Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-06-28
&)CflAPTER. XvlCM
Flood Tide

Public opinion, skillfully formed up.
on models fashioned in Mayor Cort-
wright's municipal laboratory, dealt
handsomely with the little group Of
widely.heralded visitors-the, ICON.
gressional committee" When it was
whispered about, some days before the
suspicious arrival. that the visiting
lawmakers wished for no public dem.
onstration Of welcome, It was resolved,
both in the city council and in the
Commercial club, that the wish should
be. rigidly respected.
Hence, after the farewell banquet at
the Commercial club, at which even
the toasts had ignored the Official mis-
sion Of Mayor Cortwright's guests, tin
Cling curiosity sti1T restrained itself,
said nothing and did nothing until the
train had stormed out on the begin
ming Of its steep climb to War Arrow
pass. Then the barriers went down. In
less than half an hour after the depar-
ture Of the visitoza tho Spotlight Of
dee was besiesed By eager tip hunters,
ahd the, Metropole cafe and lobby were
thronged and buszing like the compart-
uaents Of an anxious beehive.
Harlan stood the pressure 1T the
newspaper ONCE - long az he could.
Then he slipped out the back way.
Thefe was q light in Brouillard's ONCE
On the sixth floor Of the Niquoia build
ing, and thither he went, hoping
against hope. for latterly the chief of
he reclamation service had been more
than usually reticent
What do you know. Brouillard?"
Was the form his demand took.
go to Cortwright," suggested the
engineer. Hes your man."
"Jtst come from him. and I couldn't
get Z thing there except his admission
that he is buying'instead of selling"
We'll, what more do you want?
Haven't you any imasination!"
Plenty of Il, and. by Cad, I'm going
70 use it unless you put It to sleepl
Tell me few correlative things.
BrouilIard, and I'll make noise like
going away. Is It true that you've had
orders from Washington within the
past few days to cut your force on the
dam one-halfy
8 The engineer was playing with the
;1sperknife, absently marking little cir
dies and ellipses on his desk blotter.
and the ash on his cigar grew full
quarter Of an inch before he replied:
Not for publication. Harlan. I'm
sorry to say"
But you have the order?"
'tYes."
Good. Then I'll ask only one more
question, and II you answer It at all l
Know you'll tell me the truth: Are
you. individually, buying or selling on
tho real estate exchanged"
Brouillard did take time, plenty Of It.
Harlan was student Of men, but his
present excitement was againse him.
Otherwise he would have interpreted
differently the sudden hardening Of the
Jaw muscles when Brouillard spoke.
I'm buying, Harlan; when sell 1t
u onlysto buy again"
The newspaper man rose and held
out his hand.
You're q man and . brother. Brouil-
lard, and I'm your friend for life. I'm
going to stay until. you give me the
high sign 70 crawl out on the bank. Is
that asking too much!"
mo. II the time ever comes when
have anything to say. AL say 1t to you.
But don't lose sight Of the IT, and
don't lean too hard on me. I'm d
mighty uncertain quantity these days.
Harlan, and that's the truest thing I've
told you since you butted-in. Good
night"
Mirapolis awoke to . full sense Of
it, opportunities on the morning fol.
lowing the departure Of its distin.
guished guests. By ten o'clock it was
the talk Of the Hobbies, the club, and
the exchanges that the reclamation
:e.y.ce Was already abandoning the
work on the great dam. One-half Of
the wofkmen we're to be discharged ut
once, and doubtless the other halt
would follow as soon as the orders
could come from Washington.
Appealed to by mob Of anxious in.
quirers, Brouillard did not deny the
fact Of the discharges, and thereupon
tho city went mad in Juror Of specu.
lative excitement1n comparison with
which the orgy Of the gold discov.
erers paled into insignificance. Curb"
exchanges sprang into being in the
4 Metropole lobby, In the court Of the
Niquoia building, and at q dozen street
corners on the avenue. Word went to
the placers. and by noon the miners
had. left their sluice-boxes and were
pouring into town to buy options at
prices that would have staggered the
widest plunger otherwhere, or at any
other time.
Brouipard closed his desk at one
o'clock and went. to fight his way
through the street pandemonium to
Bongras' At . table in the rear room
he found David Massingale, his long
white beard tucked into the closely
buttoned miners coat to. be out Of the
way Of the flying knife and fork, while
he gave lifelike imitation Of . man
begrudging every second Of time
wasted In stopping the hunger gap.
Bruuillard took the opposite chair
and was grimly amused at the length
Of time that elapsed before Massingale
realised his presence.
PITY man has to stop to eat on .
49, IN Shia {an'f n Mr. Maaafn gN1A 3n