The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1916-05-25

wasn't held. three weeks ago"
1t was crude little expedient, but |
1t sufficed. Cortwright tramped to the
phone and cursed and swore at il un-
I'll he had his man at the other end of !
the wire. The man was the lawyer
as 1t appeared, and Cartwright abused
him spitefully
You've balled it-balled it beauti-
fully!" he shouted. Come over here
to Brouillard's office and bring Sher-
merhorn and the stock and the notes
and Jackson and the secretary's books
and Massingale and your Internal self
Get a move, and get it quicki We
stand to lose the whole loaf because
you had to butt in and sweep up the
crumbs first!"
When the procession arrived, as It
did in an incredibly short time, Brouil-
lard laid down the law
We don't need these" he said curt
ly' indicating the two deputies who
came to bring David Massingale. And
when they were gone: Now, gentle
men, get to work and do business, and
the less time you waste the better
chance there will be for your bank
salvage. Three requirements l make:
you Will turn over the stock putting
Mr.. Massingale in possession OF his
mine, without incumbrance; you will
cancel and surrender his notes to the
bank; and you will give him a docu-
ment, signed by all of you. acknowl-
edging the payment in full of all
claims, past or pending. While you
are strengthening things out, I'll ring
up the yards and rally your guard"
Cortwright turned on the lawyer.
You hear what Brouillard says; fix
1t. and do 1t suddenly"
1t was done almost before Brouillard
mad made Leshington, in charge OF the
yards. understand what was wanted.
NOW note to your man at the
mine to make him let go without put
ting US to the trouble of throwing him
over the dump" said the engineer.
when he had looked over the stock
transfers, examined the cancelled notes,
and read and witnessed the signatures
on the receipt in full.
Cortwright nodded to the lawyer.
and when Williams began to write
again the king OF the promoters
turned upon Brouillard with a savage
sneeF.
Once more you've had your price"
he snarled bitterly. You and the old
man have bilked us out of what we
spent on the mine. But we'll call 1t
an even break if you'll hurry that gang
of huskies."
Wen call It an even break when IL
is one" retorted Brouillard; and after
na ~, Ia
the New York check from his pocket
book. indorsed 1t, and handed it to
| Cortwright. That is what was spent
out OF the hundred thousand dollars
you had Mr.. Massingale charged with,
as nearly as we can ascertain. Take
1t and take care Of it, it's real money"
He had turned again to the tele-
phone to hurry Leshington, had rung
the call, and was chuckling grimly
| over the collapse Of the four men at
the end of the mapping table as they
| fingered the slip Of money paper. Sud
denly it was borne in upon him that
there was trouble of some sort at the
door-there were curses, a blow, a mad
rush; then . 1t was Stephen Mas
| singale who had fought his way past
the door-guarding sentry and stood
blinking at the group at the far end
of the mapping board.
You're the houn' dog I'm lookin'
for" he ragged, singing out Cortwright
when the dazzle Of the eIectrics per
mitted him to see. You'll rob an old
man first, and then call him a thief
and set the sheriff on him, will you-?"
Massingales pistol was dropping to
the firing level when Brouillard flung
away the telephone earpiece and got
between. Afterward there was a
crash like a collision OF worlds. a
whirling, dancing medley OF colored
lights fading away to gray and then to
darkness, and the engineer went down
with the avenger OF wrongs tightly
locked in his arms.
After the period OF darkness had
| passed and Brouillard opened his eyes
again upon the world OF things as they
are, he had a confused idea that he
had oversight shamefully and that the
indulgence had given him a bad head
ache.
The next thought was that the head
ache was responsible for a set OF sinRu-
/ lar Authorizations His blanket bunk
/ I'm the sleeping shack seemed TO have
| transformed itself into a white bed
with pillows and snowy sheets, and
the bed was drawn up beside an open
window through which he could look
out. or seem to look out. upon a vast
sea dimpling in the breeze and reflect
Ing the sunshine so brightly that Il
made his headache a darting agony.
When he turned his face TO escape
tho binding glare OF tho sun on the
sea the hallucinations became sooth-
ingly comforting. not to say ecstatic
/ Someone was sitting on the edge OF
I the bed; cool hand was laid on his
/ forehead; and when he could again
see straight he found himself looking
up into a pair OF violet eyes in which
the tears we're trembling.
You are Amy-and this IS that
other world you used 20 talk about.
isn't it?' he asked feebly
The cool hand slipped from his fore
.