Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-02-21
By
EDNAH
AIKEN

General property now Everyone
has a right to use her time. She used
to be Hardin's, the general managers.
She is his still, in way. But Ogilvie
keeps her busy most of the time"
Rickard had not heard of Ogilvie.
He made a mental register.
"When did Hardin go out?" He
knew the date himself. He expected
the answer would trail wisps of other
information. He had 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
stranger and broke off suddenly. Rick
ard did not question him. He made
another note. Why was it an outrage
or why did it appear so? In perspec-
tive, from the Mexican barranca,
where he had been at the time, the
failure of that dam mad been another
bar sinister against Hardin.
II see that you are from the Univer-
sity of California 2" Richard said, and
nodded at the pin of gold and blue
enamel.
"Out for year." glowed 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 a 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
1 must"
"You did not tell me your name"
was suggested.
''MacLean, George MacEean," 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. be was
not the sort of man a son could speak
lightly of disobeying.
"Of course everyone calls me Jun
ior."
81 guess you'll go back if he wants
you to-" smiled Rickard.
"Oh, but what rotten trick II
would be-" exclaimed the son of tie
man of iron. ITO throw me out OF
college, was daffy to finish with 10y
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 O
liberal education. They are only just
beginning to understand what they are
bucking up against. The Colorado's
an unknown quantity; even old engi
neers are right up against it. There
are new problems coming up every
day. The Indians call her a yellow
dragon. but she's a tricky woman
she's an eel; she's giving US sums tC
break our teeth on"
"Who has the next room?"
Used to be the general managers
Ogilvie uses it now."
"And who did you say was Ogll
vie? They turned back into th'
room.
you can go in. He's not here. 81,
, is the new auditor, an expert account
|. ant from Los Angeles. Put in by tn,
o. P. when it assumed control las
year. He used to come down one
, u month. After Hardin went out b
came down to stay"
, 'Whose say-so?"
81 don't know THE accounts wer
[ rotten, that's no office secret. TIL
world knows that. Hardin is blame
: for it. 1t isn't fair. Look at Sather'
: stone palace in Los Angeles. Look q
] Hardin's tent, his shabby clothes"
I'D like to meet Ogilvie," observe
r the general manager.
!. "Oh, he's not much to meet. A pale
: white-livered vegetarian. theosC
d phist. You've seen 'em. Los Angelo
!, is full of 'en. He was here when Hal
J, din was fired. You could see him Sc
d his opportunity. His chest swelle
e up. He looked rs if he had taste
e meat for the first time. He though
e that he could woozle into the, empt
t place! He went back to Los Angelo
:, convinced them that the auditC
a should be here. protect the company
# interests. 1t sounded mysteriou
II sleuthlike, as if he had discovere
J. something, so they let him bring IL
& books down here. He is supposed
d be ferreting. But he's 'woozling.' E
g used to be in the outer office. Ssl
$. the noise made his head ache. so
g moved in here. All the commits
E. meetings are held here. and occasio