The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1916-03-09
THE CITY OF NUM-
BERED DAYS
CONTINUED from proceeding page)
IS ard I'll try to stop it."

,SiOn that he asked no queStlOHs. III
+" he snapped. I'll cover you for
wbateyer it takes. Don't wait; that
crowd is getting bigger every minute.
E.cuillard ran downstairs and across
.hs street. It was no part Of his inten-
lion to stop and speak to Amy Mas
singaIa and the ranchman, but he did
II and even walked little way with
s;,ern before he turn d back to elbow
his way through the sidewalk throng
md into Gamers dingy little office.
"You are selling Mirapolis holdings
hort today, Garner?" he asked when
ne had pushed through the crowd to
the speculator's desk And when Gar
ner laughed and said there were no
takers he placed his order promptly.
you may bid in for me, at yesterdays
prices, anything within the city limits
mot options, you understand, but the
real thing Bring your papers over TO
my office after banking hours and
weIl close for whatever you've been
able to pick up"
He said it quietly, but there could
be no privacy at such a time and in
such place.
What's that Mr.. Brouillard?" de-
manded one in the counter jam.
You're giving Garner blank card to
buy for your account? Say, that's
plenty good enough for me. Garner,
cancel my order to sell, will you?
When the chief engineer of the gov
eminent water works believes in Mir
apolis futures and bets his money on
'em. I'm not selling"
The excitement was already dying
down and the crowd was melting away
from Gamers sidewalk when Brouil-
lard rejoined Mr.. Cartwright in the
second-foor room across the street.
well, it's DONE" he announced
shortly, adding: ITS only stop
gap. To make the bluff good, you've
got to have the railroad"
That's the talk" said the promoter
relighting the cigar which the few
minutes of crucial suspense had extin-
guished And then, without warning:
you're carrying something up your
sleeve, Brouillard. What is it,"
ut is the one thing you need, Mr.
Cartwright. If I could get my OWL
consent to use it l could bring the
railroad here in spite of those New
Workers who seem to have an attack
of cold feet"
Mr. ]. Wesley Cortwrights hesita-
ton was so brief as to be almost I'M
perceptible. 81 suppose that is your
+IoE cb in the
table stakes isn't big enough. All
right; the game can't stop in the mid
die of a bet. How much is it going
to cost US to stay in?"
1.-THE cost isn't precisely in the kind
of figures that you understand pest,
Mr.. Cartwright Brouillard said hall
musingly. Then, with sudden vehe-
mence: 1T is altogether question Oh
motive with me, Mr.. Cartwright; OF
motive which you couldn't understand
in a thousand years. If that motive
prevails, you get your railroad and
little longer lease of life. If it doesn I,
Mirapolis will go to the devil some few
weeks or months ahead of its schedule
and I'll take my punishment Win
the remainder CT the fools-and the
knaves."
He was On his feet and moving to-
ward the door of exit when the pro-
moter got his breath.
Here, hold on, Brouillard-for
heavens sake, dent go eff and leave
1t up in the air that way!" he pro-
tested
But the corridor door had opened
and closed and Brouillard was gone.
Two hours later Mirapolis the phre-
netic had a new thrill, shock so elec-
trifying that the rumor of the rail-
roads hating decision sank into inslg-
nifcance and was forgotten. the SUD
denly-evoked excitement focused IN
crowd besieging the window OF the
principal jewelry shop-focussed more
definitely upon a square of white pa
per in the window in the center Oh
which was displayed little heap OF
virgin gold in small nuggets and coarse
grains.
While the crowds in the street were
still struggling ard fighting TO get
near enough to read the labelling pla-
card, the Daily Spotlight came out
with an extra which was all headlines
the telegraph wires to the East were
buzzing, and the tcwn had gone mad.
The gold specimen-so said the pla-
card and the news extra-had oeen
washed from one Of the bars IN the
Niquoia.
BY three o'clock the madness had
culminated in the complete stoppage
of all work among the town builders
and on the great dam as well, ana
gold-crazed mobs were franticaliy dig
ging and panning on every bar in the
river from the valley outlet to the
power dam five miles away.
We CHAPTER XII G