CAPE MAY COUNTY TIMES. Si: A ISLE CITY. N. J.

THE WRECKERS

“WHO—SHEILA MACRAE? SHE'S A WIDOW."

8yt-.0[>«l» - Graham Norrro**. «n all-aroun.1 railroad man. havtni? nnlalio.1 tha conairudloA work on th« Oreson Midland. I* on Ida way to Chirauo lit In'tnda to take a vacation and than ronaldtr a Canadian genaral manoger a job Jlmmlc Dodda. hla aecretary. la with him Thty art marooned at Sand Creek aiding, with a charnslng young woman. Mre. Sheila Macrae, and her young coualn. Malale Ann. Unaeen. they wltneea an exceedingly odd aort of

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CHAPTER II—Continued. —2— Mr. SdVeroa* told wliat are had Keen. «nd how we hod on me to he where we were able to see It. but thnt didn't help out much, either. From any point of view It seemed perfectly foolish, and the boss made mention of that. If we hadn'r happened to be there to Vtng the engine bock, the worst that |^ ?ouId have befallen Mr. Chadwick and the crew of tbe special would have been a few hours’ bother and delay. In the oourae of time the conductor would hare wnlked out and Rot lo a wire station somewhere, though It might have taken him nil night, and tlien some, to get another engine. Naturally, Mr. Chadwick was rediot about It. on general principles. I guess he wasn't used to being kidnaped. “I can't help thinking that It Is connected with what Is due to happen to-morrow morning. Graham.” he said, tt the end of things. ''There are some certain scoundrels in Portal City at the present moment who wouldn't stop «t anything to gain their ends, and I am wondering now If Dawea wasn't mixed up In It." “Who Is Dawes?" "Dn*es Is a mining man In Portal City, and before I'd been an hour In town yesterday he hunted me up and wanted me to go over to Strnthconn to look at some gold prospects he's trying to finance. I said 'No' a! first, because I was expecting you. and thought you'd reach Portal City this morning. When you didn't show up. I knew I had twelve hours :ilore on my hands, and as Dawes was still hanging on. I had our trainmaster *lve roe a special over to Strnthconn, on a promise that I'd be brought back early this evening, ahead of the 'Flyer' from tbe west—the train you were on." Mr. Norcross nodded. "And the promise wasn't kept." “No promise Is ever kept on the Pioneer Short Line," growled the hlg magnate. And then, with a beautiful disregard for Ihe mixed figures of speech: “Once in n blue moon the A chapter of accidents hits the butl's- ^ -eye whack la the twiddle, Graham When Hardshnw wired me from Port land, I knew you couldn’t reach Portal ■City before this morning, at the very earliest. That was going to cut my time pretty short, with the hlg gun due to lie fired tomorrow morning, ond jou cut It still shorter by losing twelve hour.i somewhere along the road—they told me in the dispatcher's office that your train was behind a wreck somewhere up In Oregon. But It has turned out all right, in spite of everything. You're here, and we've got the night before us." Then I suppose he nodded townrd me. for the lies* said: “Oh. Jimmie's all right; he knew what I had for dinner this evnlnr. and he’ll know what I'm going to have for breakfast tomorrow morning" With the bridle off. the big man went ahem! abruptly, cutting out all the frills. "You finished your building con tract on the Oregon Midland. Graham. and after the road was opened for business you reiused 1111 offer of the general managership, Would mind telling me why you did “Not In tbe leas:. There is nothing in it, An operating head is now

worse neglected pieces of railroad track in some of the great transcontinental lines, but If there sre I haven't happened to notice them. I suppose It Is capitalised to death, like many of the others." ‘'Fictitious values doubtless have something to do with It at Ihe present stage of the game," Mr. Chadwick admitted. “It has always been a good earning property, being largely, even yel. without much local competition. But from the day It was completed Ms securities have figured In the market only for their speculative values. The property itseli has never been considered, save as a means to an end; the end being to enable one bunch of the Wall Street gamesters you speak of to make a 'killing' and unload on another bunch." “The old story," said Mr. Norcross. “We are bumping over the net result. right now." Mr. Chadwick went on. “Pioneer Short Line U practical-

