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Page 61
"I've fired Griggs," observed Tom Reade.
"What! After all that he did for you the other night?" demanded
Hazelton, aghast. "After the man saved your--"
"Oh, I'm quite satisfied to be fired, Mr. Hazelton," Tim Griggs broke
in. "In fact, I'm very grateful to Mr. Reade. He has certainly given me
a big boost forward in the world."
"What are you going to do now, Griggs?" Harry asked.
"You'd better address him as 'Mr. Griggs,' Harry," Tom hinted. "He is a
foreman now, at six dollars a day, and entitled to his Mister."
"Foreman?" Harry repeated, while Gregg's grin broadened.
"Yes," Tom continued. "Mr. Griggs is to be foreman on the new job that
I've just been telling you about in town. After this, if Mr. Griggs is
careful to behave himself, he's likely always to be a foreman on some
job or other for the A., G. & N. M."
Harry sprang forward, seizing the hand of Tim Griggs and shaking it with
enthusiasm.
"Bully old Griggs! Lucky old Griggs!" Hazelton bubbled forth. "Mr.
Griggs, you'll believe from now on what I've always believed--that it's
a great piece of luck in itself to be one of Tom Reade's friends."
"It surely has been great luck for me, sir," Griggs answered. "The best
part of all," he added, with a husky note in his voice, "is what it
means to that little girl of mine. When I get into town to-night I in
going to sit down and write that little daughter a long letter all about
the grand news. She'll be proud of her dad's good luck! She's only
eight years old, but she's a great little reader, and she writes me
letters longer than my own."
"If you'll wait a minute, Mr. Griggs," proposed Tom, "we'll be able to
give you a ride into town. The general manager gave me authority to
rent and use an automobile after this. It's out there waiting now."
The new foreman gratefully accepted the invitation. Within five minutes
the chauffeur had stopped the car in Paloma and Tim Griggs got out to go
to his new boarding place in the town.
"God bless you, Mr. Reade!" he said huskily, holding out his band.
"You've done a lot for me--and my little girl!"
"No more than you've done for me," smiled Tom. "Anyway, you haven't
received more than you deserve, and you never will in this little old
world of ours."
"I don't know about that," replied the new foreman, a sudden flush
rising to his weather-beaten face. "It all seems too good to be true."
"You'll find it to be true enough when you draw your next pay, Griggs,"
laughed Tom. "Then you'll realize that you aren't dreaming. In the
meantime your dinner is getting cold at your boarding place. Don't let
your new job spoil your appetite."
When Tom and Harry rode into town at noon the following day they beheld
a scene of great activity at the site of the destroyed Cactus House.
All the blackened debris had been carted away during the morning by a
large force of men. Now, derricks lay in place, to be erected in the
afternoon. A steam shovel had been all but installed and a large
stationary engine rested on nearly completed foundations.
George Ashby, proprietor of the Mansion House, who had dared, during the
last two days, to show himself a little more openly on the streets of
Paloma, halted just as Tom and Harry stepped out of the automobile to
look over the scene of Foreman Griggs's morning labors.
"Looks as if the Cactus House might be rebuilt," remarked Ashby, burning
with curiosity.
"No," said Tom briefly.
"Carter is going to change the name?" inquired Ashby.
"No. Carter doesn't own this land any more."
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