The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1920-10-02
THE
"EACLE EYE"


OSDaDN0e4D00OOSSU0
Copyright. 1920. Western Newspaper Union.)
Reuben Celand walked to the door
of his Office and stared out at the wet
and muddy street, then at the pools
where the sidewalk sagged. he took
a sniff of the air in consequential
expertlike way.
"H'm!' he observed, "ft will prob
ably keep on raining for twenty-four
hours. winds right, and notice how
the falling drops form bubbles-sure
sign"
Silas Deane, seated comfortably In
side, shifted also, but secretly, and
with certain degree Of contempt.
"The sure-thing wiseacrei" he NUT
tered. "Of course there's bubbles
where the awning drips."
"Seen my new manager, DeaneT
inquired Cleland.
II haven't" rather snappily retort-
ed Deane. "Seems to me for old
friendships sake you might have given
Norman try at the job"
"Your son is too young and mex
perienced for such an important posi-
tion," observed Cleland. "Isn't he
doing well enough? He Is making
good record and money on the road
and he's adapted to 1t. Besides, Deane,
to tell you the truth he and Eliice
were getting pretty friendly. I have
my ideas about the kind Of husband
she needs-some one a little older
than herself. think I've found my
man In Ward Robinson. my new mana
GER"
"So?" and Deane pursed his lips
sourIy. "When's he coming?"
Tomorrow. engaged him in the
city last week. Tell you, Deane. I'm
a man of intuition. Just as ] have
won the record Of being weather
prophet, so I can read men. When /
do business with one / study his eyes.
I did it with Robinson. He's got an
eye like an eagle. You know that the
first thing an eagle does when 1t gets
its young is to lift them in turn high
up over its nest. It holds them In
turn facing the sun. II any one of
them blinks, then down 1t goes among
the rocks. Robinson has got the right
kind of eyes. Looks you straight In
the face and never CULVER"
isn't a hawk that way, toof"
queried Deane, slight touch OF sar-
casm in his tone. Il say. though"
and he chuckled. "if you don't hit the
eagle eye business any surer than you
do the weather, better shut up shop.
Good-by," for glow Of bright sun
shine told Of clearing skies.
Silas Deane was glad to give Reu-
ben Cleland a dig. They had been old
friends for nearly half century and
Cleland had shown real neighborli-
ness in taking Norman Deane into his
employ. For one thing. however.
Deane could not forgive him. AS soon
as Cleland discovered that his daugh-
ter. EIlice, and Norman naturally ter
minated boy and girl companlonship
in the real love of maturer years, he
made 1t point to keep Norman on
the road most Of the time. and when
Norman paid flying visit home the
watchful and polite father kept his
own "eagIe eye'' closely upon him.
The new manager appeared next
day and on the surface presented all
the earmarks Of the kind OF man
after Reuben Cleland's own heart. He
suggested discipline in every Inca
ment Of his cold, unsympathetic face.
His eagle eye" was his stronghold.
With its noncompassionate glitter he
transfxed the work shirker and
cowed down the victim whose wages
he had elected to cut into sort Of
resigned despair. He was a neat,
methodical, not altogether AN unhand-
some man, but the first time she met
him Ellice secretly shuddered.
Her father was proud Of this eff
cheney ornament Of his business and
Dragged about Robinson wherever he
went, invited him to the home and at
the end of two months intimated to
Elllce that Robinson had fallen deep
ly in love with her, had asked his con-
sent as to telling her so, and plainly
declared that he did not think he
could find q more acceptable son-in-
law.
"Oh, papa!" exclaimed Ellice, ~
have never dreamed OF this. It dis
tresses-it overcomes me. Please let
me go and visit Cousin Ruth Gordon
in Brocton and think 1t over before /
give an answer"
That's all right" nodded her IA
thcr, reserving from his daughter his
intention OF writing their relative to
encourage the match In every way.
But self-contained, autocratic Reu-
ben Cleland knew gentle; sympathetic
Ruth Gordon's heart as little as he
understood that of EllIce. He little
realized how daring the latter could
be when her life's happiness was at
stake. At the end Of week Ellice
returned home, but not until Norman
Deane had been summoned for fleet
ing hour to Brocton to consummate a
plan formed by Ellice and her cousin.
THO ovonfno cho rofurnod home hop