Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-06-02
CHAPTER w.

= b ffh
CHATTER ".
Wanfod-A Flnaneler.
It w1s full fortnight Or more after
this motor.tinkering incident on tho
hill road to the dam, when Williams
chief engineer Of the ditch project met
President Baldwin in the Brewster Of
fices Of the ditch company and spent .
busy hour with the colonel going over
the contractors estimates for the
month In prospect. II an interval Of
the business talk. Baldwin remembered
the good-looking young tramp who had
wanted q Job.
'Oh, yes; knew there was some
thing else that I wanted to ask you"
he said. "How about the young fellow
that I unloaded on you couple Of
weeks ago1 Did he make good"
.'Who -Smithl :"
eyes; II that's his name"
The engineers left eyslid had quiz
zical droop when he said dryly: TITS
the name he goes by In camp; John
Smith, / haven't asked him his other
name"
The ranchman-presldent matched
the dropping eyelid Of unbelief with
sober smile. Il thought he looked az
II he might be out hero for his health
like good many other fellows who
have no particular use for . doctor.
How II he making itT
The engineer, hard-bitted man with
the prognathous lower jaw Characters
ing the tribe Of those who accomplish
things, thrust his hands into his pock-
cts and walked to the window to look
down into the Brewster street. When
he turned to face Baldwin again, It was
to say: 'That young fellow is q won
der. colonel. I put him into tho quarry
at nrst, as you suggested and In three
days he had revolutionized things to
the tune Of 20 per cent saving In pro
duction costs. Then gave him hack
at the concrete-mixers. and he's max
ing good again In the cost reduction.
That seems to be his specially"
The president nodded and was SUI
ficiently interested to follow up what
had been merely Q casual inquiry.
"whats are you calling him nova
betterment engineeri You know your
first guess was that he was somebody's
bookkeeper out Of job"
williams wagged his head.
Hes q three c0rnered puzzle to me-
yet. He isn't an engineer, but when
you drag bunch Of cost money up the
trail, he goes after It IKE . dog after
a rabbit. I'm not anxious to lose him,
but ! really believe you could make
better use Of him hero In the town Of
fee than I can on tho fob
Baldwin was shaking his head dubl-
0usly.
s,4Tm, afraid he'd have to 1oosen up
on his record little before We could
bring him in here. Badly Is we're
needing . money man. We can hardly
AFFORD to put . John Smith into the H
ssddleat least not without knowing \
what his other name used to be"
ssNo; Of course not. I guess, after
all, he's only lame duck Ike q good |
many Of the rest Of them. Day before |
yesterday. Burdell; the deputy sheriff.
was out at the camp looking the gangs
over for the fellow who broke into h
place last Saturday night
When he came into the ONCE Smith |,
was busy with an estimate. and Bur
dell went up and touched him on the
just to let him know that it Y
was time to wake up. Suffering cats 4
It took three Of MS to keep him from
Burdell IN two and throwing
him out Of the Window"
'That looks rather bad. was they
comment.rC Col Dexter bald-
win had been the nrst resuiaIiy eiecr
ed sheriff of Timanyonl county IN tne
early days and ne knew me symp1oms' \
WAS BurdsA wearing nis star Anere
It could b. seenT
The engineer nodded.
"What explanation did smith maker
"Oh, he apoi0gi1sd uks . gentleman, n
and said he was subject to little nerv-
Gus attacks Ike that when ANYBODY
him unexpectedly. ne took
Burdell over to Pete SammS Ahack -.