Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-03-24
Copyright by Peter. B. Kyne.
CHAPTER XII.

| 60 into action.
Ogilvy's return to Sequoia follow
! ing his three weeks tour In search
of rights OF way for the y. c. O. was
| heralded by visit from him TO
| Bryce Cardigan at the latters onice.
As he breasted the counter in the
general office. Mora McTavish left
her desk and came over TO see what
the visitor desired.
'I should like to see MI. Bryce
| Cardigan" Buck began in crisp nus
| inesslike accents. He was fumhhns
| in his card-case and did not look
IN until about to hand his card TO
Noira-when his mouth flew open,
the while he stared at her with con-
summate frankness. The girls glance
met his momentarily, then was low
cred modestly: she took the card
and carried it to Bryce.
Hum m M" Bryce crunted. That
noisy fellow Ogilvy. eh ."
His clothes are simply wonderful
and so is his voice. He's very re-
fined. But he's carroty red and has
freckled hands. Nr. Bryce"
p-,.oa rose and saunterad into The
general office.
"Mr. Bryce Cardigan?" Buck
queried.
AT your service. Mr. Osilvy
Please come in"
Thank you so much. sir" He fol-
lowed Bryce to the latters private
office. closed the door carefully be-
hind him, and stood with his broad
back against ii. -
Buck. are YOU losing your mind -
Bryce demanded.
Losing it2 should say not. I've
Just lost IT."
u believe you. If YOU were quite
sane. you wouldn't run the risk OF
being seen entering NV office"
"Tut-tut. old dear, None Of that,
Am / not the handspring OF the
/ Northern california Oregon railroad
/ and privileged to run the destIniCs OF
| that soulless corporation as 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 ewes of the girl
outside-oh, VOW. them. eyes. / must
be introduced TO her.
Love at first sight. eh. Buck? -
Il don't know what it is. but it's
nice Who is she -
Shes MORA McTavish. and you're
not to make love to her. Understand
I can't have you snoopins around
this office after to-day
Mr.. Ogilvy's eyes popped with in
terest. oh" he breathed. You have
an eve to the main chance yourself,
have you? Have you proposed to the
lady as vet?"
mo. 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 yon give
me a wonderful inspiration. I've al
ways been afraid MORA would fall
in love with some ordinary fellow
around Sequoia-propinouity. you
know"
You bet Propinquity's the stuff
I'll stick around"
-dHu We DSCiI tiic loohOut ioi
a fine man TO marry her off to. She's
too wonderful for you. Buck, but in
time you might learn to live Up e
her"
duck. I'm liable to kiss you"
Don't be too precipitate. He,
father used to he our woods-boss.
fired him for boozing.
Ir,'t hnntS IL hay
dad was old Nick himself I'm 60
ing to marry her--if she'll have me
All, the glorious creaturei" He
waved his long arms despairingly
40 Lord, send me a cure for freckles
Bryce, you'll speak a kind word fol-
me, won't yoII-sOrt of boom my
stock, eh? Be a good fellow"
Certainly. Now come down tc
earth and render a report on youl
stewardship"
'IH try. To begin, I've secured
rights of way, at a total cost OF
twelve thousand. one hundred anG
three dollars and nine cents, from
the city limits of Sequoia to the
southern boundary of your timber in
township nine. I've got my line
surveyed. and so far as the build
exactly what I'm going to do, and
how and when I'm going to do it
once I get my material on the
ground.
II have an option of rafting
good second hand locomotive down
at the Santa Fe shops. and the
Hawkins &, Barnes Construction
Company has offered me steam
shovel, half a dozen flat-cars, and
la lot of fresnos and scrapers al
ruinous prices. We can buy or rent
teams from local citizens and gel
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 it and get busy"
That's exactly where the shoe, be-
gins to pinch. Pennington's main
line tracks enter the city along
Water street, with one spur into his
!. log-dumD and another ont on hi,
miH-dock. From the main line
tracks we also have built a spuI
thru our drying-yard out to our log.
dump and switch line out to oul
nill-dock. We can unload our loco
motive, steam shovel. and flat-cari
on our own wharf, but unless Pen
nington gives us permission to usl
his main-line tracks out to point
beyond the city limits where " Z
will lead off to where the point Of
construction begins - we're up
s. - :;