The Ely miner., 1919-06-13
tEdnah Aiken
Copyright, Bobbs.Merrill compar


he's raw dancer, always starts on
too quick, begins ON the wrong foot.
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 1t that the face of the
half-sister came to Rickard then, with
that look of sensitive high breeding
and guarded reserve? And she Har-
din Sister to the loud-spilling mouth
Queer cards nature deals And pretty
cards Marshall was trying to deal out
to him. Go down there and finish
Hardin's job, show him up to be the
fumbler he was, give him orders, give
the husband Of Gerty Holmes or
ders-!
"'It 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 few lace
handkerchiefs. and perhaps chiffon
veil u Marshall was twinkling over
his own humor. Hardin did put up
good talk. 1t 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. P. But he
clenched me by clever bait-to put
out a spur in Mexico which would
keep any other railroad off by fifty
n1ihe parallel, and there the sandhills
make a railroad impossible.
'The government must eventually
come to the rescue. Their works at
Laguna hang on the control of the
river down at the heading. Once, he
told mel don't know how much
truth there was in 1.-THE service. rec
lamation service, did try to buy up
their plant for a paltry sum. He
wouldn't sell. The short is, recon-
mended, long-sighted assistance to
Faraday. / promised to turn that
river, save the district. We expected
before the year was out to have the
government take the responsibility off
our hands," h @
Rickard made an impatient shrug.
A nice problem Marshall had taken
unto himself. He wanted none of it.
.Hardin-the thing was impossible.
He. met laggardly Marshal's story.
He heard him say: agreed with Far
aday. The Desert Reclamation COM
pany was as helpless as swaddled
infant. We made the condition that
we reorganize the company. I was
put in Hardin's place as president of
the corporation, and he was made gen.
! eral manager. OF course we had to
control the stock. We put up two
hundred thousand dollars - Hardin
had estimated it would cost US less
than half that! It's cost us already
a million. Things haven't been going
right. Faraday's temper burst out,
and Hardin a while back was asked
to resign"
"And it Is Hardin's position that
you want me to FLIP" His voice
sounded queer to himself-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, as If detecting q pet
tiness. Well, he didn't care how Mar
shall interpreted it. That place wasn't
| for him.
II want you in control down there"
Rickard knew he was being appraised,
balanced all over again. 1t made no
difference HaU a
"Tm sorry" he was beginning, when
| Marshall cut in. /.t.r
"Good Lord, you are not going to
turn it down?"
He met Marshall's incredulous
stare. 'It's job I'd jump at under
most circumstances. But I can't 60,
| SIR "L@ ,
Tom Marshall leaned back the full
swing of his swivel chair, blankly
fastounded. His eyes told Rickard
that he had been found wanting-he
had white blood in his veins.
"It is good Of you to think of me-
pshaw! it is absurd to say these
things. You know that know it is