The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1920-05-20
CHAPTER XII

Ogilvy's return to Sequoia following
his three-weeks tour in search of rights
of way for the N. C. o. was heralded
by visit from him to Bryce Cardigan
at the latters office. AS he breasted
the counter in the general office, Moira
McTavish left her desk and came over
to see what the visitor desired.
Il should like to see Mr.. Bryce
Cardigan" Buck began in crisp bus
inesslke accents. He was fumbling
in his card-case and did not look up
until about to hand his card to NORA
when his mouth flew half open the
while he stared at her with consum-
mate frankness. The girls glance met
his momentarily, then was lowered
modestly; she took the card and car
ried it to Bryce
"Hum-m-m!" Bryce grunted. THAT
noisy fellow Ogilvy, eh?"
His clothes are simply wonderful
and so is his voice. He's very refined
But he's carroty red and has freckled
hands, Mr.. Bryce"
Bryce rose and sauntered into the
general office.
Mr.. Bryce Cardigan" Buck queried
~ "At your service, Mr.. Ogilvy. Please
come in"
'"Thank you so much, sir" He fol-
lowed Bryce to the latter's private
office, closed the door carefully behind
him, and stood with his broad back
against it.
Buck. are you losing your mind?"
Bryce demanded.
Losing it? l should say not. I've
Just lost it,
Il believe you. If you were quite
sane, you wouldn't run the risk of be-
ing seen entering my Office
''Tut-tut. old dear! None of that
Am ! not the handspring of the North
ern California Oregon railroad and
privileged to run the destinies of that
soulless corporation as I see fit?" He
sat down, crossed his long legs, and
jerked a speckled thumb toward the
outer office. 81 was sane when came
in here, but the eyes Of the girl out
SItc-oh, SoN, IleIn eyes. L IHuSl De
introduced to her"
Love at first sight, eh, Buck?"
Il don't know what it is, but it's
nice. Who is she?'
"She's Mora McTavish, and you're
not to make love to her. Understand?
I can't have you shopping around this
Office after to-day"
Mr.. Ogilvy's eyes popped with interest,
"Oh," he breathed. you have an eye
to the main chance youself, have you!
YETI"
NO you idiot"
"Then I'll match you for her-or
rather for the chance to propose first"
Nothing doing, Buck. Spare your
self these agonizing suspicious. The
fact of the matter is that you give me
a wonderful inspiration. I've always
been afraid Mora would fall in love
with some ordinary fellow around
Sequoia-propinquty, you know"
"You bet. Propinquity's the stuff
I'll stick around"
and I've been on the lookout for
fine man to marry her off to. She's
too wonderful for you, Buck, but in
time you might learn to live up to
her."
Duck! I'm liable to kiss you"
Don't be too precipitate. Her father
used to be our woods-boSS | fired
him for boozing."
II wouldn't care two boots If her
dad was old Nick himself. I'm going
to marry her-if she'll have me. All
the glorious creature!" He waved his
long arms despairingly. 20 Lord. send
me a cure for freckles. Bryce, you'll
speak kind word for me, won't you
sort of boom my stock, Ell? Be a
good fellow"
Certainly. Now come down to earth
and render report on your steward
ship"
"1'll try. To begin, I've secured
rights of way, at total cost of twelve
thousand, one hundred and three dol.
lars and nine cents, from the city
limits of Sequoia to the southern boun.
Diary of your timber in Township nine
I've got my line surveyed, and so far
as the building of the road is concern
ed, l know exactly what I'm going te
do, and how and when I'm going tc
do it, once l get my material on the
ground.
Il have an option of a rafting good
secondhand locomotive down at the
Santa Fe shops, and the Hawkins &
Barnes Construction company has offer
ed me a steam shovel, half a dozen
f1at-cars, and lot Of fresnos and
scrapers at ruinous prices. We can
buy or rent teams from local citizens
and get half Of our labor locally. And
as soon as you tell me how I'm to get
my material ashore and out on the job
I'll order 1t and get busy"
"That's exactly where the shoe be-
gins to pinch. Pennington's mainline
tracks enter the city along Water
street, with one spur into his log-dump
and another out on his mill-dock