The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-11-18
CHAPTER II. Armstrong Takes Hold.

Armstrong Takes Hold.
 As Ward Armstrong proceeded. down the palna-fringed walk toward
 the power plant he smiled pleasantly.
 Probably his thoughts were of h1s
 emancipation from time clocks. draft | ing boards and dingy elevators. They
 may have been inclined, however, in
 the direction of the splendid machin- | cry which he imagined was about to
 great his eyes.
 He was unprepared for the scene l which met his gaze when he unhing- 1 ed the rusted paddock and swung
 back tine heavy door its greaseless | hinges. In some people, such for ex-
 ample as Horace Callahan, Aru-
 strong would always repose an inge-
 nuous and artless faith. It was a. | faith which later in life would rre- quently bring him to grief. But it
 was as positive, as immovable, as the | distrust he naturally reposed in per | sons of another type. | It was a shameful sight, that ma | chinery. but the thought did not oc- 1 cur to him that Callahan had been 1 joking when he described the excel | lence of its condition. Cobwebs drap- | ed the walls. the machinery and the l wires Dust in thick layers was upon | everything. A scorpion rustled 10 i cover under a, piIe of rubbish, and | the heated air was foul with theodors | the heated air was foul with theo dors | metals.
 Armstrong scow1ed at the twin | generators. These were large capa- 1 ble looking machines, but utterly use 1 less in their present condition. Upon | closer inspection he found that the bearings and journals Of both were rigid with rust.
 l Bringing those elicate necha nisms back to life would be a task of infinite | patience. He picked up an old broom, shook the dust from it, and tackled | the first machine. Black enamel and | copper glowed duly behind his dis | couraged strokes. The necessity of | repairing one of the generators be-
 fore he accomplished anything else | urged him to work faster | Catering a handful of cotton-waste | he began to swab vigorously at the l collectorings. Then he stopped and
 the waste slipped greasi1y from his | fingers. He wiped the precipitation | from his face. went out into the com | pound and looked back, as if the dis
 tance might some 11ow enlarge his grasp or the discouragfng situation. Casting another resentfu1 look at the machinery, he slammed the door. | snapped on the paddock and rerurnes | to the Casa Grande.
 In the bedroom to which he had l 1 suitcase and removed a small red | leather notebook. On the first maze l was his account of expenditures He glanced dubious1y at the figure which represented his balance then thumb ed over few leaves until he came to | a page, at the top of which was
 hastily scrawtled t'Callahanfsms" He had jotted down only two of them
 on this page. He read them softly
 aloud:
 | Dream your dream. Then forget | everything else until it becomes an l actuality"
 | When yor. become an executive,
 remember that seventy per cent. of
 your success deoends upon your abfl- l ity to select assistants.'' Armstrong closed the notebook, | tossed 1t back into the suitcase and | made inquiries for the proprietor. He l snapped his fingers nervously as tho 1 mozo left him in pursuit of Senor Ricardo; which was usually an indi- l cation that he had made up his mind | to act.
 | Senor Ricardo, whose knowledge l of conditions and activities in Guana- | tara Valley was profound and intf- | mate, obeyed Armstrong's request to name doen capable mechanics en- pdoyed in the neighboring mills. Following process of questioning and elimination, Armstrong called the plantation of one EneanueI Gonzales l On the local telephone. and after some difficulty in making himself ur-
 derstood, spoke to the master me-
 chanic of the mill. Jerry Corners. Corners, an American, agreed to san- de his pony at once and come to La Pintura
 When the master mechanic arrived Armstrong led him into the cafe. and
 when they were seated at a table, said
 HduntIy:
 i've come from New York, MP. Corners. to reopen the old power plant. I have carefully considered an of the men available to take charge of the mechanical end of that job, and have decided that you are the only man who will do."
 Corners nodded slowly. drumming on the table with caIloused fingers. He was clean-shaven, with a brick red face. Tousled yellow hair rather emphasized the redness. His blue eyes had twinkle in them and he had the appearance Of a man who would fight hard and willingly on suitable provocation- He seemed to impress Armstrong instantly as being trustworthy The mechanic looked up If hardly knowing what to say. and grinned nervously.
 MT. Corners, do you object to telling me how much Gonzalez Is paying your"
 Nope said Corners cheerfulIy.
 Every time the ghost parks I inherit one hundred and fifty pesos: the ghost parks once a month"
 Will you throw up your Job ana come to work for me for two hum dred? Wait a minute; don't answer me yet l know what you think of the plant It has always been a los- ing proposition. Naturally, being a man who looked ahead, you don't want to tie up to such a proposition unless you can see a real future In It. In few days after we know eacn other little better, I'll lay my entire project before you I hope you win come with me. Try 1t for a week. If