The Ely miner., 1919-06-27

gion. The twin towns were on the
map.
One of the older men returned his
nod. The young men returned their
hastily withdrawn attention to their
game of checkers. The other smoker
was watching with cross-eyed absorp-
tion the rings his cigar was sending
into the air. Rickard. might not have
been there.
One of the checker players looked
up.
Anything can do for you? Do you
want to seesanyone in particular"
NO." it was admitted. "No one in
particular. was just looking round"
Its the show place of Calexico. I'll
take you around. 1t is the only place
m town that is comfortable when it's
hot, or when the wind blows, and
that's the program all summer. Take
my place, Pete"
Pete, the young giant, with the face
of his infancy enlarged rather than
matured, slipped into the vacant chair.
He had been the first to discover the
stranger, but he had evaded the re-
sponsibility. The game Immediately
absorbed him.
tits nice here,"' repeated the young
fellow, leading the way. They were
followed by a few idle glances.
Rickard looked with approval at the
tan slim figure which was assuming
the courtesy Of the towns. The fine
handsome face was almost too girlish,
the muscles of the mouth too sensitive
yet for manly beauty, but he liked the
type. 1.-the as a young desert-reared
Indian, his manner and carriage told
OF careful home and rigid school dis
cipline.
He was ushered into large cool
room. The furnishings he inventoried: /:
few stiff chairs, long table and a
typewriter desk, closed for the Sab
bath.
"The stenographer's room," an
nounced the lad superf1uously.
"Whose stenographer"
General property now. Everyone
has right to use her time. She used
to be Hardin's, the general managers.
She is his still, in way. But Ogilvie
keeps her busy most of the time."
Rickard had not heard Of Ogilvie.
He made mental register.
when did Hardin go outF He
knew the date himself. He expected
the answer would trail wisps of other
information. He had very active Gu
riosity about Hardin. The mans fail
ures had been spectacular.
The young fellow was thinking
aloud. "The dam went November
10th. Hardin was given a decent In
terval to resign. OF course he was
fired. It was an outrage" He re-
membered that he was speaking to a
stranger and broke or suddenly. Rick
ard did not question him. He made
another note. Why was it an outrage
or why did it appear so? 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.
II see that you are from the Univer-
sity Of California;" Rickard said, and
nodded at the pin Of gold and blue
enamel.
"Out for 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. I 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
I must"
"You did not tell me your name,"
was suggested.
"MacLean, George MacLean." said
the young man rather consciously. It
was 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,
one Of the strongest of the heads Of