Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1916-04-07

pal colleagues laid water mains, strung
electric wires, drove the paving con
tractors, and pushed the trolley line to
the stage at which it lacked only the
rails and the cars awaiting shipment
by the railroad
This was the situation on the day
when Garner, sharp-eared listener at
the keyhole of opportunity, missing
the dynamite rumblings, sent a cipher
wire of inquiry to the East, got>
rush" reply, and began warily to un-
load his Mirapolitan holdings. Being
man of business. he ducked to cover
first and talked afterward; but by the
time his hint had grown to rumor size
, Mr.. Cartwright had sent for BrouiI
lard.
Pull up a chair and have a cigar. .
said the great man when Brouillard
had penetrated to the nerve-center of
the Mirapolitan activities in the Metro
pole suite and the two stenographers
had been curtly dismissed Have
you heard the talk of the street? There
is rumor that the railroad grading
has been stopped
Brouillard. busy with the work of
setting the third series of forms On
his great wall, had heard nothing.
I've noticed that they haven't been
| blasting for two or three days But
that may mean nothing more than a
delayed shipment of dynamite" was
| his rejoinder
ut looks bad-devilish bad" The
| promoter was planted heavily in his
pivot chair, and the sandy-gray eyes
dwindled to pin points I'VE are up
against it. that's ALL Read that" and
the promoter handed a telegram
across the desk
The wire was from Chicago, was
signed "Ackerman," and was still
damp from the receiving operators
copying press. 1t read:
Work on P. S-W's Buckskin ex
tension has been suspended for the
present. Reason assigned, shrinkage
in securities and uncertainty of bust
ness outlook in Niquoia.'
Mr.. Cortwright's frown figured as q
fieshly mask of irritability. LET ii
once get out that the railroad people
don't believe in the future of Mirapo
lis and we're done"
BrouiIlard's retort was the expires
sion of an upfash of sanity.
"Mirapolis has no future; it has
only an exceedingly precarious pres
ent."
For moment the sandy-gray eye:
became inscrutable. Then the masf
of irritation slid aside, revealing tht
face which Mr. j. Wesley Cortwrigh
ordinarily presented to his world
the face of imperturbable good nature
You're right, Brouillard; Mirapolii
is only good joke, after all Some
times l get bamfOozIed into the ide;
that it isn't-that it's the real thing
That's bad for the nerves. But abou
this railroad fizzle; l don't relish tn
notion of having our little joke sprunl
on us before we're ready to laugh, d.
you? What do you think?"
at is not my turn to think. Mr.. Corr
wright"
"Oh, yes, it is; very pointedly. Your
|
you were not you would still be intel
ested. A smash just now would han
per the reclamation service like tn
mischief; the entire works shut down
no cement, no lumber, no power
everything tied up in the courts unit
the last creditor quits taking appeals
Oh, no, Brouillard; you don't want t
see the end of the world come befor
it's due"
It was the consulting engineer {
the power company rather than tn
reclamation service chief who ros
and went to the window to look dow
upon the morning briskness of Oh
gringo avenue. And it was the ma
who saw one hundred thousand do
lars. the price of freedom, slippin
, away from him who turned after
minute or two of the absent street ga
J ing and said What do you want N
to do. MIR. Cortwright? I-did put m
I shoulder to the wheel when Ford wa
= here. l told him if l were in his plaC
I'd take the long chance and build til
e extension"
i Did you-and before you had
d stake in the game? That was whit
1 mans boost, right! Think you coul
q manage to get Ford on the wire an
: encourage him little more?"
"It isn't Ford; it is the New Yo1
D bankers. You can read that betwee
; the lines in your man Ackerman's tel
= gram"
! The stock gentleman in the piv'
chair thrust out his jaw and tilted h
freshly-lighted cigar to the aggressiN
angle.
Say, Brouillard, we've got to thro
a fresh piece of bait into the Gag
s something that will make the railroS
g crowd sit up and take notice.
s George, if those gold hunters up {
n Jacks mountain would only stumb
e across something big enough to adve
y tise-"
Il Brouillard started as if the wishf
/ magic had been blow. Like h
wave from a furnace mouth it swe
2, over him-the sudden realization tn
C the means, the one all-powerful. cart
W moving lever the promoter was
a anxiously seeking, lay in his hands.
v "The Buckskin people, yes" he sal
1, making talk as the rifieman digs a !
'r to hold his own on the firing line.
IS they should happen to uncover a GO
s, reef Just now it would simplify nj
ters immensely for Mirapolis, wouldl
at it? The railroad would come on, the
N without a shadow of doubt. All t
es bankers in New York couldn't hold
d, back"
a. Now came Mr.. Cortwright's turn
lg get up and walk to one of the W
lg dows.
Come here" he called curtly, vi
Id a quick finger crook for the engine
he and when Brouillard joined hi
Id Can you size up that little cauc
at over yonder?"
H. The caucus" was knot of excit
n men blocking the sidewalk in front
Gamers real estate Office on the
ed posite side of the street. The purpC
of the excited ones was not difficult
divine. They were all trying tn GRO