CAPE MAY COUNTY TIMES. SEA ISLE CITY. N. J.

The Wreckers

l.-llinc

By FRANCIS LYNDE

J OotrrrlrM by n

"RfSICNED—CAVE UP AND RAN AWAY?"

Bynopsl*.—NorroM. railroad nutnaKm Dodd*, arr marocnrd at Sand t'rrrk *id1nK with o and her imiall <-<*|a!n. I’naron, thry wltno** * p*. a apeolal car la da fried off. Norrroaa rr. oj;ni*ra t wlck’a, flnanclal macnatr. wh om hr war to mm * roactir 1,'hadwlck. Tlir latter offer* Nor ro.«s Pioneer Short Line, which la In the hnnd* .of rat Brerkmrldgr Dunton. prraid.nt of thi> line No

Macrae l* atoppln* at Portal flty arrrpta hodda ,. un »_ r „ llnfl tween Rufua Hatch and Ouatave Henckel, Portal Cltv ffnanclera 'in which ^“fr^m J ? Ch ";:" r,rk ',* i' dn,P ' n,t ,h " ,r ob, *'• , b ' ln ' 10 Chadwick from attondlnK a mertlne of director! to rroriranlir the Pioneer Short Line, which would jeopardlir their lntrre«i* To curblhe mononolv controlled by Hatch and Henckel. the R«d Tower corporation. Norcroaa forma the Clllxena' Rtoraae and Warehnuae company. He l^rln* to manlfeat a deep Interest In

. know SS* " “ ,r ” a - " ,l ”« '™" h ”

and h'a aecretary. Jimmie youn K iady. Sheila Macrae, illar train holdup. In which •• car alolen as John ChndPortal City. He and Dodds the management of the ern a peculator*, headed by cross. learnlnB that Sheila

CHAPTER V And Satan Came Alio “T saw your office lights from the street," was the way the Red Tower president began on me. nnd his voice took mo straight back to the Oregon woods and a lumber camp where the saw-fliers were at work. "Whore Is Mr. Norcross?” I told him that Mr. N'orcrosx was up-town, and that I didn't suppose he would come hack to the office again that night, now that it was so late. “My name Is Hatch, of the Red Tower company," he grated, after a minute or two. “You're the one they call Dodds, aren’t you?" I admitted I', and bo went on. "Norcross brought you here with Mm from the West, didn't he? What pay are you getting here?" It was on the tip of my tongue to tuss him out right there and then and tell Hm It was none of his business. Rut the second thought (which Isn't always as good as It's said to be) whispered to me to lead him on and gee how far he would go. So I told him the figures >f my pay check. "I'm needing another shorthand man. and I can afford to pay a good bit more than that.” he growled. -They tell me you ore well up at the top In your trade. Are you open to an offer?" I let him have It straight then. “Not from you." I said. “And why not from me?” Here was where I made my first bad break. All of a sudden I got so angry at the thought that he wits actually trying to buy me that I couldn't see anything hut red. and I blurted out, “Because I don't hire out to work for any strong-arm outflt—not If I know It!" For a little while he gat blinking at me from under his bushy eyebrows, and his hard mouth was drawn Into a straight line with a menu little wrinkle coming and going tiers of It. When he gut ready to speak again be auid. "You're only a boy. You want to get on in the world, don't you? I'm offering you a good chance: the best you ever had. You don't owe Norcross anything more than your job. do yon?" "Maybe not." "That s better. Put on your hat and come along with me. I want to show you what I con do for you In a better field than railroading ever was. or ever will be. It'll pay you—" and he named « figure that very nearly made me fall dead out of my ihulr. Of course. It was all plain enough. The boss had him on the hip with that kidnaping business, with me for a witness. And he was trying to fix the witness. “I gees* we needn'l beat about the busbeg any longer. Mr. Hatch.” I said, bracing up to him. “I haven't told the sheriff, or anybody hut Mr. Norcross, what I know about a certain little train hoid-up that happened a few weeks ago down at Sand Creek siding: but that Isn't saying tlia< I'm not going to." If I had had the sense of a flelA mouse. I might have known that I was no match for snch a man: but I 'acked the sense—lacked It good and

bard.

