The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1916-06-09

IL
"Brouillard, IL you please" was the
crisp correction. And then with a
careful effacement of the final saving
trace of hospitality In tone or manner:
What can we do for you, MIR. 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 a 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 be tried
to say 1t without making it sound too
much like challenge.
"All right; so much for that part of
it," said the self-invited guest. Now
for the business end Of the deal-why
don't you sit DOWN.
Brouillard 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.
Yes. I'd like to go over your plans
for the power dam in the upper can.
yon. II they look good to me III adopt
them
Il am very far. from wishing to
quarrel with anybody" said Brouillard,
but his tone belied the words. AT
the same time, II you think WEI are
going to do your engineering work,
or any part of 1t. for you, you are
pretty severely mistaken. Our own
job is fully big enough to keep US
busy"
You're or" 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 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.
fiectiVely, 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 bust
ness with, Brouillard; pig-headed, OBJ.
stinate, blind as bats to their own in.
terests. ! didn't especially want to
begin BY knocking you into line, but
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" said
Brouillard.
"But you have made the plans for
this power plant, haven't your"
Eyes; and they are the property Of
the department. II you want them
I'll turn them over to you upon q
proper order from headquarters"
That's little more like it. Where
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
shy glance at his chief. Hes been
blowing burrows up and down my little
potato patch all day"
"Humph! Digging for information.
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.
IT'S 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. If 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!
guess not. He was only stringins
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 off 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
Chigrlngo avenue"