Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-05-25

rounded olSnLn OF u1IllOn WHICH all
| flanciers agree in calling the stepping
stone to fortune.
He had regarded this money-was
still regarding it-as loan; his lever
with which to pry out something which
he could really call his own. But more
and more possession and use were dull
ing the keen edge Of accountability
and there were moments of insight
when the grim irony of taking the
price OF haIor to pay an honor debt
forced Itself =IpCg him. At such mo-
merits he plunged more recklessly, in
one Of them taking stock in a gold
ore6ge company which was to wash
nuggets by the wholesale out of the
Quadjenai bend, in another buying yet
other options in the newest suburb OF
Mirapolis.
With the waning of the day of cele-
brations the temper of the street
throngs was changing 1t is only the
people Of the Latinized cities who can
take the carnival spirit lightly; in
other blood liberty grows to license
straints quickly disappears. From
early dawn the saloons and dives had
been adding fuel to the flames, and
light-heartedness and gOOd-natured
horseplay were giving way to sardonic
humor and brutality
In the short faring through the
crowded street from the plaza to the
Metropole corner Brouillard saw and
heard things to make his blood boil.
Twice before he reached Bongras' cafe
entrance the engineer shouldered his
way to the rescue of some badgered
nucleus of excursionists. and in each
instance there were frightened women
to be hurriedly spirited away to the
nearest place of seclusion and safety.
It was in front of Bongras' that
BrOuillard came upon Rev. Hugh Cast
ner, the hot-hearted young zealot who
had been flung into Mirapolis on the
crest of the tidal wave of mining ex.
citement. Though HOsford-who had
not been effaced, as Mr.. Cartwright
had promised he should be-and the
men of his clique called the young
missionary a meddlesOme visionary,
he stood in the stature of man, and
lower Chigringo avenue loved him and
swore by him now and then when some
poor soul, hastily summoned, was to
be eased off into eternity.
When Brouillard caught sight of him
Cashier was looking out over the
seetning street caldron from his COM
handing height of six feet of athletic
man stature, his strong face a mask
of bitter humiliation and concern.
"Brouillard, this is simply hideous!"
he exclaimed. IF this devils carnival
goes on until nightfalI we shall have
revival of the old Roman Saturnalia
ct its worst" Then, with a swift blow
at the heart of the matter: You're
the man I've been wanting to see; you
are pretty close in with the Cartwright
iunta-is it true that free whisky has
been dealt out to the crowd over the
bar in the NiquOia building?"
Brouillard said that he did not know,
which was true, and that he could not
believe it possible, which was not true.
"The Cartwright people are as anxious
to have the celebration pass off peace
ably as even you can be" he assured
the young missionary, trying to but
tress the thing which was not true.
"Wben riot comes in at the door, bust
ness flies out at the window; and,
after all, this feast Of hurrahs is mere
~ another bid for business"
But Cashier was shaking his head.
81 can't answer for Mr.. Cartwright
personally. He and Handley and
Schermerhorn and a few of the others
seem to stand for responsibility of
sort. But, Mr.. Bro6illard, want to
tell you this: somebody in authority
is grating upon the vice of this COM
munity, not only today but all the
time"
"The community is certainly vicious
enough to warrant any charge you can
make" admitted Brouillard. Then he
changed the topic abruptly. Have you
seen Miss Massingale since noon?"
Eyes; I saw her with Smith, the
cattleman, at the other end of the ave-
nue. about an hour ago"
"Heavens!" gritted the engineer.
Didn't Smith know better than to
take her down there at such time as
this?"
The young missionary was frowning
thoughtfully. Il think it was the
other way about. Her brother has been
drinking again, and took it for grant
ed that she and Smith were looking
for him"
Brouillard buttoned his coat and
pulled his soft hat over his eyes.
'Im going to look for her" he said.
i "Will you come along?"
Cashier nodded, and together they
put their shoulders to the crowd. Again
and again the engineer and his COM
panion had to intervene by word and
blow to protect the helpless in the
half-drunken, gibe-finging crush, and
In these sallies Cashier bore his part
like man, eXpostulating first and hit
ting out afterWard in a fashion that
left no doubt in the mind of his antag-
onist of the moment.
"It was little less than a crime to
turn your laborers loose on the town
on such an occasion as this said Cast
ner, dealing out his words as frankly
and openly as he did his blows.
Brouillard shrugged.
"If 7 hadn't given them the day