Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-02-27
@ Mr10665/zOeazL C0H1Gsr
wy~wr-r.-yrgg 2yryvsxa i,zSHy,, ss;s,. .sa1ftA

! Richard now knew MS lHdh W NV
! shallow depths Of his whlte-coipus-
cled soul. III | won't be in your way
! I'll hang around here. I've the day 10
! KILL
His sarcasm was lost In transit.
! Ogilvie said that Mr.. Richard would
/ not he in his way. He would move
his papers into the next room tomor-
| row.
, The engineer moved to the French
/ windows that opened on the alialIa
I lawn. 4 vigorous growth OF WILLOWS
| marked the course Of New river,
| which had cut SO perilously near the
, towns. A letter 3D." picked out in
| quick river vegetation, told the story
| of the food. The old channel-there
! II was. the curved arm of the 3D." one
could tell that by the tall willoWs-had
been too tortuous, too slow for those
| sweening waters. The flow had di-
| vided, cutting the stem of the letter,
, carrying the food waters sWi!tef
! down grade. The flow had divided
! Inn! divided perhaps the danger too +!
An idea in that, He would see that
| better from tine water tower he'd spied
at entering. Another food, and n
gamble whether MeXicali or Caicxico
would get the worst of it. Unless one
was ready. A levee-wcst of the
American town,
Excuse me, sir--do you need meT'
lie turned back into the room. He
could see that MacLean was aching to
| get out of the room. Ogilyie had Wis
! ihly withered. A blight seemed to fall
on him as his white, blue-yeined fin
GERS made a bluff among his papers.
! Thank YOU" Richard nodded at
MacLean, who burst into the outer Of
| Zee.
It's the new general manager from
/ Fucson--Richard' his name" His
/ whisper ran around the walls of the
! Dom, where other arrivals were tilt
| ng their chairs. THE new general
| manager, Ogilvie wooZled for moth
ne You should have seen his face "
did anyone know that he was com
! ngH Silent the tanned giant, spoke.
THAT'S Marshall all over" said
| Wooster. bright-eyed and wiry, re-
moving his pipe. "Hc likes to move in
! 4 mysterious way his wonders to per
form. (uSed to sing that when | was
hidD No announcement. Simply,
Enter Rlckard.'"
more like this" said Silent. Exit
/ Hardin. Enter Ogilvie. Enter Rick
lrd"
"And exit Ogilyie," cried MacLean.
ITS a-d--d shame" burst out
Wooster. No one asked him what he
meant. Every man in the room was
thinking of Hardin, whose shadow this
reclamation work was.
whats Richard doing?" asked the
nfantile Hercules at the checkerboard.
The force called him Pete, which was
a short cut to Frederick Augustus
Bodefeldt.
Taking Ogilvie's measure"-this
from MacLean.
Then he's doing something else by
this time. That wouldn't take him five
minutes unless he's a gull" snapped
Wooster, who hated Ogilvie as n rat
does Il snake.
The door opened and Richard came
in. Almost simultaneously the outer
door opened to admit Hardin. Who
would introduce the new general man
ager to the dismissed one? The
thought flashed from MacLean to 81
lent, to the telegraph operator. ,Bodc-
feldt doubled over the checkerhoard,
pretending not to see them. Confu-
sion, embarrassment was on every
face. Nobody spoke. Hardin was
coming closer
Hello, Hardin"
"TIellO, Richard"
1t appeared friendly enough TO the
surprised office. Both men were glad
that it was over.
mice Offices remarked Hardin, his
legs outspread, his hands in his peck
cts.
"Ogilvie is satisfied with them"
The men rather overdid the laugh.
"Findng the dust pretty tough?" in
CURED Hardin.
II spent month in San Francisco
last sumnerw was the rejoinder.
This is a haven, though from the
street. Thought I'd loaf for today"
Was Hardin game to do the right
thing, introduce him as the new chief
to his subordinates? Nothing, it de-
veloped, was further from his inten-
ton. Hardin, his legs outstretched,
kept before his face the bland, i'm
penetrable smile of the, oriental. 1t
was clearly not Richards move. The
checker players fidgeted. Richards
silence was interregative Hardin
still smiled.
The outer door opened.
The newcomer, evidently a favorite,
walked into a noisy welcome, the
boys" embarrassment OVERRIDING it.
He was of middle height, slender-a
Mexican with Castilian ancestry writ
ten in his high-bred features, his grace
and his straight, dark hair"
"Good morning, Estrada" said Har-
din with the same meaningless smile.
"GooG morning. gentlemen" The
Mexican's greeting paused at Richard.
"Mr. Estrada Mr.. Richard"
Everyone in the Office saw Hardin
snub his other opportunity. He had
betrayed TO everyone his deep hurt,
IL u