The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1919-02-28

he's a raw dancer. always starts of
too quick. begins on the wrong foot.
Oh, yes, he has reasons, lots of them,
that fellow, but, as you say. they're
not reasonable. He never waits to get
ready"
Why was it that the face of the
half-sister came TO Richard then, with
that look of sensitive high breeding
and guarded reserve? And she a Har-
din Sister to the loud-spilling mouth :
Queer cards nature deals And pretty
cards Marshall was trying to deal out
TO him. Go down there and finish
Hardin's job. show him up TO be the
fumbler he was. give hin orders. give
the husband of Gerty Holmes or
derS-!
1T was Hardin who came TO me.
but not until he'd tried everything
else. They'd worked for months try
ing to dam the river with a few lace
handkerchiefs, and perhaps a chiffon
veil :" Marshall was twinkling Oyer
his own humor. Hardin did put mp
a good talk. 1t was true. as he said;
we'd had to move Our tracks three.
no, four times at Salton. 1t was true
that it ought TO be one Of the richest
districts tapped by the o. Z. But he
clenched me by a clever bait-to put
cut Il spur in Mexico which would
keep any other railroad off by a fifty
lile parallel, and there the SandhillS
make a railroad impossible.
THE government must eventually
r1n1n fn tho roSpUn Thnir works NJ
Laguna hang on the control of the
RIVER down at the heading. Once. he
told mel don't know how much
truth there was in 1.-THE service. rec
lamation service, did try to buy up
their plant for n paltry sum. He
wouldn't sell. The short is, l recon-
mended longsighted assistance to
Faraday. l promised to turn that
river, ave the district. We expected
before the ear was out to have the
government take the responsibility off
our hands,
Richard made an impatient shrug.
a nice problem Marshall had taken
unto himself. He wanted none of 1t.
Hardin-the thing was impossible.
He met laggardly Marshall's story.
LIZ AiSdAo bAAi oas <hSi00 Win
aday. The Desert Reclamation COM
pany was as helpless as a swaddled
infant. We made the condition that
we reorganiZe the company. l was
put In Hardin's place as president of
the corporation, and he was made gen.
eral manager. OF course we had to
control the stock. We put up two
hundred thousand dollars = Hardin
had estimated it would cost us less
than half thati It's cost US already
a million. Things haven't been going
right. Faraday's temper burst out.
and Hardin Il while back was asked
to resign"
And it is Hardin's position that
you want me to flI?" His voice
sounded queer to himself-dry, mock
ing, as if anyone should know what
an absurd thing he was being asked
to do. He felt Marshal's sharp In
dian eyes on him, as if detecting a pet
tiness. Well, he didn't care how Mar
shall interpreted it. That place wasn't
for him.
II want you in control down there"
Richard knew he was being appraised,
balanced all over again. 1t made no
difference
I'm sorry" he was beginning, when
Marshall cut in.
Good Lord. you are not going to
turn it dOwn?'
He met MarShall's i~ncredulOus
stare. ITS q job I'd jump at under
most circumstances. But | can't go.
sir"
Tom Marshall leaned back the full
swing of his swivel chair, blankly
~astounded. His eyes told Richard
that he had been found wanting-he
had white blood in his veins.
sit is good of you to think of me-
pshawi it is absurd to say these
things. You know that l know it is