The Delta independent., 1916-02-18

Glad you got back in time to save
my life," he remarked pointedly. with
shy glance at his chief. Hes been
plowing burrows up and down my little
potato patch all day"
"Humph! Digging for information.
I supposeT" grunted Brouillard.
"Just that; and he's been getting it.
too. Not out Of me. particularly, but
out Of everybody. Also, he was willing
to impart a little. We're in for the
time of our lives, Victor"
Il know it," was the grabbed rejoin-
der
You don't know the tenth part of
it," asserted the photographer slowly.
ITS modest name, The NiQuoia I'm
provement company but 1t is going
to be like charity-covering a multi
tude of sins. Do you know what that
plank-faced organizer has got up his
sleeve? He is going to build US a
neat, up-to-date little city right here
in the middle of our midst II hadn't
made him believe that was only a
craftsman, he would have had me out
with transit, running the lines for
the Streets
"A city?-in this reservoir bottom
l guess not. He was only stringing
you to kill time. Grizzly"
Don't you fool yourself!" ex-
claimed the mapmaker Hes got the
plans in his grip. We're going to be
on little reservation set apart for us
by the grace Of God and the kind
ness of those promoters. The remain
der of the valley is laid on into cute
little squares and streets. with every
thing named and numbered, ready to
be listed in the brokers' offices. You
may not be aware OF 1t. but this pala-
tial Office building Of ours fronts on
Chigringo avenue"
Stuff" said Brouillard What has
all this bubble blowing got to do with
the building of a temporary dam and
the setting up of q couple Of cement
kilns?''
Grislow laid his pen aside and
whirled around on his working stool.
Don't you make any easy-going
mistake. Victor" he said earnestly.
The cement and power proposition is
only a side issue. These new people
are going to take over the sawmills.
open up quarries, build stub railroad
to the Hophra mines. grade practi-
cable stage road over the range to
Quesado. and put on a fast-mule
freight line to serve until the railroad
builds in. Wouldn't that set your
teeth on edge?"
Il can't believe it. Murray It's a
leaf out OF the book of Bedlam,
Take fair shot at 1t and see where
the bullet lands: this entire crazy fake
is built upon one solitary. lonesome
fact-the fact that we're here. with
job on our hands big enough to create
an active, present-moment market for
labor and material There is absolute
ly nothing else behind the bubble
blowing; II we were not here the Nj
quota Improvement company would
never have been heard of"
Grislow laughed. your arguing that
twice two makes four doesn't change
the iridescent hue OF the bubble" he
volunteered. IF big money has seen
a chance to skin somebody. the mere
fact that the end OF the world is due
to come along down the pike some
day isn't going to cut any obstructing
figure. Well all be buying and sell
ing corner lots in Hosford's new city
before we're a month older. Don't you
believe TT"
I'll believe It when see IT," was
Brouillard's reply: and with this the
matter rested for the moment.
It was later in the day. an hour or
SO after the serving OF the hearty
supper in the engineers mess tent.
that Brouillard was given to see an
other and still less tolerable side OF
his temporary guest. Hosford had
come into the Office to plant himself
solidly In the makeshift easy chair for
the smoking of big. black after-sup-
per cigar.
I've been looking over your rules
and regulations. Brouillard." he be.
gan, after an interval OF silence which
Brouillard had been careful not to
break. You're making a capital mis-.
take in trying to transplant the old
Connecticut blue laws out here Your
workingmen ought to have the right to
spend their money in any way that
suits EN-"
Brouillard was pointedly occupying
himself at his desk but he looked up
long enough to say: Whisky. you
mean?"
"That and other things. They tell
me you don't allow any open gam
bling or any women here outside OF
the families OF the workmen."
I'VE don't" was the short rejoinder.
THAT won't hold water after we get
things fairly in motion
1T will have to hold water as far
as we are concerned. II ! have to build
a stockade around the camp" snapped