The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1919-04-17

knew the date himself. He expected
the answer would trail wisps of other
information. He mad a very active Gu
riosity about Hardin. The mans fail
ures had been spectacular.
The young fellow was thinking
aloud. The dam went November
Goth. Hardin was given a decent in
terval to resign. OF course he was
fired. 1t was an outrage" He re-
membered that he was speaking to a
stranger and broke of suddenly. Rick
ard did not question him. he made
another note. Why was 1t an outrage
or why did 1t appear sof In perspec-
tive, from the Mexican %barranca,
where he had been at the time. the
failure Of that dam had been another
bar sinister against Hardin.
II see that you are from the Univer-
sity Of Californian Richard said. and
nodded at the pin Of gold and blue
enamel.
"Out for q year" gloved the lad.
dad wanted me to get some real stuff
In my head. He said the Colorado
would give me more lessons-more real
knowledge In q year than I'd get In
six at college. / kicked up an awful
row."
The older man smiled. "Of course.
You don't want to go back now"
The boy made a wry face. HE ex-
poets me to go back in August. Says
l must"
"You did not tell me your NAME"
was suggested.
"MacLean, George MacLean," said
the young man rather consciously. 1t
was a good deal to live up to. He al
ways felt the appraisement which fol-
lowed that admission. George Mac
Lean, elder, was known among the
railroad circles to be a man of iron.
one Of the strongest Of the heads of
the Overland Pacific system. He was
not the ort Of man a son could speak
lightly Of disobeying.
"Of course everyone calls me Jun
for"
q" guess you'll go back II he wants
you to-" smiled Richard.
"Oh. but what a rotten trick It
would be !" exclaimed the son of the
man Of iron. "To throw me out of
College, was daffy to finish with my
class, and to get me here, to get me in
terested-and then after I've lost my
place to pull me back. Why, there are
things happening every day that are a
| lihnral aA,,natfnn VThau ora nnlu inst
beginning to understand what they are
bucking up against. The COlorado's
an unknown quantity; even old engi-
neers are right up against 1t. There
are new problems coming up every
day. The Indians call her a yellow
she's an eel; she's giving us sums to
break our teeth IN"
"Who has the next room7"
used to be the general managers.
Ogilvie uses. it now"
"And who did you say was Ogil-
vie?" They turned back into the
room.
you can 60 in. He's not here. He
is the new auditor, an expert account
ant from Los Angeles. Put In by the
o. p. when II assumed control last
year. He used to come down once
a month. After Hardin went out he
came down to stay"
whose say-soT"
81 don't know. The accounts were
rotten. that's no office secret. The
world knows that. Hardin Is blamed
for II. 1t isn't fair. Look at Sather's
stone palace In Los Angeles. Look at
Hardin's tent, his shabby clothes"
I'D like to meet Ogilvie," observed
the general manager.
"Oh. he's not much to meet. A pale,
white-livered vegetarian. a theoso-
phist. You've seen 'em. Los Angeles
is full of 'em. He was here when Har-
din was fired. You could see him see
his opportunity. His chest swelled
up. He looked as II he had tasted
meat for the first time. He thought
that he could wooZle into the empty
place! He went back to Los Angeles,
convinced them that the auditor
should be here, protect the company's
tAhACi ~ oOuuuCu myblCflOuos
sleuthlike. as If he had discovered
something, SO they let him bring the
books down here. He Is supposed to
be ferreting. But he's 'woozling.' He
used TO be In the outer Office. Said
the noise made his head ache. so he
moved In here. All the committee
meetings are held here, and occasion
ally the directors meetings. Water
companies, too. Ogilvie's taking notes
wants to be the nex general mana
ger: II sticks put all over him."
"What's the derivation Of wooxler p
this with deep gravity.
"Wait till you see Ogilvie I" laughed
his entertainer. Then as an after
thought, 'This is all public gossip.
He's fair game"
The door opened behind them. and
Richard saw the nan whose descrip-
ton had been so deity knocked of.
He recognized the type see 70 fire.
quently In southern California towns.
the pale, damaged exile whose chance
Of reprieve Is conditioned by stern