The Dolores star., 1924-02-01
CHAPTER III
Silk.


Around this time within week of
hlE dinner with Jennie Macarthur
Joe got into quarrel-not serious.
except as all business quarreIs are
serious-wlth 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
ont 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 Riverdale peo-
pie had been tidding with the job In
perfunctory way. He wanted 10 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 it had got well
into May. and the harvest that it was
SO necessary to be ready for WAS not
many weeks away
He was therefore seriously dlscon-
certed to receive. in the course of a
Few days. a cOldly polite letter from
Gregory stating that 'Corbett K Co.
would he very glad to relinquish the
contract. All work upon 1t had. by
GreG"ry's orders, been stopped. Joe's
drawings were baled up and ready for
delivery to any messenger lie might
r...N, 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 und apologize was almost
impossible. So he appealed to John
Williamson as II 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 piscatorlal rrlumph1.
Weil-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 70 It,
1t was likely he'd already heard Cor.
bett's version of the affair, and had
come to his own conclusion-prObably
that Joe had made ID fool of
himself
Il take 1t, then. you never had anv
Idea of taking the job away from Cor
bett & Co., and never meant GREG tn
think you had. AMI rhat all you want
now Is 10 have them 90 ahead the woy
they started"
Joe agreed. That was about II
''Oh. Corbetts all right" the banker
said. "rll see him today-was gong
90. anyhow. on another matter-and
II. straighten filings out"
The banker had stayed in his chair.
and now. for n 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. knew his grandfather.
think you've got the idea that he's
a ponpous ass. At least that he's act
cd that way about this. Well, he
isn't. You've got him wrong He's a
id able fellow. was just think
ing. Have you ever done any trap
shooting? Clay pigeons, you know
lie and I shoot few frames almost
every Sunday morning. We both get
up early. and he comes over and has
breakfast with me, and then we go
out to the traps and see what sort of
IN eye we've got. Put quarter
utrd on II just to make 1t amusing
Why don't you drive up next Sunday
Gnd join us?''
II was touch and go, for a mat
ter of seconds. whether Joe wouldn't
tell him to go to HI and take his clay
nigeOns with him. Was 1t worth any
zeal mans while. trying to work in
harness with a Judging. trifiing lot like
that7 With eheIT pretended sports.