The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1935-02-01
CHAPTER II-Continued

didn't ask; forgot 1t. wasn't inter-
ested in your fine. We can take care
Of that. l was interested in finding
out about you what kind OF a
nut-cracker you are"
The young gray eyes were studying
the old blue ones closely, now.
II found out" Able continued. "He
says you're no good" In the pause
the justice chuckled softly. HE says
you're absolutely no good to yourself
or anybody else. He tells me that you
know more about logging and sawmills
than any man your age has right
to know and he's seen a lot of men.
He says you can make the worst crew
that ever infested shanty eat out Of
your hand. He says you don't know
what it is to be tired or afraid. {.
And then he says again that you're no
use on earth, so far as he can tell"
Elliott was grinning a bit foolishly
now and rubbed his chin.
Able went on:
HE told me that before the war
your war, not ours-they'd figured you
as one of the prize young men in
their organization but that since you've
come home there's nothing you'll do.
You can do anything, he says, but you
won't. / asked him why and he said
he guessed it was because everything
they had to offer you was too simple,
which 1 translated to mean that they
haven't a good, tough hickory nut to
offer you"
The others rather embarrassed smile
faded.
"Was he mad?" he asked.
"Was he really sore at me?"
mad like anybody else would be,
] take it, If they saw a young man
they thought a lot Of wasting his
time"
I'm sorryl think lot Of Mr..
Bridger. He certainly has been white
with me. I've tried, Judge. Honest,
I've tried to give 'em all had but /.
But he's right. The war upset me, like
lot of others. l haven't got my feet
on the ground yet. After the big show
everything else seems too id easy I"
Likely. You haven't tried my job
yet" Able said gravely.
Being a justice in Tincup?"
mo. Not that. My real job-my
real, tough NUTS being administrator
for an estate. The McManus estate,
which Is nothing more than as pretty
a piece of hardwood as ever stood out
doors. The Hoot Owl stuff, we call it.
Trying to operate 1t to profit and
hang on as administrator so some
other man won't step in and give that
stuff away is my particular hard nut
And it's a chore, Elliott"
He eyed the younger man brief
interval and caught his breath quickly.
II like the way you looked at Nick
Brandon in court this afternoon. No
young man has looked at him that way
since l can remember. That's why
telephoned Bridger: because l liked
the way you looked at Brandon and
because Pm about worn out trying to
crack a hard nut That's why I'm
here.
Maybe, from what Bridger told me,
and from what I've seen of you, you
might maybe, perhaps, like to take
crack at this nut.
After moment he repeated:
"You might, possibly. The fact is.
I'm through, Elliott. I've given the
job all / had. I'm at my wits end and
the estates at its ropes end. We're
licked, as we stand now. and the truth
is that maybe, perhaps, possibly I
might do right fair job Of begging
you to come and help mel"
Elliott did not speak but watched
Able as he fumbled In his pocket for
a sketch map. Able paused for mo-
ment, and then continued:
"Come over by the window. Now,
here's the lay-out,"-spreading the map
on the sill. Here's the railroad, main
line. This is Hoot Owl siding with our
mill. Twenty men, there. some living
in shanties and the boarding house TAX
ing care of the rest. It's a long, mar
row strip, you see; seventy-six forties
uncut Four miles of slash to north
of the mill. Our railroad goes up
through the chopping. so. We've an
old coffee-pot of twenty-ron rod engine
and freight cars, all more or less ready
for junk. Here's the camp now and
we're cutting on the second forty north.
Got thirty-odd hands there that pass for
men.
Harrington was handling 1t for me.
Man named Buffers millwrlght and a
fellow named Ruppert's boss at camp.
Harrington's gone-driven out-and
we're in the soup!"
He paused and looked at Elliott,
whose keen eyes were studying the
detail of the map.
ITS a haywire outfit The locomo-
tive broke down yesterday and unless
the boys get her working. the mill will
be out Of logs in = week. The mill
itself Is a grand old ruin but saws,
49,