The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1919-02-28

the answer would trail wlsps Of other
information. He mad very active cu-
riosity about Hardin. The mans fall
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
fred. 1t was an outrage" He re-
membered that he was speaking to a
stranger and broke off suddenly. Rick
ard did not question him. He made
another note. Why was 1t an outrage
or why did it appear so? In perspee-
tive, from the Mexican barranca,
where he had been at the time, the
failure OF that dam had been another
bar sinister against Hardin.
81 see that you are from the Univer-
sity Of Californian Richard 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 wry face. He ex-
poets me to go back In August. Says
must =
'You did not tell me your name"
was suggested.
''MacLean, George MacLean," said
the young man rather consciously. 1t
was good deal to live up to. He al
ways felt the appralsement which fol-
lowed that admission. George Mac
Lean, elder. was known among the
railroad circles to be man of iron,
enc of the strongest of the heads Of
the Overland Pacific system. He was
not the sort of man a son could speak
lightly of disobeying.
"Of course everyone calls me Jun
ior."
II guess you'll go back if he wants
you to" smiled Richard.
"Oh, but what a rotten trick II
would bel" exclaimed the son of the
man of iron. ITO 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 q
| IiharoI aduoati rrhav orc onlu ii1ct
beginning to understand what they are
4 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 yellow
dragon, but she's a 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
lOgilvie uses it now"
"And who did you say was Ogil.
yie?" They turned back into the
room.
you can go in. He's not here. 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
a month. After Hardin went out he
came down to stay"
Whose say-so3"
81 don't know. The accounts were
rotten, that's no office secret. The
world knows that. Hardin is blamed
for it. 1t isn't fair. Look at Sather's
4 stone palace In Los Angeles. Look al
Hardln's tent, his shabby Clothes"
I'D like to meet 0gilvie," observed
the general manager.
ooh, he's not much to meet. A pale
white-livered vegetarian, a theoso
phist. You've seen 'em. Los Angeles
is full of 'em. He was here when Har
din was fired. You could see him SET
his opportunity. His chest swellet
up. He looked as if he had TASTED
meat for the first time. He though
that he could woozle into the empty
place. He went back to Los Angeles
convinced them that the auditor
should be here, protect the company,
interests. 1t sounded mysterious
sleuthlike, as if he had discovered
something so they let him bring tn,
books down here. He is supposed t,
be ferreting. But he's 'woozling. IA,
used to be in the outer office. Sal,
the noise made his head ache, so h,
moved in here. All the COMMITTEE,
meetings are held here, and occasion
ally the directors meetings. Waite,
companies, too. Ogilvie's taking note
wants TO be the next general mana
ger; 1t sticks out all over him"
What's the derivation of woozle q
this with deep gravity.
wait till you see Ogilyie % laughe,
his entertainer. Then as an after
thought, 'Thls is all public gossip
He's fair game.''
The door opened behind them, an,
Richard saw the man whose descrin
ton had been so deftly knocked OF
He recognized the type seen so fire
! | rftpfaf1xr In.