This was one of the days when the emigrant
and settlers' trains arrived both from the East and from "the States,"
and Front Street in Lebanon had, from early morning, been alive with the
children of hope and adventure.
With hands plunged deep in the capacious pockets of his grey jacket,
Ingolby walked on, seeing everything; yet with his mind occupied
intently, too, on the trouble which must be faced before Lebanon and
Manitou would be the reciprocating engines of his policy. Coming to a
spot where a great gap of vacant land showed in the street-land which he
had bought for the new offices of his railway combine--he stood and
looked at it abstractedly. Beyond it, a few blocks away, was the Sagalac,
and beyond the Sagalac was Manitou, and a little way to the right was the
bridge which was the symbol of his policy. His eyes gazed almost
unconsciously on the people and the horses and wagons coming and going
upon the bridge. Then they were lifted to the tall chimneys rising at two
or three points on the outskirts of Manitou.
"They don't know a good thing when they get it," he said to himself. "A
strike--why, wages are double what they are in Quebec, where most of 'em
come from! Marchand--"
A hand touched his arm. "Have you got a minute to spare, kind sir?" a
voice asked.
Pages:
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147