untry. It will awaken to the clarion call of our
wealth, our brains, and our genius." He then mentioned Corrigan and the
Midland grant--another reservation of Providence, which a credulous and
asinine Congress had bestowed, in fee-simple, upon a certain suave
gentleman, named Marchmont--and disseminated such other details as a
servile board of directors need know; and then he concluded with a flowery
peroration that left his hearers smirking fatuously.

And today J. Chalfant Benham was come to look upon the first fruits of his
efforts.

As he stepped down from the private car he was greeted by vociferous
cheers from a jostling and enthusiastic populace--for J. C. had very
carefully wired the time of his arrival and Corrigan had acted
accordingly, knowing J. C. well. J. C. was charmed--he said so, later,
in a speech from a flimsy, temporary stand erected in the middle of the
street in front of the _Plaza_--and in saying so he merely told the
truth. For, next to money-making, adulation pleased him most. He would
have been an able man had he ignored the latter passion. It seared his
intellect as a pernicious habit blasts the character. It sat on his
shoulders--extravagantly squared; it shone in his eyes--inviting
inspection; his lips, curved with smug complacence, betrayed it as,
sitting in Corrigan's office after the conclusion of the festivities,
he smiled at the big man.

"Manti is a wonderful town--a _wonderful_ town!" he declared. "It may be
said that success is lurking just ahead. And much of the credit is due to
your efforts," he added, generously.

Corrigan murmured a polite disclaimer, and plunged into dry details. J. C.
had a passion for dry details. For many hours they sat in the office,
their heads close together. Braman was occasionally called in. Judge
Lindman was summoned after a time. J. C. shook the Judge's hand warmly and
then resumed his chair, folding his chubby hands over his corpulent
stomach.

"Judge Lindman," he said; "you thoroughly understand our position in this
Midland affair."

The Judge glanced at Corrigan. "Thoroughly."

"No doubt there will be some contests. But the present claimants have no
legal status. Mr. -- (here J. C. mentioned a name that made the Judge's
eyes brighten) tells me there will be no hitch. There could not be, of
course. In the absence of any court record of possible transfers, the
title to the land, of course, reverts to the Midland Company. As Mr.
Corrigan has e