Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1919-02-28
CHAPTER II. 4
A Eli of OraforY.

e
A Bit Of Oratory.
Marshall threw his hat on a chair,
the morning paper on his desk. He
aimed his burned-out cigar at the near
est cuspidor, but it fell foul, the ashes
scattering over Sans lately secured
linoleum. Instantly there was appear
ance Of settled disorder. Marshall
emptied his pockets of loose papers,
spreading them out on his flat-top
desk.
"Sit DOWN.
Richard took the chair at the%other
side of the desk.
Marshall rang a bell. Instantly the
shirt-sleeved clerk entered.
Il shall not see anyone" the chief
announced. II don't want to be inter.
rupted. Take these to Smythe."
His eyes followed the shutting Of
the door, then turned square upon
Richard. 81 feed you. It's a hi Of
a mess!'
The engineer wanted to know what
kind Of mess" it was.
THAT river. It's running away from
them. I'm going to send you down to
stop it."
1.-THE Colorado!" exclaimed Richard.
1t was no hose to be turned, simply.
off from garden bed.
"Of course you've been following II?
It's one of the biggest things that's
happened in this part Of the world.
Too big for the men who have been
trying to swing it. You've followed
it,"
Eyes" Queer coincidence, reading
that report just now! 1--WE not been
there. But the engineering papers
read all the reports"
His superior's question was unchar-
acteristically superfuous. Who had
not read with thrilled nerves Of that
wild river which men had been trying
to put under work harness? Who,
even among the stay-at-h0mes, had not
followed the newspaper stories of the
failure to make a meek servant and
water carrier of the Colorado, that
wild steed Of mountain and desert?
What engineer. no matter how remote,
would not follow that spectacular
struggle between men and Titans?
"Going to send me to SaltonY" he
inquired. The railroad had been kept
jumping to keep it's feet dry. His
job to be by that inland sea which
In 81 x,aor bod hoon locort
mo. Brainerd is there. He can
manage the tracks. / am going to
send you down to the break"
Richard did not answer. He felt
the questioning eyes of his chief.
The break-where those Hardins
to get out of that, and save Ills skin?
Marshall liked his own way
"Well consider it settled, them"
"Who's in charge there?" Richard
was only gaining time. He thought
he knew the name he would hear.
Marshall's first word surprised him.
mo one. Up to few months ago
it was Hardin, Tom Hardin. He was
general manager of the company. He
was allowed to resign, to save his
race, as the Chinese say. I may tell
you that it was case of firing. He'd
made terrible fluke down there"
II know" murmured Richard. 1t
was growing more difficult, more dis
tasteful. If Marshall wanted him to
supplant Hardin! It had been incred-
ible, that mans folly! Reckless gam
bling, nothing else. Make cut in the
banks of wild river, without put
ting in head gates to control it;
child would guess better! 1t was
problem now, all right; the writer of
the report he'd just read wasn't the
only one who was prophesying failure.
Let the river cut back, and the gov
eminent works at Laguna would be
useless; a pickle Hardin had made.
Still to gain time he suggested that
Marshall tell him the situation. eve
followed only the engineering side of
it. ! don't know the relationship Of
the two companies
"Where the railroad came in? The
inside of that story? I'm responsible
II guaranteed to Faraday the closing
Of that break. There was big dis
trict to save, district that the rail-
road tapped-but I'll tell you that
later" He was leisurely putting blue.