Argosy All-Story Weekly, June 27, 1925 — page 149: what you’re looking at

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

BACKGROUND. was busy and Roger was at peace with the world. Four girls, sauntering along the street on the opposite side of the excavation from Roger, paused, then ventured down the cleated haulway, staring curiously at the concrete mixer, the stationary engine and the scurrying workmen. In age, all of the visitors appeared to be hovering about eighteen and they were as glowing as the brilliant September afternoon. Their gay frocks made a vivid splotch of color against the somber background of sand and rock and shanties covered with tarred paper. Their rippling laughter and animated talk jmingled with the bedlam of the job. _ Roger did not hear this, but following the interested glance of one of his men, noted that work on the Metcalfe-Bailey power plant was practically at a standstill. Every last wheelbarrow and spade and pick was for the moment idle while its accus- tomed manipulator treated himself to an eyeful of sparkling femininity. The straw bosses, too, had forgotten to maintain their wonted dignity. Roger snorted in disgust and called to his foreman on the ground just below the stag- ing: “ Joe, chase those people off the job.” Joe glanced quickly at the intruders, scratched his head and replied: “ Don’t see how I can, Mr. Bassett. One of ’em’s Miss Metcalfe.” “TI don’t care a damn who they are! Chase 'em off!” Then, as the foreman still hesitated, he said: “ Never mind. I will.” He strode to the edge of the platform and shouted: ‘Fey, you! Get out of here!”” The girls looked up, then at each other. Their movements indicated surprise and there was some conversation among them. But they made no move to depart. The outraged Roger waited a few sec-° onds, glaring vexedly at the distant quartet. Cupping his hands, he bellowed coarsely: “Imean you! Get to hell out of here!” The girls tarried no longer. Four heads were flung jauntily upward and four pairs of shoulders registered supreme contempt as the visi ; — wheeled and marched quickly $43 The episode, circulated by word of mouth among the elements which follow canstruc- tion work the world over, was the prime factor in establishing Roger Bassett’s repu- tation as “a damn good boss, but hell on the skirts!” And it must be said that in subsequent instances, he fully lived up to said reputation. For many reasons this was not unpleas- ing to the firm, especially as Roger bandled one big contract after another with unfail- ing skill and to the credit of the company. In four years he was not once a single day over the stipulated time limit and in most cases he managed to cut the schedule mate- rially. Construction engineers know what that means. And Roger Bassett’s name came to be associated with dependability wherever piles were driven and stacks were reared. RoceEnr’s first real vacation came just after the sixth anniversary of his connection with Capewell & Hodges and was the fruit of determined urging on the part of Mr. Cape- well, who, at the same time, gave utter- ance to certain remarks which, Roger felt, pointed to a partnership in the near future. “Tm going to ship you up to Pinecliff, my place in the Adirondacks,” Capewell told him, ‘“‘ and I don’t want to hear a peep out of you for at least two months. You think you’re a hard guy who never needs a rest. And there’s no such thing. You needn’t look so alarmed. There isn’t a woman on the reservation. Jap servants, and the camp is open house to certain of my friends who have standing invitations. “You know Battersby. He'll be there, and Tod Jessup, who was on that Mexican job with you, is likely to float in any min- ute. Oh, you'll have plenty of good com- pany. The cellar is somewhat more than damp and the Rockledge Club is only six miles away. You've heard of it—run by the Rockledge Inn people. Fine golf course and eight bang-up tennis courts. They tell me you sling a mean racket, too.” Roger regarded the invitation as some- thing of a royal command, but when he arrived at Pinecliff, some bours north of Utica, and plopped comfortably into the GOMIGDOO C SS Co