"You're like your boss." he snld Shortly. "You'd go a long distance out of your way to make an enemy when there Is no need of it. That hold-up business was a Joke, from start to finish. I don't know tmw you and Norcross came to grt IB •» It: the Joke was meant to bt Bo John Chadwick. The night before. Jt a little dinner we were giving him at the railroad club, be wild live re never was a railroad hold-up that couldn't have been stood off, A few of us go: together afterward and put up a Job on him: sent him over to Strathcona and arranged to have him held up .m the way back " "Mr Chadwick didn't take It as f joke 1" I retorted. "I know he didn't; and that'

subpoena can find me when I'l wnnted." 'That's all nonsense, nnd you know It—If you're not 100 much of a kid to know anything." he snapped, shooting out his heavy Jaw at me. “I merely wanted to give you a chance to get rid of the railroad collar. If you felt like It. I like a fighting man; and you've got nerve. Take a night and sleep on It. Maybe you'll think differently In the morning." Here was another chance for me to get off with a whole skin, but by this time I was completely lost to any sober weighing and measuring of the Possible consequences. Loaning across the desk end I gave him a final shot. Just ns he was getting up to go. "Listen. Mr. Hutch," I said. "You haven’t fooled me for a single minute. Your guess Is right; I heard every word that passed between you and Mr. Henckel that Monday morning In the Bullard lobby. As I sny. I haven't

Everything Went Bl

told anybody yet but Mr. Norcross; but if you go to making trouble for him anil the railroad company. I'll go Into court and swear to what I know!”

He was half-way • when I got through,

made any sign that he heard what I said. After he was gone I began to sense. Jus! a little, how big a fool I had made of myself. But I was still mad clear through at the Idea that he had taken me for the otlier kind of a fool—the kind that wouldn't know enough to he sura that the president of a big corporation wouldn't get down to tampering with a common ct *rk unless there was some big thing

io be stood off by It.

Stewing nnd slzxling over It I puttered around with the papers on my desk for quite a little while before I remembered the two telegrams, nnd Die fact that I'd have to g-> and stick the thrae-hl»ded knife Into Mr. Norrross. When I did remember, I shored the message* into my pocket, flicked off the lights and started to go uptown and hunt for the boss. Afier closing the outer door of the Office 1 don't recall anything particular except that I felt ray way down the headquarters stair In the dark and groped across the low. r hall to the outside door that served for the stairentrance from the street. When I had fell around and found the brass i. something happened. I didn't v- Jusi what, in th. tiny little

ahead of nursey. I had to blink hard two or three times before I could really make up my mind that the tlp-toer was Malsle Ann. She looked as If she might be the muse's understudy. She had a nifty Hale lace cap on her thick mop of hair, nnd 1 guess her apron was meant to be nursey too. only It was frilled and tucked to a fnre-you-

well.

“Von poor, poor hoy!” she cooed, patting my pillow Just like toy grandmother used to when I was a little kid and had the mumps or the measles. "Are you still roaming around In the Oregon woods?' That brought my dranra. or one off them, back; the one about wandering around In a forest of Douglas fir nnd having to Jump and dodge to keep the big trees from falllug on me and smashing me. "No more woods for mine." I snld. sort of feebly. And then: “Where "You are In bed In the spare room at Cousin Basil's. They wanted to take you to the railroad hospital that night, but when they telephoned up here to try to find Mr. Norcross. Cousin Basil went right down nnd brought you home with him in the ambulance." “That night,' you aay?" I parroted. “It was last night that the door fell on me, wasn't It?" “I don't know anything about a door, hut the night that they found you all burnt and crippled, lying at the foot of your office stairs, was three days ago. You have been out of your head nearly all the time ever since." Burnt nnd crippled? What happened to me. Malsle Ann?" “Nobody knows; not even the doctors. We've been hoping that some day you'd be able to tell us. Can't you tell me now. Jimmie?" I told her all there was to tell, mumbling- around among the words the best I could. Then she told me how the headquarters watchman had found me about midnight; with my right hand scorched black nnd the it of me apparently dead nnd ready be hurled. The ambulance surgeon had Insisted, and was still Insisting, that I hod been handling a live wire; but there were no wires at all In the lower hall, and nothing stronger than Incandescent light current In the entire office building. 'And you say I've been here hnngon hy my eyelashes for three days? What has been going on In all that time. Malsle Ann? Hasn't anybody

