The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1916-05-26
g,neer.- said tho ,ounger. shifting IN.

gineer, said tho lounger. shifting the
dead cigar from one corner oil his
hard-bitted mouth to the other. You're
Brillard. the government man. take
it?"
"Brouillard. If you please" was the
crisp correction. And then with Q
careful effacement of the final saving
trace OF hospitality in tone or manner:
What can we do for you. Mr.. Hos
ford?"
"A good many things, first and last
I'm two or three days ahead of mg
outfit, and you can put me up some
where until get camp Of my own.
You've got some sort of an engineers
mess, take it?"
I'VE have" said Brouillard briefly
You'll make yourself at home with
us, OF course" he added. and he tried
to say it without making it sound toe
much like a challenge.
"All right; so much for that part q
it," said the self-invited guest. Nov
for the business end OF the deal-why
don't you sit DOWN."
Brouil!ard planted himself behind
his desk and began to fill his black
ened Office pipe, coldly refusing Hos
ford's tender of cigar.
you were speaking of the business
matter" he suggested bluntly.
Eyes. I'd like to go over your plans
for the power dam in the upper can
yon. If they look good to me I'll adopl
them"
II am very far from wishing Il
quarrel with anybody" said Brouillard
but his tone belied the words. "A
the same time, IL you think we ar.
going to do your engineering work
or any part of it, for you, you ar'
pretty severely mistaken. Our owl
job is fully big enough to keep N
busy"
You're off," said the big man coolly
Somebody has bungled in giving yot
the dope. You want to keep your job
don't your"
THAT is neither here nor there
What we are discussing at present Is
the departments attitude toward your
enterprise. / shall be exceeding my
instructions If l make that attitude
friendly to the detriment Of my own
work"
The new resident manager sat back
in his chair and chewed his cigar re
ing Of the Office ceiling.
You're just like all the other gov
eminent men I've ever had to do bust
ness with, Brouillard; pig-headed, OBJ
| stinate, blind as bats to their own in
terests. l didn't especially want to
begin by knocking you into line, but
l guess it'll have to be done. guess
the best way to get you is to send a
little wire to Washington. How does
that strike your"
Il haven't the slightest interest In
what you may do or fail to do" sale
Brouillard.
But you have made the plans fol-
this power plant haven't your"
Yes; and they are the property OF
the department. IL you want them
I'll turn them over to you upon O
| proper order from headquarters"
That's little more like it. Wheye
| did you say I'd find your wire Officer
Brouillard gave the information. and
as Hosford went out Grislow came in
and took his place at the mapping
table.
Glad you got back in time to save
my life" he remarked pointedly, with
a shy glance at his chief. Hes been
blowing burrows up and down my little
potato patch all day"
"Humph! Digging for information
l suppose?" 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 little. We're In for the
time of our lives, Victor"
II 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 it is going
to be like charity-covering q multi
tude of sins. Do you know what thai
plank-faced organizer has got up his
sleeve? He is going to build us &
neat, up-to-date little city right here
in the middle of our midst. If hadn'
made him believe that l was only 6
craftsman, he would have had me ou
with transit, running the lines fol
the streets"
"A city?-in this reservoir bottom
I guess not. He was only stringinl
you to kill time, Grizzly"
Don't you fool yourself!" ex
claimed the mapmaker. He's got tn,
plans in his grip. We're going to b.
on a little reservation set apart for III
by the grace of God and the kind
ness of those promoters. The remain
der OF the valley is laid off into cut,
little squares and streets, with every
thing named and numbered, ready Il
be listed in the brokers' offices. 70,
may not be aware of it, but this pala
tial office building of ours fronts OF