Olivia's Mine Read Online Free PDF Page B

cutting him in on the action, he thought. He leaned over and
tapped on Sarah’s desk.
    “When I told Ruby Dalton to pack up her girls
and move on out, I didn’t mean she could set up shop just north of
here, outside the town limits, and she damn well knew that. And
another thing, that John Howser, you pay him up today until the end
of the month. I’m sending him out of here tonight. He’s a walking
disaster area.”
    His thoughts momentarily left his
business.
    “Is my tuxedo ready for the wedding?”
    “Of course Mr. McMichael,” Sarah sighed.
Sarah Lieboldt was one of the few women at Britannia to have a job,
and as such, she found herself indebted to McMichael just like the
men at the mine. She was a frail thing, almost twenty, lived at
home with her parents, and had no boyfriend in sight. She was quite
adept at exasperating McMichael with her constant inane questions
and tendency to be clumsy. But when it came to math, for whatever
reason, she was a genius, which more than made up for her lack of
typing skills. What he was getting for a junior secretary’s wage
was actually a skilled junior accountant, which saved him
considerable time and money.
    “Isn’t Sunday an odd night to have a
wedding?” she asked hesitantly, knocking over her cup of tea.
    McMichael glared at her. He liked to see the
panic in her eyes.
    “What exactly are you suggesting, Sarah?”
    “Nothing sir,” she replied. “I was just
making a little friendly conversation.” She reached for a rag to
clean up the mess. McMichael grabbed some papers on her desk just
before the runaway tea spoiled them. The tea had managed to nick
the corner of some papers despite his efforts.
    “Sorry sir,” she blushed.
    “I didn’t realize we were friends, Sarah. I
thought you were my employee.”
    “Sorry again sir, it’s just that some of the
ladies were asking…” Sarah regretted saying that as soon as the
words were out of her mouth.
    “Then tell the ladies, Miss Lieboldt, that my
niece wanted to get married this weekend, before she sets off for
Winnipeg. I had previously promised the dance hall on Saturday,
last night, to the Harper family wedding party, who had as their
guest, among other people, the Premier of British Columbia, who,
after all that, didn’t even bother to show up as you are well
aware. Not much gets by you, does it Sarah? Still, it could have
been a social faux pas, not to mention a political fiasco, to have
bumped them out for the evening. People in this town don’t always
appreciate what I do for them, you remember that, Sarah. Remember
to tell the caretaker at the hall I want everyone out tonight by
midnight and by God the men working tomorrow had better watch
themselves. That’s all I need is drunk and disorderliness at a
McMichael family function.”
    “I’m sure they’ll behave themselves Mr.
McMichael,” Sarah offered.
    “Humph,” he snarled as he left the office
once more, slamming the door behind him as he went outside. He
paused for a moment then went back into the office. He wasn’t quite
finished.
    “So tell that to the ladies Sarah, and if you
want more time to tell them stories, that can be arranged as
well.”
    He saw her two fingering the typewriter.
    “And never mind the letter, get him on the
phone.”
    “Now?” Sarah asked.
    “In the morning Sarah. First thing Monday
morning, all right?” he said exasperated.
    “Mr. Michael, I was wondering, will there be
any new single young men at the wedding, you know, maybe coming up
for the special occasion?”
    “For the umpteenth time, I don’t know,
Sarah.”
    The door slammed again. McMichael stood
outside viewing the workers heading to their homes. He saw Howser
coming down the hill towards him.
    “Mr. McMichael, I can explain…”
    “Into my office Howser. We’ve got a few
things to discuss,” McMichael said sternly.
    Frank Fitzpatrick headed over to the cabins
on the west side of the beach town. He had been lucky that a
vacancy had come up