“You're the Man, Graham." Iy In the last ditch. The stock has limped to forty and worse; Shaffer, he general manager and the only able man we have had for years, has resigned In disgust; and if something Isn't done tomorrow morning in Portal City, I know of at least one minority stockholder who is going to throw the whole mess Into the courts and try for a receivership." Mr. Norcross looked up quickly. "Are you the minority stockholder. Uncle John?" he asked, letting himself use 'he neme by which Mr, Chadwick was best known In the wheat pit. “I am—more's the pity. I had a little lapse of sanity one tine morning a few years ago and bought In for an investment. I've done everything I could think of. Graham, to persuade Breck Dunton and his Wall Street accomplices to spend Just one dollar In ten of their reorganization and re-

besides. I'm not quite ready to commit suicide." And then to me. “Jimmie. suppose you go and tap on the door and tell the ladies we’re pulling into Portal City." I hung around while the boss was telling Mrs. Sheila and Malsle Ann good-by. and 1 was In the baggageroom. digging up the put-off stuff, at the good-by minute. But 1 guess they didn't quarrel any—the boss and Mrs. Sheila. She was laughing a little to herself as I helped her down from the car, and when I asked her where she wanted to go. she said I might ask one of the porters to carry the traps, and we'd walk to the hotel, which was only a few blocks up Ihe mala street She took Malsle Ann on the other side of her and let two of the blocks go by without spying anything more, and then she gave that quiet little laugh again and said. “Your Mr. Norcross amuses me, Jimmie. He says I have no business to travel without a guardian. What do you think about It?" I told her I hadn't any thinks coming. and she seemed to take that for ■ Joke and laughed some more. Then she asked me If I'd ever been In New York, and 1 felt sort of small when I had to tell her that I had never been east of Omaha In all my life. With that, she told me not to worry; that If I stayed with Mr. Norcross I'd probably get to go anywhere I wanted to. Something In the way she said It made It sound like a little slam on the boss, and of course 1 wasn't going to stand for that. “There Is one thing about It: the boss will make good wherever he goes," 1 hit back. “You can bet on that." “I like your loyalty," she flushed out. "It Is a fine thing In a day thnt Is much too careless of such qualities. And I agree with you thnt your Mr. Norcross Is likely to succeed; more than likely. If he w.'ll only learn to combine a little gentle cleverness with the heavy hand." "I don't think you have any cause to blacklist Mr. Norcross," I said. "Hasn't he been right good and brotherly to both of you this evening?" “Oh. I didn't mean that," she said real earnestly. "But In tbe stateroom In Mr. Chadwick's car: the ventilator was open, you know, until Malsle Ann I got up and shut It. and we couldn't j very well help hearing what was said about the kidnaping. Neither Mr. Chadwick nor Mr. Norcross seemed to be able to account for It." '•Can you account for It?" I aske*'. bluntly enough, I guess. At this she smiled and said, “It would be rather presumptuous for me to try where Mr. Norcross and Mr. Chadwick fnl'ed, wouldn't It? But maybe I can give you Just n wee little him. You suw the two men who went over to the auto and smoked while they were waiting for the other two to come back? If I am not mistaken. I have seen them many times before, and they are very well known here in Portal City. One of them, the smaller one with the derby hat and the short overcoat, was either Mr. Rufus Hatch or h!s double; and the other, the heavy-set one, might have been Mr Gustave I: -nckel. Mr. Hatch's partner In the Red Tower company." This didn’t help out much, but you can bet that l made a note of the two names. "You are going hack to Mr. Chadwick's car?" she asked, when she was telling me good-by and thanking me for coming up to the hotel with them. I told her I was. and then she around to the kidnaping buslt:

