Jackson County journal., 1919-11-28

fasc1nate her, With Its chuggy-cnuS
chugging and its snorting as it strained
at it's base and seemed several times
on the point Of overturning itself,
thrusting the huge shovel against the
dirt wall and forcing it upward, grad
ually filling it, the tremendous, vi
brating power Of the machine winning
against great resistance from the bank
of dirt, as we'll as the law of gravita-
ton.
''She watched the big crane swing
the shovel round and dump its con.
| tents into a waiting wagon. Then the
hosting apparatus was aga.h act at
work on the bank of dirt and the proc
ess repeated. A lapse camt with a
break in the chain Of wagoEs which
carried the dirt away. Then Cassie
turned to me.
ct knew this was coming some
time she said. and I dreaded the mo-
ment. Jim, l think lot of you. Y.Hl're
very clever, but-there's one thiny,
tremendous big thing, lacking in you.
It's physical power, or the ability to
control physical power. You may
AAnf q 81 cat iLlIlNi, UuI you arc puhy
physically. I admire strength, ad.
nfre power. If you were only like
like that steam shovel there, tearing
away at the earth, crushing all resist
ance, could be happy with you. Some
day there'll be mammoth building
there where the machine is working.
can't help it, Jim, and probably
it seems foolish to you; but must tell
you, no matter how it hurts, that If
! you were the engineer on that steam
shovel you would stand a much bet
| ter chance with me than you would as
| lawyer. At least, you would be
earning money with your strength, for
the man that operates the shovel must
be strong
II confess that little speech f1oored
me. We started to walk away, but
wagon arrived, and the steam shovel
started operations again, and Cassie
had to watch it some more. I
strangled, gulped and finally managed
to say, weakly:
"Yes, and some day I'll have an
Office in that mammoth building
"That was the last time l was ever
with her With mingled disgust. bit
terness and sadness I went back to
college and finished my course. I
came home with my diploma and it
was not long before I began to win
SuccesS-success such as 1t u.s. I'm
making good as criminal lawyer Tn
winning victories right along in court,
| hnf Whom If fo
I'm not Overburdened I have few
thousand in the bank and Tn making
more every day, but I'll never be rich.
Perhaps | would save more if I had
an incentive-like that steam-shovel
engineer has"
You mean" l broke in, my eyes
popping with astonishment.
'Yes, I mean that Cassie somehow
got acquainted with the engineer OF
the steam shovel and married him.
She took that man. grimy and ig-
nOrant, who worked With his hands,
instead Of me, clean and educated,
who worked with my BRAIN"
Glenquist's cigar had gone out, and
he rose and went across the room to a
shelf where he kept matches. HIS
cigar stand. at his elbow as he sat
and talked, was never known to hold
a match, although there was a place
for box of them. He took a few
puffs and came back to the chair,
"Well, I made good on my boast
that some day | would have an Office
in the skyscraper that was going uD
uyh ho oh
observed.
He leaned back and looked dreamily
into nicotine cloud.
1T seems the engineer was rather
clever in way. at that" he contfn-
ued. "At least he knew how to save
vest it advantageouslv."
He rose and went 20 the window,
looking down on the, traffic which
slowly was being obliferated by gath.
ering darkness.
"COme here" he SAID, and when I
had obeyed. he pointed at big yellow
automobile just coming to a stop at
the curb in front of the building.
''1t's the owner of the building" he
explained. "He usually collects NV
rent on this day Of the month. He's
coming at rather late hour, but he's
:. pretty sure he'll find me here"
We returned to our chairs, and
Glenquist partook Of few puffs on
his cigar.
He'll be up here in minute" he
said, "and I wish you'd observe him
closely. He's the man I've been talk.
| oh