Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1935-07-19

l advised the directors of our company
to accept your bid, even though it was
higher, for" the keen blue eyes
sought Peters drawn and haunted
visage, "your reputation as an honest
construction engineer is good, mighty
good, and I'd a sight rather see you
get the contract than the James Com
pany.."
"The James Company" Peter could
not suppress cry of establishment.
''Mr. Bradley, you don't mean to tell
me that the directors are going to ac-
cept his estimate? Why, Martin Jones
was"-ever the sportsman Peter fell
silent.
"It's too bad" Bradley repeated, es
pecially since let you think your COM
( pany's estimate had been accepted. l
/ honestly thought it was-"He got up
abruptly and held out his hand. "Since
there is nothing I can do about it, l
think we might say good day, Mr..
Houghton. Let's hope you have better
luck on the next estimate"
"Next estimate ?" The civil engineer
choked. Couldn't the fool understand
there'd be no next estimate. Long be-
fore that the Belvedere Construction
Company would be in the receivers
hands.
With queer empty feeling at the
bottom of his stomach, Peter Hough-
ton forced smile to his lips; after all,
he was used to meeting disappoint-
ments. How tired he felt! All those
late hours of planning and figuring
gone for naught. The disappointment
was crushing.
"Thank you for having taken my
side, Mr.. Bradley" said he quietly. 81
hope the dam is success"
Blindly, the gray clad engineer spun
on his heel and, more by sense of
touch than anything else, found the
door to wander in a miserable daze
down that same corridor he had en-
tered so blithely.
A bitter grin crept over his drawn
face. Could it be that only ten min
utes had elapsed? Ten short minutes!
Yet they were long enough to change
the world from a joyous place to
drab, hopeless battlefield of life.
Battered hat still clutched in his
hand, Peter repassed the information
girl who read in his tragic eyes what
had happened, then the automatic door
closer Kissed softly, shutting the big
ground glass portal of the Patuxent
Dam Corporation behind him.
FAILURE TO INVOLVE
BROTHER AND JERRY
While he waited for the elevator he
stared blankly before him, sick with
the realization of all that this calam-
ity meant No M. 1. T. degree for
ambitious and promising young bro
Their Godfrey now, and poor Jerry's
operation would have to wait. 1t was
Mt fair that more endless months of
pain must drag by for the gallant soul
who had saved him from death in
Flanders.
Most crushing of all was the thought
that the day when he and Cara Caven-
be definitely postponed.
An image of Cara flashed into his
weary, harassed brain, and very clear
ly he could see her piquant, laughing
little face, her really beautiful eyes Of
a deep autumnal brown only a few
shades lighter than the curling luxury
of her close cropped hair. Then, also,
he could see her mouth, what tiny
bit of scarlet perfection it was,-just
made for the kisses her nature craved.
YEARLY over his face he passed
hand spotted with draughting ink. Yes
breaking the news to Cara would be
the worst feature of the whole appall-
ing catastrophe.
"Poor Cara" he murmured, as the
elevators brass indicator wavered at
his floor number, "and she so yearns
for nice things" The skin in his
knuckles went white. "And the poor
child waited so long-it'll be rather
tough shedding to stand by failure
who's got a scant five thousand and
twenty thousand Of notes, bills-and
payrolls to meet" i
But as the big engineer emerged
from the office building, he uncon
sciously squared his threadbare shoul-
ders. Twenty thousand" he murmur-
ed savagely. "Where am going to
find it ? suppose Cara and I can wait
but Jerry and the kid brother" He
felt sick, utterly discouraged-to have
tried so hard. 1--WE got to meet those