went In all the decalogues of business ; of fair-dealing with its employees; of common honesty with everybody.” Mr. Chadwick nodded. "That Is about the sir.' of It," be said. “I wouldn't soy thnt it can't be done," the boss went tin. Perhaps It is possible, for the tight man. But I'm not the right man. You need somebody who can combine the qualities of a pretty brutal slugger with those of a fine-haired, all-things-to-nll-incn. diplomatic peacemaker. 1 can do the slugging; I've proved it „ lime or two In the past. But I'm no good at the other end of the game When It comes to handling the fellow with a 'pull,' I've either got to smash him or quit. I am too heavy-handed for this Job of yours. And ns for the other thing— the industrial side of it: that's a large order; a whaling hlg order. I'm not oven prepared o say, off-hand, tha’ It’s the right thing to do." “Bight or wrong. It's a thing that Is coining, Graham," was the sober reply. “If we don't meet it half-way-well, tbe time will come when we of the hlring-und-flring side won't be given any option In the matter. You may call It Utopian If you please, and add Unit I'm growing old and losing my grip. But that doesn't obliterate the fact that the days of the present master-nnd-mun relations In the Industries are numbered. “We'll let It rest until morning and give j >u a chance to sleep on It. You have spoken only of the difficulties and the responsihllltes. Graham: but there is another side to It. In a way. It's an opportunity, carrying with It the promise of the biggest kind of a “I don't see It." said the boss. "Don't you? I do. I have an Idea rambling around in my head that It Is about time some bright young fellow wns showing the people of the United States that a railroad needn't be regarded as an outlaw among the industries; needn't have the enmity of everybody it serves; needn't be the prey of a lot of disloyal and dissatisfied employees who are Interested only In the figure of the pay-day check; needn't be shot at as a wolf with a bounty on Its scalp. Let It rest at that for the present. Get your hat ami we'll walk up-town to the hotel.” When we got out of the car. Mr. Norcross told me to go by the station and have our luggage sent to tbe hotel. It wns some time after eleven o'clock when I got around to the hotel with the trap?. Mr Chadwick had disappeared, hut 1 saw the boss at the counter waiting for his chance at the clerk. The people melted away at last, all but one—a young swell who would have been handsome If he hndn'' had the eyes of n maniac and a color that was sort of corpse-llbe with the pallor of a booze-lighter. He had his hat on tbe hack of his bead, and he was ripping it off at the clerk like a drunken hobo. It seemed that he had caught a glimpse of somebody he knew—a woman. I took It. because he said "she"— looking down from the rail of the mezzanine, and he wanted to go up to h<-r. And It appeared that the clerk h?d told the elevator man not to take him tip In his present condition. The boss was growing sort of Impatient; I could tell It by the way the little side muscles on his Jaw were working When he got the ear

don't you ring for an officer and have

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i In?"

The night clerk was evidently scared of Ids Job. "I wouldn't dare to do that." he cblttered. "He's one of the New York crowd—the railroad people— President Dun ton's nephew — guest of the house.” The young fellow had pulled himself around to nnr side of the counter by ttds time and was hooking his arm to make a pass at Mr. Norcross. trimming things up ns he came with a lot more language. The boss said, right short and sharp, to the clerk. “Get Ids room key and give It lo a boy who ran show me the way." and the next thing we knew he had bushed that lunatic square in Ihe face and was cuffing him along to Ihe nearest eleva-

tor.

