The Tomahawk., 1919-11-20

fascthate her, with its chuggy-chug-
chuggih& and its snorting as It strained
at its base and seemed several times
on the point of overturning itself,
thrusting the huge shovel against the
dirt wall and forcing it upward, grad.
ually filling it, the tremendous, w.
brating power of the machine winning
against great resistance from the bank
Of dirt, as we'll as the law of gravita.
ton.
"She watched the big crane swing
the shovel round and dump it's con-
tents into q waiting wagon. Then the
hoisting apparatus was again set at
work OF the bank of dirt and the proc
ess repeated. A lapse came with
break in the chain of wagons which
carried the dirt away. Then Cassie
| turned to me.
81 knew this was coming-some
time,' she said, and dreaded the mo-
ment. Jim, think lot of you. You're
very clever, but-there's one thing
tremendous big thing, lacking In you.
It's physical power, or the ability to
control physical power. You may
have a great mind. but you are puny
physically. admire strength. ad-
n:ire power. If you were only like
like that steam shovel there, tearing
away at the earth, crushing all resist
ence, could be happy with you. Some
| day there'll be mammoth building
there where the machine is working. (,
ct can't help it. Jim; and probably
1t seems foolish to- yoU;: but must te1f
you, no matter how 1t hurts, that II
you were the engineer on that steam
shovel you would stand much bet
ter chance with me than you would as
lawyer. At least, you would be
earning money WITH your strength. for
the maj. that operates the shovel must
be strong
IT confess that little speech fioore6
me- We started to walk away. but q
wagon arrived, and the steam shower
started operations again. and Cassie
had to- watch 1t sOne more.
strangled, gulped and finally managed
to say. weakly:
"'Yes, and some day I'll have an
office In that mammoth building
"That was the last time was ever
with her. With mingled disgust, Bit
terness and sadness I went back to
college and finished my course.
came. home with my diploma and It
was not long before began to win
success-success such rs 1t is. I'm
-iv,,iv, ,o0' n Tim
winning victories right along in court.
but when 1t comes to finances l admit
I'm not overburdened: I have n few
thousand in the bank and I'm: making
more every day, but I'll never be rich.
Perhaps l would save more II I had
an incentive-like TINT steam-shovef
engineer has,"
"Y0u mean" broke in, my eyes
popping with astonlshment.
"Yes. 1 mean that Cassie somehow
got acquainted with the engineer OF
the steam shovel and married him.
She took that man, grimy and ig-
nOrant, who worked with his hands.
instead OF me, clean and educated,
who worked with my brain."
Glenquist's cigar had gone out, and
he rose and went across the room to .
shelf where he kept matches. His
cigar stand, at his elbow 'hs he sat
and talked, was never known to hold
a match. although there was place
for n box Of them. He took few
puffs and came back to the chair.
"Well, I made good on my boast
that some day would have an ONCE
in the skyscraper that was going mp
where the shovel was excavating," he
observed.
He leaned back and looked dreamily
into nicotine cloud.
1T seems the engineer was rather
| clever in n way, at that" he cOntin.
ued. AT least he knew how to save
coin, and somehow he managed to in
| vest II advantageOusly."
He rose and went to the window,
looking down on the traffic which
slowly was being obFfternted by gath
ering darkness.
"Come here" he said, and when I
had obeyed, he pointed mt big yellow
automobile: just coming to stop at
the curb in front of the building.
"It's the owner Of the building" he
explained. HE usually collects my
rent on this day Of the month. He's
coming at rather = late hour. but he's
pretty sure he'll find me here"
We returned to our chairs, and
Glenquist partook Of few puts on
his cigar.
Hell be up here in minute" no
! said. "and wish you'd observe him
closely. He's the man I've been talk
! ing about-Cassie's husband"