Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-06-14
CHAPTER Viii.
The Sick Pro tect.

The Sick Project
Brewster had grown into cfty-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 cult
waited ranches. A summer hotel en- the
shore Of Lake TopsEreached only by
stage from Brswster-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
filed 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 4
man Of many personalities. To sum
mer visitors with money to invest, b
vas the genial promoter, and II thef
were suggestions Of iron hardness in
the sharp jaw and In the smoothly
Rhaven face and f1inty eyes, there was
also a pleasant reminder OF Eastern
business methods and alertnesS in the
promoters manner. But Lanterby,
lifting uneasily In the confidential"
chair at the desk-end, knew another
and more biting side of Mr.. Stanton,
as 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-faeed henchman In the
fitting chair made such explanations
as he could.
"Boogerfeld and his two partners we
been hidtn' out somewhere; 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 feb
low SMITH Who is he and where
did he come fromg
Lanterby told all that WIS known
Of Smith, and had no difficulty in COLI
pressing It into single sentence. Stan
ton leaned back in his chair and the
lids OF the fiinu eyes narrowed
thoughtfuily.
There's a lot more 20 It than that, "
he said incisiVely at the end Of the
reflective pause. Then he added a
curt order: make It your Job to find
out"
Lanterby moved uneasily In hts 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 c.
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, took
the bank roll I slipped him. all right
enough, and promised to help out. But
he's scared Of Maxwell"
Maxwell is a thick-headed ass !"
exploded the Pathfinder. His entire
railroad outfit, from President Brew
ster down, is lined up on the other side
Of the fight But go on with your
dickering. Jerk Dougherty into line.
Now go out and find Shaw. I want
him, and I want him right now"
The hard-faced man who looked as
X he might be broken-down gambler,
unjointed his leg-hold upon the tilted
chair and went out; and few minutes
| later another of Stanton's payroll men
drifted in He was q young fellow
with sleepy eyes and cigarette stains
on his fingers, and he would have
passed for a railroad clerk out Of a
job, which was what he really was.
"Well?" snapped Stanton when the
incomer had taken the chair lately va
Gated by Lanterby.
Il Swallowed the colonel, as you told
me to-" said the young man. "He went
up &c Red Butte to see II he cOuldn'
rope in some Of the old-timers on his
ditch project. He was trying to sell
some treasury stock. His one-horse
company is about out Of money.
Mickle, a clerk IN Kinzie's bank. tells
me that the ditch company's balance Is
drawn down to few thousand dollars,
| with no more coming in"
'Did the colonel succeed In making
raise in Red Butter"
mary" said the spy nonchalantly.
Drake, the banker up there, was his
one best bet; but got a man know
to give Drake pointer, and he curled
up like hedgehog when yen poke 1t
Win a sharp sffckn----