"It wan what I was thorn, that same evening,

>er—down in the hall when you ’tigbl I lie flowers for C.insin Sheilu. Vo-! told him what I told you. didn't

four

"No; I didn't have a chance—not 'Then somebody else told him. Jira,,lp : and that Is the reason be has

Brlu thinks It wo-

nt of Hie Chadwick

and Hint Is why lo-

Mr.

two

and Mr. Dunton. wants to talk t<

you know, and 1 know, Jimmie, dear; and for Cousin Sheila's sake and Sir. Norcross’, we must never lisp It to a human soul. A new general manager has been appointed, and he Is on Ids way out here from New York. Everything has gone to pieces on the railroad. and all of Mr. Norcross' friends an- getting ready to resign. Isn't it perfectly heart-breaking?" It was; it was so heart-breaking Unit 1 Just gasped once or twice and went off the hooks again, with Malsle Alin's frightened little shriek ringing in my ears as she tried to hold me back from slipping over the edge.

"Mr. Van Britt has

. teles

left the

e." I > - it the

hi

covci .ng up ll

as hadn't h« cu deliver.-! -that th • probably In the pocket of t right now. wherever Hmt wi '■>' were enough to make any in ■•v up his ImtuTs and quit, I should

"No." she Insist e< might In the eyes. Iliiig the truth now, now Mr. Norcross l>

looking

ml >

t It Isr

i here to »

t of the door bed-clothes to and he never | made out to an

we i

• all i

> dig i

fraction of a .- as you might s and the grave, ihat the door ’ and mashing n everything wen When I cam

I the I

. life

left

/• thing decently. Perhaps | «

we t ad* all been taking a drop too >' much at the club dinner that night, j " At shat 1 sealed up man-size and j * kicked i ne whole kettle of fat into j «

the Are

“Of coura*. It was a Joke!" I ftp- : night to try to hire me away from Mr. | p N. rets>** i- another. The wood* are j a full of good shorthand men. Mr. Hatch, j ” tun for the present 1 think I *hi"

endless succes

bad dreams It was broad dayll the sun was shining brightly some tllray kind of curtain sti

big window that lot

I '

ied.

She gave a little nod. “Everybody, nearly. Mr. Van P.rltt has been up •ry day. nnd sometimes twice a day, He has been awfully anxious for you come alive." But Mr. Norcross?” I queried. "Hasn't he been up?" She shook her heat! and turned her face away, and she was looking straight out of the window at tin set when she asked. "When was the Inst time you saw Mr. Norcross.

Jimmie?"

•hoked a little over a big scanthat seemed to rush up out of the

mother me. But I

answer her question, tellMr. Norcross had left the

office maybe half aii flour or so before I di.,' that night, going up town with ' r. Ripley. Then I asked her why

•he Wanted to know.

"Because nobody has seen him since a little Inter that same night." she said, saying It very softly and without turning her head. And then : "Mr. Von Britt found a letter from Mr. Norcross on his desk the next morning. It was Just a little typewritten note, on a Hotel Bullard letter sheet, saying that he had made up his mind ; that the Pioneer Short Line wasn't ; worth lighting lor. and that be was i resigning and hiking the midnight '

tram for the East."

I sat straight up in bed; I should have had to do it If both arms had been burnt to a crisp clear to the

shoulders.

“Resigned?—gave up and ran away? j

that for a single min

I burst out.

She was shaking her head ngnln. | III without turning her face so that I

could see It.

"I—I'm afraid IP* all true. Jimmie •era were two telegrams that came Mr. Norcross the night he went •av: one from Mr. Chadwick and the her from Mr. Dunlon. I heard Mr m Britt telling Cousin Sh.-lla whin pies of them that they keep In -he

. graph office."

