The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1919-05-22
crAeTEa XII.
NardIn,s Luck.

Nsr6In's Luck.
Two Jays later there was . shock Of
Dafthqualse. 10 slight that the Tapping
= the water IN Richards bath was his
ntimsfion Of the esrth's uneasiness-
In the dining room later he found ev-
sTyone discussing II. ~who could re-
member IN earthquake In that desertT
The first shakef"
During the morning. unfathered, a.
umors are born. the whisper Of dis
sster somewhere spread. Their own
aixha shock was the edge OF the con-
suision which had been serious else
sbere, no one knew quite where. or
Why they knew II at all. The men
who were shoveiing earth on the levee
,egan 10 talk Of San Francisco. Some
mo said that morning that the city
sas badly hurt. No one could confirm
he rumor. but II grew with the day.
Ricksrd ss:=:. II at the once late In
ne afternoon. He went direct 10 the
Alegraph operators desk.
Get Los Angeles. the O. r. once.
And be quick about It."
In ten minutes he was taking TO
Babcock. Babcock said that the dam
sge By the earthquake TO that city was
sot known. but II was anre. San Jose
had confirmed H. Oakland had report
n the flames creeping up the resi-
9ence hills Of that gay Western city.
cnders were already falling In the
transbay town.
Rickard dropped tho receiver.
'Where's HsrdlnT
Tom Hardin emerged from a knot
II men who were talking In q corner
By the door.
"where's that mnchineryr
"what machineryT
Richard saw the answer TO his Ques-
ton ip the others face.
The dredge machinery. Did you
attend to thati Did you send for 1T"
"Oh, yes. that's all right It's all
right"
"Is II heref"
Hardin attempted jocularity. 81
didn't know as you wanted II here.
ordered It sent TO Yuma"
Els II at YumaT'
Hardin admitted that II was not yet
at Yuma; II would be there soon; he
had written; oh, II was all right.
"When did you writer"
Hardin reddened under the cate
chism OF questions. He resented be-
ing held up before his men. The 9TH
ers felt the electricity In the air. Har-
din and his successor were glaring at
each other like belligerents.
II asked when did you writer"
yesterday"
yesterday Rickard ripped out
an oath. Yesterday. Why ut all. I'd
like to knowf Did you understand
that You were ordered 10 get that
hercf Now. it's gone"
"Gone" The others crowded w..
"San Frsncsico's burning" He
walked Into his inner Office. mad clear
through. He was not thinking of the
ruin Of the gay young city; not
thought yet did he have OF the human
tragedies enncting there; Of homes,
lives. fortunes swept into that hugo
bonfire. As H. affected the work mt the
river. the first block to his campaign.
the catastrophe came home to him. He
had a picture of tortured. twisted
iron. OF ruined machinery, the ma
chinery for his dredge. He saw Il lying
like u spent LAGOON. writhing In It's
Inst struggle. He blamed himself for
leaving even such small detnil ms the
Fastening OF the parts to 1Inrdin's
care, for Hardin wasn't it TO be trust
ed for anything. No one could tel!
him now the man was unlucky; he
was fool. A month wasted, and
days were precious. A month? Months.
Hardin's luck. Oh. hell
Then he began 10 speculate MS he
cooled over the trouble up yonder. A
whole city burningf They would sure
ly get II under control. He began to
think Of the isolation; the telegraph
wires all down. Tint might happen
anywherei He walked to the door
and looked thoughtfully at the eom.
pany's big water tower. That wasn't
such a bad iden He picked up his
hat, and went out.
CHAPTER Kill.