The Huttig news., 1916-06-03

pole Sulte ana the two Sten0SrapherS had been curtly dismissed Have you heard the talk of the street? There . is a rumor that the railroad grading has been stopped" Brouillard busy with the work of setting the third series of forms on his great wall, had heard nothing.
 Eve noticed that they haven't been blasting for two or three days But that may mean nothing more than delayed shipment of dynamite" was his rejoinder
 Tt looks bad-devilish bad" The promoter was planted heavily in his pivot chair, and the sandy-gray eyes dwindled to pin points We are up against it, that's all Read that" and the promoter handed telegram across the desk
 The wire was from Chicago was signed Alderman, and was still damp from the receiving operators copying press. It read:
 Work on P. S-W's Buckskin ex- tension has been suspended for the present. Reason assigned, shrinkage in securities and uncertainty of busi- ness outlook in Niquoia.''
 Mir. Cortwrights frown figured as feshly mask of irritability Let it once get out that the railroad people lis and we're done.'
 Brouillards retort was the express sion of an upflash of sanity.
 "Mirapolis has no future; 1t has only an exceedingly precarious pres ent"
 For moment the sandy-gray eyes became inscrutable. Then the mask of irritation slid aside, revealing the face which MT. J. Wesley Cartwright ordinarily presented to his world the face of imperturbable good nature.
 "You're right, Brouillard; Mirapolis is only a good joke, after all. Some times I get bamfoozled into the idea that it isn't-that it's the real thing. That's had for the nerves. Rut about this railroad fizzle; I don't relish the notion of having our little joke sprung on us before we're ready to laugh do you? What do you think 20
 Brouillard shook himself as one who casts a burden
 "It Is not my turn to think. Mir Cort- wright"
 "Oh. yes, it Is; very pcintedly. You're one of us. to B certain extent: and if you were not you would still be inter ested. A smash just now would ham, per the reclamation service like the mischief the entire works shut down; no cement, no lumber, no power: everything tied up in the courts unti! the last creditor quits taking appeals. Oh, mo- Brouillard; you don't want to see the end of the world cone before it's due"
 It was the consulting engineer of the power company rather than the reclamation service chief who rose and went to the window to look down upon the morning briskness of Chi gringo avenue. And it was the man who saw one hundred thousand dol lars, the price of freedom, slipping away from him who turned after minute or two of the absent street saz- ing and said: What do you want me to do, MT Cartwright? l did put my shoulder to the wheel when Ford was here I told him If were in lis place I'd take the long chance and build the extension.'
 "Did you-and before you had a stake in the game? That was wiite mans boost, right! Think you cocld manage to get Ford on the wire ar.d encourage him little mors?"
 Tt isn't Ford; it Is the New York bankers. You can read tha. between the lines in your man Ackerman's tele- gram"
 The stock gentleman in the pivot chair thrust out his jaw and tilted kis freshly-lighted cigar to the aggressive angle.
 Say, Brouillard, we've got to throw a fresh piece Of bait into the cage. something that will make the railroad crowd sit up and take notice George, if those gold hunters up on Jacks mountain would only stumble across something big enough to adver' tise-"
 Brouillard started as if the wishful magic had been a blow. Like hot wave from a furnace mouth it swept over him-the sudden realization that the means, the one all-powerful, earth moving lever the promoter was so anxiousiy seeking, lay in his hands.
 The Buckskin people, yes, he said, making talk as the rifleman digs pit to hold his own on the firing line. If they should happen to uncover a gold reef just now it would simplify mat ters immensely for Mirapolis wouldn't it? The railroad would come on, then, without shadow of doubt. All the bankers in New York couldn't hold it back"
 Now came MT Cortwright's turn to get up and walk to one of the win dows.
 Come here," he called curtly, with a quick finger crook for the engineer. and when Brouillard joined him; "Can you size up that little caucus over yonder?"
 The acaucus" was knot of excited