Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-02-20

l'iu lie ever give NhH Any if'l''h !
frowned Richard reminiScentIy 'auy i
reasonable reason why he made that /
cut without any head gatef'
mo money!" shrugged Marshall, !
getting out another cigar. II told you
he's raw dancer, always starts OH /;
too quick, begins on the wrong foot. F,
Oh, yes, he has reasons, lots of them,
that fellow, but, as YOU say they're
not reasonable. He never waits to get
ready
Why was II that the face of the
half-sister came to Richard then with
that look of sensitive high breeding
and guarded reserve? And she Il Iiar-
din, Sister TO the lOud-spiling mouth
Queer cards nature deals And pretty
cards Marshall was trying to deal out
to him. Go down there and finish
Hariin's job, show him up to be the
fumbler he was, give him orders, give
the husband of Gerty Holmes or
ders--!
ut was Hardin who came to me,
but not until he'd tried everything
else They'd worked for months try
Ing to dam the river with Il few lace
handkerchiefs. and perhaps a chiffon
veil, !" Marshall was tWinkling over
his own humor. "Hardn did put up
a good talk. II was true, as he said;
we'd had TO move our tracks three,
no, four times at Salton. 1t was true
that it ought to be one of the richest
districts tapped by the o. +. But he
clenched me by clever bait--to put
out spur in Mexico which would
keep any other railroad off by fifty
mile parallel, and there the sandhlllS
make IA railroad impossible.
"The government must eventually
come to the rescue. Their works ut
Laguna hang on the control Of the
river down at the heading. Once. he
told me- don't know how much
truth there was in 1.-THE service, rec
lamation service, did try to buy ZIP
their plant for paltry sum. lie
wouldn't sell The short is, ! recon-
mendcd long-sighted assistance to
Faraday. l promised to turn that
before the year was out TO have the
government take the responsibility off
our hands"
Richard made IN impatient shrus.
A nice problem MarShalt had taken
unto Himself. He wanted none of 1t.
Hardin-the thing was impossible. r
He met lnggardly Marshall's story.
He heard him say; Agreed with Far
aday. The Desert Reclamation COM
pnny WAS AS helpless as Il sWnddled
infant. We made the condition that
we reorganiZe the company. | was
put in Hardin's place rs president of
the corpdruti0n and he was made gen
eral manager OF course we had TO
control the stock. We put IN two
hundred thousand dollars - Hardin
had estimated il n I'D cost us less
than half that! II !, cost us already
n million. Things haven't been going
right. Faraday's temper burst out,
and Hardin while back was "shed
to resign"
"And it is Hardins position that
YOU want me to tillf' His voice
sounded queer to himseIf-dry, mock
ing, as if anyone should know what
an absurd thing he was being asked
to do. He felt Marshall's sharp In
dian eyes on HIM, rs if detecting pet
tiness. Wei, he didn't care how Mar
shall interpreted it. That place wasn't
for him.
ST r,,,+ ,,o,, IN rnntrpI Iaytn tbprp >
Richard knew he was being appraised
balanced all over again. 1t made nc
difference
"I'm sorry" he was beginning, wher
Marshall cut in.
Good Lord, you are not going t(
turn it down."
He met Marshall's incredulou'
stare. Its a job I'd jump at under
most circumstances. But | can't go
sir"
Tom Marshall leaned back the full
swing of his swivel chair, blank,
astounded. His eyes told Iickart
that he had been found Wanting-h'
had white blood in his veins.
III Is SbbI VI yOu u lIliih VI NV
nshaw! it is absurd to say thes
things. You know that ! know it i
an honor to be picked out by you 70
such a piece of work. I'd like to-
but | can't.
The president of railroads, VIII
knew men, had been watching tn
play of feature. ''Take your time," h
said Don't answer too hastily. TAX
your time
He was playing the fool, or worse
before Marshall whom he respected
whose partlsanship meant so much
But he couldn't help it. He couIdn'
tell that story-he knew that Marshal
would brush it aside as child's cpl
sode. lie couldn't make It clear t,
the man whose stare was balancing
him why he could not GUST Tom Har
din.
rs it personal reasonT Mar
shall's gaze had returned to his RIM
making.
Richard admitted it was personal.
"Then / don't accept 1t. | wouldn'
be your friend if didn't advise yo'
IN 1icraoarb tho IittIa thiuP ia faiSi