Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1933-01-11
CHAPTER I

gone the vicissitudes of fortune
building In the lumber industry
have. But this much is certain;
for a brace of decades, If he had oc-
c~asionally felt discontinue, he kept
1t well to himself, concealed behind
that brusk, gruf front.
Now. however, he put on a first
rate exhibition of a mar in an I'M
comfortable corner as Harrington,
small and gray and amazed, stood
In that spacious chamber and stared
at him.
The old fellow had made his as
sertion with a growl, as he always
did when at variance with his aids,
and ordinarily that tone ended argu-
ment abruptly. Not today.
"But," said Harrington. after that
long pause ~occasioned by incredul.
ity, whats the boy going to say to
that?"
"He1l do as he's told !"
"Twice? Youn disappoint him
twice, Tom? A boy with with
as much spirit as you have your
self?" He scratched his thin hair
absently and frowned. and old Tom,
skunk in the depths of that great
chair, rolled an uneasy eye at him.
an eye which had In it defiance and
determination and. perhaps, a hint
of appeal. why, he took it stand
ing a year ago in June when you
sent him from college to Witch Hill
instead Of to Kampfest. That was
a body-blow, after all the talk and
planning, but you told him to go and
show what he could do and he
did. Now, he's coming here
In a few minutes to claim the re-
ward you held out to him, and in
stead of sending him to Kampfest,
you're shunting him off on Belknap
Sevenl 1t beats mel"
The other fdgeted with his watch
chain and cleared his throat irri-
tably.
"Well," he said, "John amt going
to Kampfest yet. Not yet J"
He shook his head. mo, sirl Not
to Kampfest !"
H%arrington's gray eyes were pry-
ing now. suspicion rife In them as
he studied the averted face of the
man ho kuovv co mall
Are you In trouble at Kampfest?"
he asked quietly. and the old face
flashed up at him.
IF | am. it's my own troubled"
A watcher might not have mott, ed
that Harrington had tensed on his
query. but the sudden relaxing IF
his body was obvious.
II thought as much" he said grim
ly, meeting the challenge in those
eyes. 81 was afraid trouble might
follow when you took Gorbel In on
this thing. I've suspected matters
weren't right there for two years
now; last month, when you came
back from Kampfest, you had the
look of a beaten man. and | was
pretty sure. Now, | know"
"You know a lot T~"-grumpily as
he hitched closer to the massive
desk.
The other did not respond. With
pursed lips he ~pondered a moment
and then burst out:
"Look here, Tom Why don't you
let us help you up theref Why
don't you come down off your high
horse and LET the office straighten
things out while you're away?".
Belknap gave a mirthless laugh.
you're doin' a lot Of guessing !"
he snorted. You're guessing at
things, Harrington |" He swung In
his chair to confront his inquisitor
and slapped the mahogany with his
palm. "Guesswork I'll admit
nothing I'll deny most. But I'll go
this far; If I'm in Dad, whose bust
ness is it? If ! guessed wrong on a
udus WhOoS lunSAdl 10 III II i VIC EOl
dirty clothes to wash, whose job is
It? Eth?
"From the beginning you've all
been against me on my opinion of
Gorbel. from you on down through
this organization to to John
himself. You didn't like him you
didn't like the idea Of a partner
ship. John, my boy. warned me after
he'd talked to the man twenty min
utes. Warned mel A cub
SHUT | bet on Gorbel. He had the
layout rye wanted all my life, hat
1t tied up. | took him on and lis
tened to all Of you yelp and pre-
dict trouble, and made up my mind
that the Belknap Lumber company
Offices never would have to bother
with a line of Belknap 4 Gorbel
business. | put II under my hat
and it's been there since. That's
where it's goin' to stay, Harrlng
ton, and you can stuff that in your
piper
His face was nushed now.
The other shrugged. THAT ought
to be fnal," he said glumly. But
what frets me, Tom, ls where John
comes In or isn't let In"
Old Tom sank back In his chair
and stared bleakly through one Of