hours he gave
to sleep no man knew, since he was
the last to leave the headuuarters at
night and the first on the work in the
morning. Twice, after the renewed
activities on the great wall had be-
come well-ordered race against time
and the concrete was pouring into the
high forms in steady streams from the
ranked batteries of mixers. Mr.. Cort-
wright had sent for Brouillard, and on
each occasion the messenger had gone
back with the brief word: TOO busy
during working hours" And when q
third messenger came to inquire what
Mr.. Brouillard's working hours were,
the equally blunt answer returned was:
"All the time"
In the face OF such discouragements
Mr.. Cartwright was constrained to
pocket his dignity as mayor, as the
potentate Of the exchanges. and as
the unquestionable master OF the surly
young industry captain who refused
to come when he was called, and to go
in person. Choosing the evening hour
when he had been assured that he was
likely to find Brouiilarl alone and at
work, he crossed the boundaries of the
sacred reservation and made his way
to the door of the log-built mapping
room.
81 came around to see what ~ eating
you these days." was the pudgy
tyrant's greeting for the young man
sitting under the shaded desk lamp.
why don't you drop in once in ,
while and give me the run of things?"
II gave your clerk the reason" said
Brouillard laconically. I'm too busy"
THE devil you are!" snapped the
great man, finding the only armchair
in the room and dropping heavily into
1t. Since when?"
Since the first time you sent for
me-and before"
Mr.. Cortwright recovered his work
ing geniality only with a palpable eff
fort.
See here, Brouillard, you know you
never make any money by being short
with me. Let's drop it and get down
to business. What wanted to say is
that you are OVERRIDING It; you are put
ting on too much steam. You've
brought the boom, all right, but at
the pace you're setting It won't last
long enough. Are you catching on?'
I'm listening" was the noncommit-
tai reply.
We'll, enough's enough. and too
much of a good thing scalds the hog
before you're ready to dress IL and cut
It up. It's all right for you TO run men
In here by the trainlOad and scatter
'em out over your scadolding-th
more the merrier and it's good for the
I town-but you needn't sweat the last
shovelful OF hurry out Of them the way
you're doing. II won't do to get your
job finished too soon"
Before congress convenes, you
mean?" suggested Brouillard
That's Just what / mean. String Il
out. Make It last"
Brouillard sat back in his pivot chair
and began to play with the paper
Knife.
And II I don't choose TO string It
out'--if even confess that am strain
ing every nerve to do this thing that
you don't want me TO do-what then.
Mr.. Cortwright?"
The quiet retort jolted the stocly
man I'm the armchair as N 10 had been
a blow But he recovered quickly.
I've been looking for that" he said
with a nervous twinkllng OF the little
gray eyes. You've no business being
out of business. Brouiuard. III you'd
quit pudding sand and cement and lit
tie rocks together and strike your gait
right I'm ten years you'd be the richest
man this side OF the mountains TIT
be- openhanded with you This time
you've got as whore we can't wiggle.
We've got to have more time. How
much is &c going to cost us?"
Brouularl shook his head slowly.
"Odd as it may seem 90 you. I'm OUT
of your market this time. Mr. Cort-
wright-quito out of &c."
"Oh. no. you're not You've got
property TO sell good bit OF it. We
can turn 10 for you at a figure that
will"
mo. you are misiakcn," was the
quick reply i have n0 property i'm
Mirapolis. am merely q squattor on
government land llke everyone else
in the NiQuoia valley