eet
from the ground--though the length and breadth of the structure made
them appear lower--so close to the tops of the posts that were to
support the cupola frame that Bannon's eyes spoke of satisfaction. He
meant to hide those posts behind the rising walls of cribbing before the
day should be gone. He glanced about at the piles of two-inch plank that
hid the annex foundation work. There it lay, two hundred thousand feet
of it--not very much, to be sure, but enough to keep the men busy for
the present, and enough, too, to give a start to the annex bins and
walls.

Peterson was approaching from the tool house, and Bannon called.

"How many laborers have you got, Pete?"

"Hardly any. Max, there, can tell."

Max, who had just passed out his last check, now joined them at the
doorstep.

"There's just sixty-two that came for checks," he said, "not counting
the carpenters."

"About what I expected," Bannon replied. "This night business lays them
out." He put his head in at the door. "You'd better give checks to any
new men that we send to the window, Miss Vogel; but keep the names of
the old men, and if they show up in the morning, take them back on the
job. Now, boys"--to Peterson and Max--"pick up the men you see hanging
around and send them over. I'll be at the office for a while. We'll push
the cribbing on the main house and start right in on the annex bins.
There ain't much time to throw around if we're going to eat our
Christmas dinner."

The two went at once. The hoisting engines were impatiently blowing off
steam. New men were appearing every moment, delaying only to answer a
few brisk questions and to give their names to Miss Vogel, and then
hurrying away to the tool house, each with his brass check fastened to
his coat. When Bannon was at last ready to enter the office, he paused
again to look over the ground. The engines were now puffing steadily,
and the rapping of many hammers came through the crisp air. Gangs of
laborers were swarming over the lumber piles, pitching down the planks,
and other gangs were carrying them away and piling them on "dollies," to
be pushed along the plank runways to the hoist. There was a black fringe
of heads between the posts on the top of the elevator, where the
carpenters were spiking down the last planks of the walls and bins.

Miss Vogel was at work on the ledger when Bannon entered the office. He
pushed his hat back on his head and came up beside her.

"How's it comin