The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1923-12-14
CHAPTER III
SILK.

SILK.
Around this time, within a week of
his dinner with Jennie Macarthur,
Joe got into a quarrel--not serious,
except as all business quarrels are
serious-with Gregory Corbett
Gregory had undertaken. for Cor
bett & Co.. the building of the ma
chinery for Joe and his engineers had
made many changes. Joe had been
out of town and when he returned In
May he stormed around and finally
threatened In a letter to Corbett, to
build shop and do the work himself.
His object In all this-for Joe even
In his tantrums usually had one-was
merely to raise the temperature to the
steaming-po His real Indictment.
unstated, was that the Rlverdale peo-
pie had been fiddling with the job in
a perfunctory way. He wanted to get
everybody mad enough so that things
would begin to hum and the lost time
could be made up. And II was really
rush Job by now. for 1t had got well
into May and the harvest that II was
so necessary to be ready for was not
many weeks away.
He was therefore seriously discon-
certed to receive, in the course of a
few days, a coldly polite letter from
Gregory stating that Corbett & Co.
would be very glad to rellnqulsh the
contract All work upon it had. by |
Gregory's ORDERS been stopped. Joe's |
drawings were baled up and ready for
delivery to any messenger he might
send, and he was welcome to execute
them where and how he pleased.
Ones own words don't make a pleas
ant diet for anybody. but for Joe to
crawl down and apologize was almost
impossible. SO he appealed to John
Williamson as a peacemaker. VIII
Hanson had been fishing, and for the
first fifteen minutes Joe could do moth
Ing but listen to the bankers summary
Of his piscatorial triumphS.
Well-and what was the row with
Gregory all about. anyway
Joe couldn't complain OF his manner ,
,f dealing with the business once he
had brought his mind around 10 II. I
I was likely he'd already heard Cor {
,ett's version of the affair, and had {
'ome TO his own conclusion-probably I
hat Joe had made a id fool of c
himself r
Il take 1t, then. you never had any
dea OF taking the job away from Cor u
ett Co., and never meant Greg to n
hink you had. And that all you want n
ow Is to have them go ahead the way b
hey started" II
Joe agreed. That was about II.
"Oh. Corbett's all right" the banker d
aid. "Tll see him today-was going I,
D, anyhow, on another matter-and v
II srraighten things out" n
The banker had stayed in his chair. ],
nd now. for minute before he an III
wered. he drummed thoughtfuIly with II
is fingers upon the desk. Look here fr
reer." he said at last. I've known tb
regory Corbett long time-always n,
on may say. I knew his grandfather IA
think you've got the idea that he's Je
pompous ass. At least that he's act or
that way about this. Well. he to
mt. You've got him wrong. He's a re
ID able fellow. was just think IN
g. Have you ever done any trap
Iooting7 Clay pigeons. you know IN
e and l shoot few frames almost oh
cry Sunday morning. We both get 10
, early, and he comes over and has ex
eakfast with me. and then we go dr.
Il to the traps and see what sort of sh
eye we've got. Put a quarter uu
I'd on 1t just to make 1t amusing an
by don't you drive up next Sunday TO
d Join us?' ba
II was touch and go. for a mat oh
OF seconds. whether Joe wouldn't col
I him to go to HI and take his clay tn,
leons with him. Was 1t worth any of
n mans While, trying TO work In faI
rness with Judging. triiing lot Ike gu,
at With their pretended sports wa