Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-06-29
CHAPTER VIII.
The Sick Project.

! ne DICK FTOJcCI.
Brewster had grown into city-charter
size and Importance with the opening
of the gold mines in the Gloria district,
and the transformation of the sur
rounding park grasslands into culti-
waited ranches. A summer hotel on the
stage from Brewster-had added its
influence; and since the hotel brought
people with well-lined pocketbooks,
there was a field for the enthusiastic
real-estate promoters whose offices
filled all the odd corners in the Ho-
phra House block.
In one of those offices, on the morn
ing following Smiths first dinner at
Hillcrest, a rather caustic colloquy
was in progress between the man
whose name appeared in gilt lettering
on the front windows and one of his
unofficial assistants. Crawford STAN
ton, he of the window name, was a
man of many personalities. To sum-
mer visitors with money to invest, he
was the genial promoter, and if there
were suggestions of iron hardness in
the sharp jaw and in the smoothly
shaven face and fiinty eyes, there was
also a pleasant reminder of Eastern
business methods and alertness in the
promoters manner. But Lanterby,
fitting uneasily in the Confidential"
chair at the desk-end, knew another
and more biting side of Mr.. Stanton,
as a hired man will.
"Good heaven! do you sit there and
tell me that the three of them let that
hobo of Williams push them off the
map? And do you say all this hap
pened the day before yesterday: how
does it come that you are just now re-
porting it?"
The hard-faced henchman in the
fitting chair made such explanations
as he could.
'Boogerfield and his two partners we
been hidin' out somewhere; l allow
they was plumb ashamed to come in
and tell how they'd let one man run
'em off,"
what do you know about this fel-
low Smith? Who is he, and where
did he come fromr'
Lanterby told all that was known
of Smith, and had no difficulty in com.
pressing it into a single sentence. Stan
ton leaned back in his chair and the
lids of the flinty eyes narrowed
thoughtfully.
There's lot more to it than that
he said incisively at the end of the
reflective pause. Then he added 9
curt order: make it your job to find
out"
Lanterby moved uneasily in his in
secure seat, but before he could speak
his employer went on again, changing
the topic abruptly. but still keeping
within the faultfnding boundaries.
"What sort of a screw has gone
loose in your deal with the railroad
men? Williams got two cars of ce
ment and one of steel the day before
yesterday three hours after the stuff
came in from the East"
Again Lanterby tried to explain.
"Dougherty, the yardmaster, tool
the bank roll 1 slipped him, all righ
enough, and promised to help out. Bu
he's scared of Maxwell"
Maxwell is a thick-headed ass =
exploded the faultfinder. His entire
railroad outfit, from President Brew
ster down, is lined up on the other sid,
of the fight. But go on with you
dickering. Jerk Dougherty into line
Now go out and find Shaw. 1 wan
him, and 1 want him right now"
The hard-faced man who looked a.
if he might be a brOken-down gambler
unjointed his leg-hOld upon the tilteC
chair and went out; and a few minute
later another of Stanton's payroll mel
drifted in. He was a young fellow
with sleepy eyes and cigarette stain
on his fingers, and he would hav
passed for railroad clerk out of
job. which was what he really was.
"Well?" snapped Stanton when tn
incomer had taken the chair lately va
Gated by Lanterby.
81 shadowed the colonel, as you toll