The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1934-04-04
chapter q
srRAIGHT talk

STRAIGHT TALK
A s Judith Dale raised her hand.
IA silence fell on the crowd OF dam
workers who had come to greet her.
They had asked for a speech.
Tell me what you would like to
know? she asked.
Our Jobs acw about our
jobs?' who gets Mason's place %
"How long you goin' to keep oper.
atin'?"
Again her uplifted hand big
Tom would have had the man next
In line I'LL Mason's place. Wen fol.
low the same plan. Max Larson is
next In line"
A roar Of approval greeted this.
Your Jobs are safe. The new
company has money to carry on the
work and keep your salaries going
during the will contest"
She stopped. Somewhere on the
outer fringe an argument was going
on. whats the trouble?" she de.
handed.
"Aw." came a voice. there's
bird back here says we ought to
beat It while beatin's goc and get
ourselves q real job. He says the
iBevins women are go a. t let this
dam go as soon's the Wills broke
and they get the money"
"What'll we do with him. Miss
Judy?" asked young voice. shall
We ride him out on q rail?"
This emergency was one Big Tom
could not have foreseen. Judith
knew her dam workers. She bad
known them all of her life. They
could be qulckened to mutiny as
quickly as they could be quickened
no loyalty and upon the turn Of a
word this decision might rest.
ride him out on a rail?" echoed
Judith In derision. why give him
transportation. let MIN walk"
The quick answer Won. Roars Of
laughter. scuffiing on the fringe.
then silence.
Judith spoke again naturally
you are interested Il. your Jobs.
Whether You keep these jobs or not
IL up TO you. II will depend upon
one thing. your loyalty to Big Tom
fBeVins.
"As you work. remember you are
working for him. Just as am work.
Ing for him. Fie earned the five
million dollars It viii take for the
erection and maintenance OF this
dam and he had right to say how
1T should be spent. He left It 10 me
with the orders 70 SPEND II as he
would have spent It had he lived.
not for my personal use. | am work
ing as his secretary. his sten0g
rapher. at a salary less than many
Of got are receiving
"IsIg Tom knew there would be an
nttemnt To hreak his VIII and he pre-.
pared for Il. There will be no dan
ger from that source but the
same influence which will try 10
break the will. will try TO send spies
into ramp here TO cause dIssensinn.
distrnsi. anything TO hinder the
work on The dam
''lf y0u llsten~to these spies. Won
will Ae hurting yourself worse than
anyone else.
Big Tom had foresight enough
TO protect your interests against
our common enemy. Have you 10y.
atty enough TO project his memory
and carry out the desire OF his life.
the building OF this damn
TO Judith. II seemed the shout of
\ assent was unanimous and
shortly afterwards the crowd be
gan dispensing and she found her.
self surrounded by a group OF fore,
men. engineers and construction
men, many q whom she bad worked
win before.
"fou said the right thing. Mrs.
Dale. said Larson. they were wor.
rled about working for a millionaire
stenographer. You put them
straight on that"
-And what you said about loyal
~" added another.
Say. Judy" interposed Clark
Goodwin. with whom she had az.
tended college. did you mean that
about working for a salary7-
Il certainly did she answered.
then with a boyish grin. where do
pitch my tentg And say. could you
rustic a second one for my girl
frisndf This Is Delphy. boys. she
decided she wasn't going to let me
come down here and eat mantillas
and holy beans. 50 found her on
the train. spending her last nickel
70 take care Of me-
Good tor Delphy. you bet we can
End tent for her.
They had been walking uphill and
Judy saw they were fast coming to