The Ordway new era., 1919-04-25

| KNEW tuc uhte uimsen- ne tApeCtcu
the answer would trail wisps Of other
Information. He mad a very active Gu
rtosity about Hardin. The mans fall
ures had been spectacular.
The young fellow was thinking
aloud. '4The dam went November
29th. 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 a
stranger and broke on suddenly. Rick
ard did not question him. He made
or why did 1t appear sof In perspec-
tive, from the Mexican barranca.
where he had been at the time. the
failure of that dam had been another
bar sinister against Hardin.
"T see that you are from the Univer-
sity of California;" Rickard said, and
nodded at the pin of gold and blue
enamel.
"Out for a 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 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 e1-
poets me to go back in August. Says
must"
"You did not tell me your name,"
was suggested.
1 IT 70 votH
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,
enc of the strongest OF the heads of
the Overland Pacific system. He was
not the sort Of man son could speak
lightly of dlsobeying.
"Of course everyone calls me Jun
ior."
'T guess you'll go back If he wants
you to-" smiled Rickard.
'Oh. but what rotten trick 1t
would bel" exclaimed the son of the
man of Iron. -To throw me out OF
college, was daffy to finish with my
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
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 1t. There
are new problems coming up every
day. The Indians call her yellow
dragon, but she's tricky woman,
she's an eel she's giving US sums to
break our teeth on"
"Who has the next room"
"Used to be the general managers.
Ogilyie uses 1t now"
"And who did you say was Ogil-
vie?" They turned back into the
room.
"You can go in. He's not mere. He
Is the new auditor, an expert account
ant from Los Angeles. Put In by the
o. P. when 1t assumed control last
year. He used to come down once
month. After Hardin went out he
came down to stay."
"Whose say-so?"
"I don't know. The accounts were
rotten, that's no Office secret. The
world knows that. Hardin is blamed
for 1t. 1t isn't fair. Look at Sather's
stone palace In Los Angeles. Look at
Hardin's tent, his shabby clothes"
I'D ike to meet Ogilvie," observed
the gene ral manager.
"Oh. he's not much to meet. A pale.
white-lyered vegetarian. a theoso-
phist. You've seen 'em. Los Angeles
Is full of 'em. He was here when Har-
din was fred. You could see him see
his opportunity. His chest swelled
up. He looked as If he had tasted
meat for the first time. He thought
that he could woozle into the empty
placel He went back to Los Angeles,
convinced them that the auditor
should be here. protect the company's
interests. 1t sounded mysterious,
sleuthlike, as II he had discovered
something. so they let him bring the
books down here. He is supposed to
be ferreting. But he's 'woozlIng.' He
used to be In the outer office. Said
the noise made his head ache, SO he
moved in here. All the committee
meetings are held here, and occasion
ally the directors meetings. Water
companies. too. Ogilvie's taking notes
wants to be the next general mana
ger; 1t sticks out all over him."
"What's the derivation Of woozle?"
this with deep gravity.
"wait till you see OgilvieI" laughed
his entertainer. Then as an after
thought. ''This is all public. gossip.
He's fair game"
The door opened behind them, and
Rickard saw the man whose descrip-
tion had been so deftly knocked OF.