Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1916-07-27

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Billiard, the government man, 1 take
it?"
"Brouillard, II you please" was the
crisp correction. And then with q
careful placement 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 my
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 II?
I'VE have" said Brouillard briefly.
You'll make yourself at home with
us, Of course" he added. and he tried
to say 1t without making 1t sound too
much like challenge.
"All right; 80 much for that part Of
It," said the seIf-invited guest. Now
for the business end of the deal-why
don't you sit DOWN." O.
Brouillard planted himself behind
his desk and began to fill his black
cned 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 cam
yon. II they look good to me I'll adopt
them"
II am very far, from wishing to
quarrel with anybody. said Brouillard,
but his tone belied the words. AT
the same time, if you think we are
going to do your engineering work,
or any part of it. for you, you are
pretty severely mistaken. Our own
job is fully big enough to keep US
busy"
You're off," said the big man coolly.
Somebody has bungled in giving You
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. l shall be exceeding my
instructions II 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.
flectively, staring up at the log beam.
ing Of the Office ceiling.
You're just like all the other gov.
eminent men I've ever had to do busl-
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
I guess it'll have to be done. guess
the best way to get you is to send q
little wire to Washington. How does
that strike your"
II haven't the slightest interest in
what you may do or fail to do" said
Brouillard.
But you have made the plans for
this power plant, haven't you"
yes; and they are the property of
the department. II you want them
I'll turn them over to you upon o
proper order from headquarters"
That's little more like 1t. Where
did you say I'd find your wire Officer"
Brouillard gave the information, and
as Hosford went out Gris!ow came in
and took his place ut the mapping
table.
Glad you got back in time to save
my life" he remarked pointedly. with
a shy glance at his chief. Hos 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 a 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
1t" asserted the photographer slowly.
It's modest name, The Niquoia I'M
provement company but 1t is going
to be like charity-covering 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 J hadn {
made him believe that 1 was only a
craftsman he would have had me out
with transit, running the lines for
the Streets"
"A city?-in this reservoir bottom 7
| 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 of 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 it. hut this pala-
tial office building of ours fronts on
Chigringo avenue"
"Stuffl" said Brouiliard what has
all this bubble blowing got to do with
the building OF temporary dam and
the setting up Of couple Of cement
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