The City of Numbered Days

apo

lf transformed into Chigringo Avenue, with a double row of false-fronted "emporiums" to supplant the shack shel

ng and coffee making, the camp gave him vogue. Out of the vogue sprang in swift succession a café with side-tables, a restaurant with private dining-rooms, and presently a

taining Brouillard, with Miss Genevieve to make a harmonizing third at the circular tab

r father threatened to let the money clink become painfully audible; and the cigars were gold-banded. Nevertheless

change in the man. Charactering the genial host like a bachelor of hospitality, he was still the frank, outspoken money-maker, hot upon the trail of the nimble dollar. Yet there was a change of some kind. Brouillard had marke

e government engineer and the builder of the big dam; it's only natural that your horizons should be filled with government-report pictures and half-tones of what's going to be when you get you

ied Brouillard. "Is

e's name-'Miracle City.' Fits like the g

here should be any money daring eno

ure," chuckled the host. "Why, bless your workaday heart, Brouillard, nothing is permanent in this shuffling, growing, progressive world of ours-absolutely nothing. S

the parallel won't hol

ry ground-lease investment is a gamble. The investor simp

long term

: long time, small profits and a slow return; short time, big profits and a quick re

s us, all right; four or five times as much

something, Brouillard; San Francisco brags about being the cheapest city in the country; they'll tell you over there that you can buy more for your money than you can anywhere else on earth. Well,

l series of somebodies, will be left

e on that point. There needn't be any bag holders, Brouillard. Let me put it in a nutshell: we're building a cement plant, and we shall sell you the output-at a good, round price, I promise you, but still at a lower figure than you're paying

e instance," obj

another. You made your little kick on that to Washington-you thought the government ought to control its own power. That was all right, from your point of view,

it? To

d the sandy-gray eyes seemed to be searchi

put in power drills, electric ore-cars, and a modern equipment generally and shove the development of the 'Little Susan'; one with a new mining syndicate which will begin operations at o

he gray eyes were sl

s the Niquoia Electric Power, Lighting, and Traction Company. Within a fortnight we'll be ligh

effect upon the subject. The noting was apparently satisfactory, sinc

feel that in the reorganization of the power company the government, which will always be the largest consumer, should be represented in some effect

were stirring again, heaving as if from a mighty grou

sident of the company, I was immediately authorized to carry out. What we need, and what the government needs, is a man right here on the ground

ed himself by a

d your man, Mr

winkled in the l

to investigate and to act. And we're not going to be mean about it, either. The capital stock of the company is ten millions, with shares of a par value of one hu

est," was the only form the

entified with us, will see to it that we're not tempted to gouge our good Uncle Samuel. It will be no sinecure, I warn you. We're all pretty keen after th

ell as I do, Mr. Cortwright, that it is an unwritten law of the Service that

it would not only be unjust to apply it; it would be absurd and contradictory. Supposing your father had left you a hundred thousand dollars to invest instead of a debt of that amount-you see,

nly not

ke in the game; some men couldn't, Mr. Brouillard, but you can; you know you can, and I know it. Otherwise you wouldn't be

earn that I am a stockholder in a co

consulting engineer and that you'll hold us strictly up to the mark on the government power contract. It's your duty and part of your job as chief of construction. And we'll leave the money consideration entirely out of it if you like. You'll get a stock-certificate, which you may keep or tear up and

feet, Mr. Cortwright; a rather pleasant way I'm bound to admit. But i

Take it, man; take all the time y

lly committing himself. It was a measure of the distance he had

ulting capacity. Call it prejudice or anything you please, but I simpl

he took his guest confid

We needed him at first to sort of knock things into shape; it takes a man of his calibre in the early stages

rom an after-dinner hour of purely social wit-matching with Miss Geneviev

g about among them like a glorified head waiter, his stiffly roached hair and Napoleonic mustaches striving

Brouillard?" he inquired, holding the e

going to charge Mr. Cortwrig

e on dis place! Two dollare de 'undred pounds dat mule-freightare is charge me for bringing dose chip-pest wine fro

ness-for the benefit of the tourists. It'll be a great ad, 'The Hotel Metropole, the Delmonic

th a quick-flung glance for the diners at the nearest of the

et the dam

h-on dat?-h-all

what you're driving at. You

de dinnare," smiled Bongras. "

uld you

is shine. But I'll been hearing somebody say dat maybe-so dis town sh

said

call rumaire. You hear it h-on de Av

in, this time with his

l be built, and the Niquoia will be turned into a lake, with the Hotel Metropole comfort

e man, and he sped the parting guest with a bow that

st bulks of the ramparting mountains to give solidity and definiteness to the scheme

twright's rose-colored view of the immediate future that persisted. "Mirapolis!" It was cert

as the streets of a city-lighted, paved, and busy with traffic. Would the miracle be wrought? And if it should be, was there any possibility that in

in the point of view. At first Brouillard laid it to the champagne, forgetting that he had permitted but a single refilling of his glass. Not then, nor for many days, did he suspect that it was his