Argosy, Vol. 123, No. 1 — page 60: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

50 Cooper greatly by producing a sheet of paper with it all figured out. ‘“‘Of course y’ understand, Mr. Went- _worth, I couldn’t know what this coal property is going to cost you. But when you own it—here is the saving according to the estimate we made of the fuel con- sumption of this new factory. But, Mr. Wentworth, coal’s going higher next year; it would be more than this.” Mr. Wentworth looked over the figures attentively. Then he showed’ the chemist the little bottle of sand on his desk, ex- plaining briefly what Jimmy had told him about it. Mr. Merkle’s eyes nearly popped from his head. Here was something he and Hope had never thought of. He waved his hands before him expressively. ““With that and producer gas next to nothing you got a cinch, Mr. Wentworth,” he stated emphatically. The interview ended with the president. thoroughly convinced as far as he had gone. He declared himself intensely interested, and stated definitely that if the thing con- tinued to work out theoretically as it seemed now it would—and as he himself admitted he thoroughly believed it would— he certainly would-see that the company gave it a Se trial. “Too good to pass up; we’d be the first in the field to use it, too.”” He chuckled to himself. ‘‘ They’d never catch up with us.” The president then said he would go into the matter thoroughly with several of his technical men and the other officers of the company, after which the directors would pass upon it—only a technicality, for he’d “shove it through, whether they liked it or not,” if he thought it feasible himself. Then he shook hands with Jimmy, patted him on the back, and told him he was a “good boy.” Jimmy had never been so happy before in his life. A great lump came up into his throat; he wanted to tell Mr. Wentworth how he appreciated the way he had been treated, but the words wouldn’t come. He stood staring at the president dumbly, and was able finally only to mumble: “ Thank you very much.” After which Cooper clapped him on the THE ARGOSY. back and pulled him through the door into the outer office. CHAPTER VIII. NEMESIS. jt was half an hour before Jimmy recov- ered sufficiently to talk the thing over quietly with the office manager. The very imagination that had troubled him for so many years—that had made his life as a coal-miner miserable, and finally had ena- bled him to conceive this idea—now de- scended upon him with overpowering force. He forgot Mr. Hope—forgot the oppo- sition to success that he had met—had still to meet. In his mind’s eye the plan had already been adopted, put into execution. The factory was built; the coal, lying there all these years idle underneath his mother’s farm, was burning, and yielding up its precious heat for the great furnaces. And he—Jimmy Rand, once only a mule-boy and miner in the Fallon Brothers mine— had done it all! | After a time he calmed down. . First he must telegraph his mother and Anne; then he must arrange to go home for a day or two and see them. Since the man from whom he had to obtain permission to absent himself from work was Mr. Cooper, Jimmy had no difficulty in getting leave to go. He settled that point quickly, and then went into one of the other offices to send his telegram. At lunch that day, which the office man- ager, Jimmy and Mr. Merkle had together, Cooper planned what they should do that afternoon to settle Mr. Hope. “Just let him alone,” said Jimmy. “You don’t have to do anything. He'll settle himself if you let him alone, can’t you see that?” Mr. Merkle was obviously worried. ‘What should I say if R. G. sends for me?” he wanted to know. “Tell him the truth,” said Jimmy. “That’s the easiest thing you could do, isn’t it? You’ve nothing to hide.” ‘And you make that date clear,” added Mr. Cooper. ‘Just as you did to us. That’s the big point—show him that Hope COMmicloo S C©