Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1916-04-12

visitor awaiting him in the camp head
quarters office.
One glance at the thick bodied.
heavy-faeed man chewing an extinct
cigar while he made himself comfort
able in the only approach to a loung
ing chair that the Office afforded was
sufficient to awaken an alert antago-
nism. The big man introduced him
self without taking the trouble to get
out of his chair.
| My name is Hosford. and I repre-
sent the Niquoia improvement com
pany as its manager and resident en-
gineer." said the lounger shifting the
dead cigar from one corner of 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
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 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 u"
We have" said Bromllard briefly.
You'll make yourself al home with
US, of course, he added and he tried
to say it without making it sound too
much like a challenge
All right, so much for that part of
it," said the selfinvited guest Now
| for the business end of tie 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.
Eyes. I'd like to go over your plans
for the power dam in the upper can
yon. If 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, 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 Of" said the big man coolly.
Somebody has bungled In giving you
the dope. You want 10 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 if | 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-
fectively, 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 itll have to be done. guess
the best way to get you is to send a
little wire to Washington. How does
that strike you?"
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 you p
Yes; and thqy are the property of
the Department. If you want them
I'll turn them over to you upon a
proper order from headquarters.
That's little more like It. Where
did you say I'd find your wire offlee?'
Brouillard gave the information, end
as Hosford went utNGrislow 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.
l SUPPOSED" 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"
Il know it." was the grabbed rejoin-
der.
You don't know the tenth part OF
it," asserted the photographer slowly.
ITS a modest name. The Niquoia I'm
provement company. but it is going
to be like charity-covering a multi
tide 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 I
made him believe that l was only a
craftsman. he would have had me out
with a transit. running the lines for
the streets"
"A city?-in this reservoir bottom
guess not. He was only stringing
you to kill time, Grizzly"
Don't you fool YOURSELF" ex-
claimed the mapmaker. He's 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