The City of Numbered Days

Spee

in the Niquoia Electric Power, Lighting, and Traction Company that Brouillard began to lose his nickname of "Hell's-Fir

hundred thousand dollars of the capital stock of the reorganized company to a mere government watch-dog who could presumably neither help nor hinder in the money-ma

d hand you out a piece of the rind? Not so, my dear boy; we are not built on any such narrow-gauge lines. But seriously, we're getting you at a bargain-counter price. One of the things we're u

ing the great man's humor pleasantly infectious. "You kno

e as the long-lost uncle of the fairy-stories to a fine young fellow who hasn't been able to draw a full breath since his father died. You can do it now, Victor, my

e solid fact of realizing it. But I can't earn a hundred

vernment brake. It's going to be your business to see to it that the Reclamat

w, as chief of cons

al kicker on the outside, you couldn't feaze us a particle. What? You'd put us out of business? N

promoter's mood, "you won't get me fired now, that's one comfo

ow or Friday-or Saturday if that hurries you too much

omment. Celerity, swiftness of accomplishment that was almost magical, had become the Mirapolitan order of the day. Plans conceived over-

r, "but you can't go to work Monday. The labor market is empty, and I'm taking i

game. We have imported every workman we've needed, and we shall import more. That's one thing none of us can afford to do-bull the labor market

to the worker of modern miracles, and he went his way to ri

ary power dam was begun. On the Tuesday a small army of linemen arrived to set the poles and to string the wires for the lighting of the town. On the Wednesday th

the pushing of the railroad grade over the mountain barrier. Also-but this was an item of minor importance-it was on the Saturday of this week that the second tier of forms was erected on the great dam and the stripped first section of the massive gray foot-wall of concrete raised itself in

words on the Sunday when he and Grislow were looki

pping easily into his attitude of affable cynicism. "I thought it

m: some people will make a pot o

't take any stock in the rumor tha

suppose it cou

igation a little further along to determine whether the true pro bono publico lay in the reclamation of a

d a boomer as Mr. Cortwri

more before Congress can be made to take notice," was

s shaking his

Grizzy. I'm living from day to day. If the

ng upon which the puddlers worked while f

-hearted, but you're certainly not the same driver you were a

hope to keep keyed up to concert pitch all the way through. Call it that, anyway. I've promi

staging at the Jack's Mountain approach that Grisl

another change. I'm beginning to believe in your sev

e. There isn't

n't remember how you were always ranting about the dignity of a man's work and quo

of it?" ha

nt of view. I've been wondering how far you are responsible; h

s laugh was

of your psychological b

But the fac

t fa

f the pilot-wheel; that your reasoning self is aslee

if I had eaten too much dinner, Grizzy! This is one

hree words: you

t is up to you to prove

hose of us who haven't been invited to sit down and take a hand in Mr. Cortwright's little game. You hooted at it, preached a little about the gross im

el

for him. You know his fake is a fake; and yet I overheard you boosting it the other night in Po

h a jerk as he paced beside his

od one-as I have had occasion to prove. It is

y half sane you'd see that she is a confirmed trophy hunter. Why, she even ge

p to it now." Brouillard's jaw was set and the lines between his eyes were deepening. "I d

you wanted to marry her and she wanted you to; but you don't-and she doesn't. And, besides, there's Amy; you owe her something, don't you?-or don't

r precious balms break his head. You're all right, Grizzy, but I'll pull through." Then, wit

t shall I tell Miss Massing

to the back part of your head. And if you tell her anything piffl

miniscently. "She

y n

it I told her your scalp was da

rters and Brouillard spun the jester around wi

I'd murder you!" he exploded. "Perhaps you'll g

erm, and they went apart