The Holly chieftain., 1924-02-07
CHAPTER III
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
chlnery 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 a 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-point. 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 1t 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 n
few days, coldly polite letter from
Gregory stating that Corbett & Co.
would be very glad to relinquish the
contract. All work upon 1t had, by
Gregory's orders, been stopped. Joe's
drawings were baled up and ready for
delivery to any messenger he might
ne.d. and he was welcome to execute
them where and how he pleased.
Ones own words don't make 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 triumphc.
Well-and what was the row with
Gregory all about, anyway
Joe couldn't complain of his manner
Of dealing with the business, once he
had brought his mind around TO 1t.
1t was likely he'd already heard Cor
belts version Of the affair, and had
Z come to his own concluslon-probably
that Joe had made id fool of
himself.
II take it, then, you never had any
idea of taking the job away from Cor
bett & Co.. and never meant Greg to
think you had. And that all you want
now Is to have them go ahead the way
they started"
Joe agreed. That was about It,
"Oh, Corbett's all right" the banker
said. '"I'll see him today-was going
TO. anyhow. on another matter-and
I'll straighten things out"
The banker had stayed in his chair,
and now, for minute before he an
swered he drummed thoughtfully with
his fingers upon the desk. Look here,
Greer" he said at last. I've known
Gregory Corbett long time-always,
you may say. I knew his grandfather.
think you've got the idea that he's
a pompous ass. At least that he's act
ed that way about this. Well, he
isn't. You've got him wrong. He's Il
d-d able fellow. I was just think
ing. Have you ever done any trap
shooting? Clay pigeons. you know.
He and shoot few frames almost
every Sunday morning. We both get
up early, and he comes over and has
breakfast with me, and then we so
out to the traps and see what sort of
an eye we've got. Put quarter a
u1rd .on 1t just to make 1t amusing
Why don't you drive up next Sunday
and join us?"
1t was touch and go, for mat
ter of seconds. whether Joe wouldn't
tell him to 90 to HI and take his clay
pigeons with him. Was 1t worth amy
real mans while, trying to work in
harness with Judging. trifing lot like
hat7 With theiE pretended sports.