The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1919-03-28
CHAPTER XII.
HardinIs Luck.

Hardin's Luck.
Two days later there was a shock of
earthquake, so slight that the tapping
intimation Of the earth's uneasiness-
In the dining room later he found ey-
eryone discussing it. "Who could re-
member an earthquake In that desert?"
''The first shakel"
During the morning, unfathered, as
rumors are born, the whisper of dis
aster somewhere spread Their own
slight shock was the edge of the con-
vulsion which had been serious else
where, no one knew quite where, or
why they knew 1t at all The men
who were shoveling' earth ON the levee
begin to talk of San Francisco. Some
one said that morning that the city
was badly hurt No one could confirm
che rumor, but it grew with the day.
Richard met 1T at the office late in
the afternoon He went direct to the
telegraph operators desk.
HGet Los Angeles, the o. P. Office.
And be quick about it,
In ten minutes he was talking to
Babcock. Babcock said that the dam
age by the earthquake to that city was
not known, but it was afire- San Jose
had confirmed It Oakland had report
ed the flames creeping up the resi-
dence hills OF that gay. Western city.
Cinders were already falling In the
transbay town.
Richard dropped the receiver.
@Where's Hardin?'
Tom Hardin emerged from a knot
of men who were talking in corner
by the door.
where's that machineryY"
"What machinery"
Richard saw the answer to his ques-
ton in the others face.
'@The dredge machinery. Did you
attend to that? Did you send for itY'
''Oh, yes, that's all right. It's all
right"
as it hereP''
Hardin attempted POPULARITY. 81
didn't know as you wanted it here. I
ordered it sent to Yuma"
rs it at Yuma?'
Hardin admitted that it was not yet
at Yuma it would be there soon; he
had written; oh. it was all right.
'.When did you writer
Hardin Redeemed under the cate
chism of questions. He resented be-
ing held up before his men. The 9th
ers felt the electricity in the air. Har-
din and his successor were glaring at
each other like belligerents.
81 asked when did you writer
Yesterday"
yesterday ~ Richard ripped out
an oath. Yesterday. Why at all, I'd
like to known Did you understand
that you were ordered to get that
here? Now. it's gone"
"Gone? The others crowded up.
"San Francsico's burning" He
walked into his inner office, mad clear
through. He was not thinking of the
ruin of the gay young city; not a
thought yet did he have of the human
tragedies enacting there; of homes,
lives. fortunes swept into that huge
bonfire. AS it affected the work at the
river, the first block to his campaign,
the catastrophe came home to him. He
had picture of tortured, twisted
iron, of ruined machinery, the ma
chinery for his dredge. He saw it lying
like a spent LAGOON, writhing in its
last struggle. He blamed himself for
leaving even such small detail as the
Fastening of the parts to Hardin's
care. for Hardin wasn't fit to be trust
ed for anything. No one could tell
him now the man was unlucky; he
was a fool. A month wasted, and
days We're precious. A month? Months.
Hardin's luck. oh, he'll
Then he began to speculate as he
cooled over the trouble up yonder. A
whole city burning? They would sure
ly get it under control He began to
think of the isolation; the telegraph
wires all down. That might happen
anywherel He walked to the door.
and looked thoughtfully at the com
psny's big water tower. That wasn't
sdch bad ideal He picked up his
hat, and went out.
NAADTER XHll