Calumet K""

when the story had passed through a few hands it was bigger and it took longer to tell. And every man, during the afternoon, kept his eyes more closely on his work. Some were ang

they knew themselves. He knew, too, that the incident might in the long run make trouble. But trouble was likely in a

han Bannon's finer achievements in organization. Like Hilda, he did not see the difference between dropping a hammer down a bin and overloading a hoist. Bannon's distinction between running risks in order to push the work and using caution in minor matters was not recognized in their talks. And as Bannon was not in the habit of giving his reasons, the misunderstanding grew. But more than all Max felt, and in a way Hilda felt, too, that Peterson would never have found it necessary to use a revolver; his fists would have

lda was so deeply distressed about the in

e fever, but it ain't serious. He's got a couple of sneaking little lawyers around trying to get him to sue

im some little delicacy. Hilda made him pr

m, and for several days kept his own counsel. But one mo

on?" he said, smiling. "

said, "I

the railing and

king his head. "Are you sure nob

ter. She turned partly around, with

aid quietly. "I haven

said Bannon. "These fellows have got

ark was unfortunate. The only men who cam

rgotten it, my

make a new rule that you can come in without wiping your feet if you'll hand in a written excuse. That's the way they d

I hav

t we're framing the cupola. If you say so, I'll fix it f

back at t

e. You can see down into Indiana, and all around. You c

a moment

n," she said; "I'd l

uarantee to get you up there somehow, if I have to bu

or, occupied the space of two bins. It was here that the stairway would be, and the passenger elevator, and the rope-drive for the transmission of power from the working to the distributing floor. The stairw

sitors this afternoon. If you've got a little extr

lied. "I'm not crowd

ister to come up a

tween the loose boa

ly; "I don't believe she cou

y her up as grand as the Palmer House. You put in your odd minutes bet

grin

She'll like that. I ca

long timber, and had the laborers lay it across the well opening. The ladders and landings

the office, screwing iron rings into the corn

Bannon saw that he had nailed strips over the larger cracks and knot holes. "She was peeking, but I shut t

g out in a minut

time to quit, anyway, if I'm going to get any dinner. There's a little square of carpet up to the house that I'm going to

imself. When you go back, you'll see a timber on the top of the well. I'd like you to sling

t po

pow

non. I'll see to it

tracks. Hilda had bowed to Bannon, but without the smile and the nod that he liked. He l

f rope and lashed the cross timber down securely. Then he went down the ladders and found Max, who had brought the carpet for the box and was looking over his work.

d Max. "It'll run up

or your sister, th

hesi

for me to

ss you migh

hat seemed to draw closer and closer together until they ended, far overhead, in a rectangle of blue sky. The beam across the top was a black line ag

me into view through an opening between two "bents" of timber, beyond a heap of rubbish that had been thrown at one side of the track. She was trying to walk on the

stood at one side, awaiting the order to haul away. He fou

"The elevator starts in a minute.

sked; and she looked up, with a li

say nothing against that elev

the ropes, and looking alternately into th

"Is that little stick up there

twelve," Max replied. "It wou

m space of the working story with its long aisles and its solid masses of timber. Su

"are you sure it's strong en

to the laborers. Hilda stepped back off the block as he went up perhaps a thi

he asked, laughing a li

nn

ders and steady you if you swing too much. Wait a minute, though." He hurried out of doors, and

can guide it as nice

sides, Max climbing the ladders with the end of the line about his wr

t look down," he

ed the top, and Max had lifted her out on the last landing; then,

ing for him near t

led the way to a timber a few steps awa

n standing out above the others on a high girder, his arms knotted, and his neck bare, though the day was not warm; at the straining hoist, trembling with each new load that came swinging from somewhere below, to be hustled off to

y had watched a big stick go up on one of the small hoists, to be swu

I never yet saw him take hold of a

replied to this, and th

and see things closer to?" Bann

It's rather cold

ructure, guiding her carefully in place

's pretty, and sometimes it's exciting; and things happen every little while that are interesting enough to tell to anybody, if people only knew it. I'll have you come up a little later, when

m swung out and the rope rattled to the ground. There was the purring of the engine far below, the straining of the rope, and the creaking of the blocks as the heavy load came slowl

tween piles of planks and timber, and between groups of laborers and carpenters, to the other side. Now they c

ting downward: "right over the tracks to the spouting

it ever f

ch. When she gets to running we'l

ey reached it Peterson and Max joined them. Peters

We'll be starting in pretty soon on some of the

conversation by an awkward movement of his head. This stiffness in Peterson's manner wh

ng yet," he continued,

he needn't be in such a

rli

give Bannon a

I must go back, really. Maybe you'll tell me some day when

s still looking at Peterson, but at the last word she turned to include Bannon, as if she had suddenly remembered that he was i

the track," said Bannon

e're ready

d Max, "let

ready started dow

"I guess we'll have our real elevator in, and we can run you up so

o Max. But when the box, slowly descending, appeared below the bin walls,

t and day. He and Peterson would divide the time equally into twelve-hour days; but three divisions were necessary for the men, the

noon, Bannon tipped back his chair

said, "th

begin on it?"

It'll make some of the men work overt

cket. Before joining Max, who wa

make any change in

try to cut you up into three shifts yet awhile. We ca

and left

that they had finished, he seemed unable to throw it off. Bannon, who had risen and wa

on almost of relief that came over his face, that this was what Peterson had been waiting for. "You'd better come on i

ad arisen from business conditions alone, Bannon would have talked out plainly. But now that Hilda had come between them, and particularly that it was all so vague-a matter of feeling, and not at all of reason-he had decided to say nothing. It was important that he should control the work d

up to the h

t down off

he night shift," he said, almos

t's got to work out," Ban

I'll be along

he door, but turned wit

better tell Max to get those men

him to go on with y

want to be around while his sister is here

e house for his supper, after arranging with Peterson to share the first night's work, Bannon found that the foreman's c

ood young man. He never give me any trouble like some of the men do that's been here. The t

m the electric light company rig up a new arc light. His expression when he caught sight of Bannon, sullen and defi

he men all worked better than before; each new move of Bannon's seemed to infuse more vigor and energy into the work; and the cupola and annex began rapidly, as Max said, "to look like something." Bannon was on hand all day, and frequently during a large part of the night. He ha