The Mena weekly star., 1920-11-18
q don't know wTbai It is. but IT'S

| office after to-day
Mr.. Ogilvy's eyes popped with Interest.
aOb.r he breathed. "You have an eye
| to the main chance youself, have your
Have you proposed to the lady as
yet?"
aNo. you idiot"
"Then TIL match you for her--or
rather for the chance to propose hrst.
"Nothing doing Buck. Spare your
self these agonizing suspicious. The
fact Of the matter is that You give me
a wonderful inspiration. rye always
been afraid MORA would fall in love
with some ordinary fellow around
Seauoia-p you know
"You bet. Propinquity's the stun.
I'll stick around"
sand I've been on the lookout for
a fine man 10 marry her of TO. Shes
too wonderful for you. Buck. but ia
| time you might learn to live up to
| her"
"Duck. I'm liable to kiss you"
Don't he too precipitate. Her father
used to be our woods-boss. | fired
him for BOOKING"
81 wouldn't care two boots II her
| dad was old Nick himself. I'm going
| to marry her-if she'll have me. All,
the glorious creaturel" He waved his
I, long arms despairingly. 20 Lord. send
me cure for freckles. Bryce, you'll
speak a kind word for me. won't you
sort of boom my stock, ehf Be a
good fellow"
Certainly. Now come down to earth
and render report on your steward
ship"
"T1l 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. know exactly what I'm going to
d. and how and when I'm going to
do IT. once ! get my material on the
ground.
Il have an option of rattling good
secondhand locomotive down at the
Santa Fe shops. and the Hawkins &
Barnes Construction company has offer
ed me a steam shovel. half dozen
iat-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 II 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.
From the mainline tracks we also
have built a spur through our drying
yard out to our Iog-dump and a
switch-line cut to our mill-dock. We
can unload our locomotive. steam
shovel. and fat-cars on our own
wharf. but unless Pennington gives
H. permission to use his mainline
tracks out to a point beyond the city
linils-where a will letd off to
where the point Of construction he
gins we're up stump"
Suppose he refuses. Bryce What
lhenf"
why. well simply have to enter
the city down Front street. parnlIeling
Penn'ngton's tracks on Water street.
turning down y street, make jump
crossing Of Pennlngton's line on Water
street, and connecting with the spur
inro our yard"
See here. my son." Buck said
solemnly, lis this your first adventure
in railroad boildingY
Bryce nodded.
II thought SO: otherwise you
wouldn't talk 80 confidently OF run.
ming your line over city streets and
making jump-crossings on your com
petitors road. II your competitor re-
CARDS you az menace to his pocket
hook. he can give you a nice little run
for your money and delay you indefi-
nltely."
II realize that. Buck. That's why
I'm not appearing In this railroad deal
at all. II Pennington suspected was
back Of II. he'd fight me before the
city council and move heaven and
earth to keep me out of franchise
to use tie city streets and cross his
line. or course. since his main line
runs on city property, under a fran.
chse granted by the city. the city has
perfect right to grant me the privi-
iege of making tump-crnss!ng OF hts
line
"Will they do IL? That's The prob
lem II they win not, you're licked.
my SON, and rm out of job" 4
Bryce hung his head thoughtfully.
rive been too cocksure," he muttered
presently Il shouldn't have spent
that twelve thousand for rights of way
until | had settled the matter Of the
franchise"
"Oh, didn't buy any rights of way
yet. Ogilvy FASTENED TO assure him
"Tve only signed the landowners up
ON an agreement to give or sell me n
light OF way al me stipulated figures
any time within one year from date.
VIII the city council grant you
franchise to enter the city and Jump
pennington's tracksT
''I'm sure | don't know, Buck. Youil
have to ask them--sound them out.
The council meets Saturday morning.