He came back In a few minutes, looking ns cool as a cucumber. •'What did you do with him?" asked the clerk, kind of awed and half scared. "Got a couple of the corridor sweepers to put him in a bath and turn the cold water on him. That'll tase the whisky out of him. Now. if you have a minute to spare. I'd like to get my assignment." We hadn't more than got our rooms marked off for us when I saw Mr. Chadwick coming across from the farther of the I hr- -levators. He was smiling sort of i, as If he'd made a killing of soi; sort with Mr. Dunton. and Instead of heading back for his car he took the boss over to a corner of the lobby and sat down to smoke with him. They didn't seem to be talking anything private, so I sat down Just beyond them, so sleepy thnt I could hardly see straight. Mr. Chadwick was telling about his early experiences lu Portal City, how be blew In first on top of the Strnthcona gold boom, and how he had known mighty near everybody In the region In those days. While he was talking, a taxi drove up and one of the old rvsldentors came In from the street and crossed to the elevators: a mighty handsome, stately old gentleman, with fierce white mustaches and a goatee, and “Southern Colonel" written alt over him. "There's one of them now; Major Basil Kendrick—Kentucky horn and raised, as you might guess.” Mr. Chadwick wns saying. I grubbed at the name, "Basil." right away: it Isn't such a very common name, and Mrs. Sheila had said something—under the water tank, you recollect—about a “Cousin Basil" who was to have met her at the train. 1 was putting two or three little private guesses of my own together, when one of th - elevators came down and here came our two. the young lady and the chunky little girl, with the major chuckling and smiling and giving en arm to each. They had apparently stopped at the Bullard only to wait until he could come after them and take them home. I saw the boss sit up In his chair and stare at them. Then he said: "That's Mrs. Macrae with him now. Is she a member of his family?" "A second cousin, or somettilng of that sort." said Mr. Chadwick. “I met her once at the major's house out In the northern suburb lust summer." Mr. Norcross let the three of them get out and away, and we heard their taxi speed up and trundle off before he said. "She Is married. I'm told. Where Is her husband?" Mr. Chadwick looked up ns If he'd already forgotten the three who had Just crossed the lobby. "Who—Sheila Macrae? Yes. she

become of the boss—w 1, > was generally the earliest riser on the Job— the sereen doors of llie .-afo pi,king their teeth and feeling in their pockets for cigars. Right on the dot, and In the face of knowing that it couldn't reasonably he so. 1 hud a feeling that I'd seen those men before. One of thorn was short and rather stocky, and his face had a sort of hard, hungry look ; and the other was hlg and barrel-bodied. The short one was cleanshaven, bin the oilmr had a reddishgray iHwrd clipped close on Ills fat jaws and .rimmed to a point at the chin. Afler they had lighted up they came along and sat down three or four chairs away from me. They paid no attention to me, hut for fear they might. 1 tried to look ns sleepy as an all-night bell-hop In a busy hotel. “The Dunton bunch got together In one of the eommlttee rooms up stairs a little after eight o'clock." said the short man. in a low, rasping voice that

went through you tike a buzz-saw. "Thanks to those Infernal blunderers Clanahan sent us last night. Chadwick was with them." “I think that was choost so." said the big man. speaking slowly and with something more than n hint of a German accent. "Beckler was choost what you call him—n tam btundi rer.” Like n flash It came over me that I wns “listening In” to a talk between the same two men who had sat in tho auto at Sand Creek siding and smoked while they were waiting for the actual kidnapers to return. You cun bet high that I made myself mighty small and unobtrusive. After a while the big man spoke again. "Whnt has Uncle Chon Chadwick up his sleeve got. do you think?" “I don't think—I know 1" was the snappy reply. "It's one of two things: . a receivership—which will knock ns Into a cocked list because we can't fool with an officer of the United States court—or a new deal all around In the management." "Vlch of the two will It be that will come out of that comtnlddee room up"A new management. Dunton can't stand for a receivership, and Chadwick knows It. The securities would he knocked out and the majority holders—Dunton and his bunch—couldn't unload. Chadwick will name the man who Is to take Shaffer's place as general manager of the railroad outfit. We might have stood It off for a while. Just ns I said yesterday. If we could have kept Chadwick from attending this meeting." "But now we don't could stand It off—what then?" “We'll have to wait and see and size up the new man when he blows In. He'll be only human, Heucket. And if we get right down to It we can

» that I think 1 shall * offer I've had from nadian companies." "Good hoy 1" rbm-k magnate. "In due i hope to he reading ynewspapers—'Sir Gr:

■ with a sharp t 1 * 1 ••f gritting seriousness ridmj; over the Fione since early this tnon what d„ y„ u think of I couldn't see the bo e ®old figure It pretty ****!: "There may l«‘ '