Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1916-05-03

Sal0 the great man when BroullIard
had penetrated to the nerve-center Of
the Metropolitan activities in the Metro
pole suite and the two stenographeTs
had been CURLY 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
I've 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
1T 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 "AckermaL" and was still
damp from the receiving operators
copying press 1t read:
Work on P. S-W.'s Buckskin ex
tension has been suspended for the
present Reason assigned. shrinkage
in securities and uncertainty of bust
ness outlook in Niquoia."
Mr. Cortwright's frown figured as
fieshly mask of irritability. Let it
once get out that the railroad people
don't believe in the future of Mirapo-
lis and we're done"
Brouillard's retort was the express
sion of an upfash Of sanity.
"Mirapolis has no future; it has
only an exceedingly precarious pres
emit"
For a moment the sandy-gray eyes
became inserutable. Then the mask
Of irritation slid aside, revealing the
face which Mr.. j. Wesley Cartwright
ordinarily presented to his world
the face of imperturhable 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 bad for the nerves. But about
this railroad fizzle; | 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?"
1T is not my turn to think, Mr.. Cort-
wright"
"Oh, yes, it is; very pointedly. You're
one of US, to 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 until
the last creditor quits taking appeals.
Oh, no, BrouilIard; you don't want to
see the end of the world come 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 a
minute or two of the absent street gaZ-
ing and said: What do you want me
10 do. Mr.. Cartwright? / did put my
shoulder to the wheel when Ford was
here. told him if were in his place
I'd take the long chance and build the
extension"
Did you-and before you had
A. That rtyhifn
mans boost, right! Think you could
manage to get Ford on the wire and
encourage him little more?"
1T isn't Ford; it is the New York
bankers. You can read that between
the lines in your man Ackermans tele-
gram"
The stock gentleman in the pivot
chair thrust out his Jaw and tilted his
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. By
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 allpowerful, earth.
moving lever the promoter was so
anxiously seeking, lay in his hands.
The Buckskin people. yes" he said,
making talk as the rifeman 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 a shadow of doubt All the
bankers in New York couldn't hold It
back
Now came Mr. Cortwright's turn to
get up AMI walk to one of the win
dows.
Come here, ne called CURLY, with
a quick finger crook for the engineer
and when Brouillard joined him
Can you size up that little caucus
over yonder?"
The caucus" was knot of excited
men blocking the sidewalk in front of
Gamers real estate Office on the op-
posite side of the street. The purpose
of the excited ones was not difficult to
divine. They were all trying to crowd
into the Kansas City mans place Of
oE