Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-05-18

We'll close for whatever you've been
able to pick up
He said it quietly, but there could
be no privacy at such a time and in
such place.
What's that, Mr.. Brouillard ?" de-
manded one in the counter Jam.
You're giving Garner a blank card to
buy for your account? Say, that's
plenty good enough for me- Garner,
cancel my order to sell, will your
When the chief engineer of the gov
eminent water works believes in Mir
apolis futures and bets his money on
EN-, I'm not selling"
The excitement was already diving
down and the crowd was melting away
from Gamers sidewalk when RrouiI-
lard rejoined Mr.. Cartwright il. the
second-fioor room across the street.
We'll, it's DONE" he announced
shortly, adding: It's only stop.
gap. To make the bluff good, you've
got to have the railroad"
That's the talk" said the promoter,
rehghting the cigar which the few
minutes of crucial suspense had extin.
guished. And then, without warning:
You're carrying something up your
sleeve, Brouillard. What is it?'
1T is the one thing you need, Mr.,
Cartwright. If I could get my own
consent to use it / could bring the
railroad here in spite of those New
Workers who seem to have an attack
of cold feet"
Mr.. j. Wesley Cortwright's hesita-
ton was so brief as to be almost i'm
perceptible. Il suppose that is your
way of saying that your share in the
table stakes isn't big enough All
right; the game can't stop in the mid
die of bet. How much is it going
to cost US to stay in?"
The cost isn't precisely in the kind
of figures that you understand best.
Mr.. Cartwright" Brouillard said half
musingly. Then, with sudden vehe-
mence: 1T is altogether a question OF
motive with me, Mr. Cartwright; of
motive which you couldn't understand
in thousand years. If that motive
prevails, you get your railroad and
little longer lease of life. If it doesn't,
Mirapolis will go to the devil some few
weeks or months ahead of it's schedule
and I'll take my punishment with
the remainder of the fools-and the
knaveS"
ic 10
ward the door of exit when the pro.
moter got his breath.
Here, hold on, Brouillard-for
heavens sake, don't go off and leave
1t up in the air that way!" he pro-
tested.
But the corridor door had opened
and closed and Brouillard was gone.
Two hours later Mirapolis the phre-
netic had new thrill, shock so cleo
trifying that the rumor of the rail-
roads hating decision sank into insig-
nificance and was forgotten. The sud
denly excitement focused in a
crowd besieging the window of the
principal jewelry shop-focussed more
definitely upon square Of white pa
per in the window in the center of
which was displayed little heap of
virgin gold in small nuggets and coarse
grains.
While the crowds in the street were
still struggling and fighting to get
near enough to read the labelling pla--'
card, the Daily Spotlight came out
with an extra which was all headlines.
the telegraph wires to the East were
buzzing, and the town had gone mad
The gold specimen-so said the pla-
card and the news extra-had been
washed from one of the bars In the
Niquoia.
By three o'clock the madness had
eliminated in the complete stoppage
Of all work among the town builders
and on the great dam as well, and
gold-crazed mobs were frantically dig
ging and panning On every bar in the
river from the valley outlet to the
power dam five miles away.
ITO BE CONTlNUEDA
VICTIM OF AERO ACCIDENT