Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1933-01-19
CHAPTER I

udfe SquIrme1 nov n then. mos
men who have undergone the vicissi
tudes OF fortune-building In the lum
Der Industry have. But this much IL
certain for a bruce OF decades, IL he
had occasionally felt discontinue, he
kept 1t well TO himself, concealed be.
hind that brusk, grur front.
Now. however. he put on a first-rate
exhibition OF a man In an uncomfort-
able corner as Harrington, small and
gray and amazed. stood In that spa
clous chamber and stared at him.
The old fellow had made his asser.
don with a growl, as he always did
when at variance with his aids. and
ordinarily that tone ended argument
abruptly Not today.
But said Harrington. after that
long pause occasioned by i%ncredulity.
whats the boy going to say to that?"
He'll do as he's told"
@TWices You'll disappoint him
twice. Tom7 A boy with with
as much spirit as you have yourself y
He scratched his thin hair absently
and frowned. and old Tom. skunk In
the depths of that great chair, rolled
an uneasy eve at him. an eye which
had in 1t defiance and determination
and, perhaps. a hint of appeal. "Why.
he took It standing a year ago In
ZEN 9gaesaa= sent him Tram college
TO Witch Hill instead of to Kamnfest.
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 reward yor
held out TO him. and instead OF send
ing him TO kampfest. you're shnnting
him off on Belknap Sevenl 1t beats
me ctr
The other fdgeted with his watch
chain and cleared his throat irritahly.
We'll" he said. "John amt going to
kampfest yet. Not yettr He
shook his head. NO. sir, Not TO
Kampfestt
Harrington's gray eyes were prying
now. suspicion rife In them as he
studied the averted face of the man
he knew so well.
Are you In trouble at Kampfestt?'
he asked quietly. and the old face
flashed up at him.
If am. its my own trouble |"
A watcher might not have noticed
that Harrington had tensed ON his
query. but the sudden relaxing of his
body was obvious.
L thought as much" he said grimlv.
meeting the challenge In those ewes.
II was afraid trouble might follow
when you took Gorhel In ON this hin
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
l was pretty sure. Now. | know
you know a lot I'-grnmpily 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. Toni Why don't you
let US help you mp there? Why don't
you come down off your high horse
and lei the office straighten things
out while you're away?
Belknap gave a mirthless laugh.
Your dom a lot Of guessing I" he
snorted- You're guessing at things,
Harrington He swung In his chair
to confront his inquIsitor and slapped
the mahogany with his palm. Guess
work. Ill admit nothing: I'll DENY
most. But I'll 20 this far. III I'm in
bad, whose business Is 1t? II / guessed
wrong on a man, whose funeral IL it7
III I've got dirty clothes to wash, whose
Job in 1t? Eth?
From the beginning you've all been
against me on my opinion Of Gorbel.
from you on down through this or
ganlzaflnn 10 -f 10 John himself.
You didn't like him, you didn't like
the idea of a partnership. John. my
boy. warned me after he'd talked to
the man twenty minutes. Warneti mel
A cub
But ! bet on GorbeI. He had the
I've wanted all my life. had 1t
tied up ! took him on and listened
60 all of you yelp and predict trouble. |
and made up my mind that the Belk-
nap Lumber company Offices never
have 10 bother with a line Of
< Gorbel business. put IT
under my hat and it's been there
since. That's where it's goin' to STAY,
Harrington. and You can stuff that in
your pipe,r
His face was flushed now.
The other shrugged. THAT ought
20 be final" he said glumly. .But what
me. Tom. is where John comes
IN Oh isn't let in
Old Tom sank back in his chair and
bleakly through one ef-fite
great windows against which d savage
gale hurled itself Ia across
,ullen Lake Michigan.
That's somethin' else" he growled
Harrington persisrenfiy eyed him,
the old man squirmed again.
There's only one thing that really
matters, when all's said and dane,a ne
aid finally That's a mans reputa-
ion And a mans reputation narrows
to his reputation with certain