I; was on my tongue's end to sny lit Mr. Norcross never had seen the o telegratSs. because I had them hi

you think tl

CHAPTER VI

What Every Man Knows— I wasn't gone very long on this sec ond excursion into the woozy-woozles. though It was night-time, and the shaded electric light was turned on when I opened my eyes nnd found Sirs. Sheila sitting by the bedside. Tin- change in Mrs. Sbeila made me gasp. She wasn't any less pretty a‘s she sat there with her hands clasped in her lap. but she w: ferent; sober, and with the laugh all gone out of the big gray eyes, and a look in them as If she had suddenly become so wise that nobody could

ever fool her.

“You are feeling better now?" » asked, when she found me staring

her.

I told her I guessed I was. but that my hand hurt me some. "You have had a grant shock of some kind—besides the bum. Jimmie." she rejoined, folding up the bed covers so thui the bandaged hnnd would rest easier. “The doctors are nil puzzled. Does your head feel quit,- clear now— so that you can think?'* "It feels as If I had a crazy clock In It." I said. “But the thinking part is all right. Have you heard anythlng from Mr. Norcross yet?" "Not a word. We have been hoping that you could tell us something when you should recover sufficiently to talk. Can't you. Jimmie?" Remembering what Malsle Ann had toM me Just before I went off the hooks, I thought I might tell her a lot If I dared to. But ibat wouldn't do. So I Just said: “I told Malsle Ann ill I knew about Sir. Norcross. He left the office some lirtle time before i did—with Mr. Ripley. I didn’t know where they were going.” They went to the hotel." she helped out. "Mr. Ripley says they sat In the lobby until after ten o'clock, and then Mr. Norcross went up to bis rooms.” Of course. I knew that Mr. Ripley knew all about the Hatch ruction; hut If he hadn't told her. 1 wasn't going to tell her. There was some trouble In connection with Mr. Ha.'h that evening, wasn't there?" she asked. “Hatch had some trouble—yes. But I guess the boss didn't have any." I replied. Tell me about It." she commanded; and I told her Just as little as l could; I how Hatch had had an interview with | the boss earlier In the evening, while I was away. “It wasn't n quarrel?" she sueges'ed. “Why should they quarrel?" I asked. She shook her head. "You are sparring with me. Jimmie, In some mls-

i 'lie. Malsle Ann!"

and

v right where ! a

where a court | body opei

east linle bit like him to md leave every tiling to go H.ive you ever known of his doing mythlng like that before?" I had to iidinil that I hadn't; that, m the other hand. It was the very hlng you'd least expert him to do. lut at the same time I had to hang on to my sham belief Mint It was the thing he had done; cither that, or ted her the truth. "Every man n-sclies Ms limit, some time!" I protested. "What was Mr. Norcross to do. I'd like to know; with Mr. Chadwick getting scared out, ami Mr. Dunton threatening to lira Mm?" "The thing he wouldn't do would be to go off and leave all of his friends. Mr. Van Britt ami Mr. Hornuck. and all the rest, to fight It out alone. You know that' as well as I do. Jimmie Dodds!" "If you won't take my theory, you must have one of your own." I said: not knowing what else to say. "I have," she flas. -d liaek. “and I want you to hurry and get well so that you can help me trace it out." "Me?” I queried. “Yes. you. The others ore all so stupid! even Mr. Von Britt nnd Mr. Ripley. They Insist that Mr. Norcross went east to s<-e nnd talk with Mr. Chadwick. They have found out that Mr. Chadwick left Chicago the day after he sent Ihat telegram, to go up Into the Canadian woods to look at some mines, or something. They say that Mr. Norcross has followed him. and that Is why they don't hear anything from him." "What do you think?" I asked. She didn't answer right away, ond In the little pause I saw a sort of frightened look come Into her eyes But all she said was. "I want you to hurry up and get well. Jimmie,

i-an help."

"I'm well enough now. If they’ll let me get up." “Not tonight; tomorrow, maybe.' Then: "Mr. Van Britt Is down-stairs with Cousin Basil. He has lieen very anxious to talk with you as soon as you were able to talk. May I send

him up?"

Of course I said yes; and pretty soon after she went away, our one and only millionaire came In. He looked as he always did; Just as if he had that minute stepp.-d out of a Turkls. bath where they shave and scrub and polish a man till he shines. “How are you, Jimmie?" he rapped out. "Glad to see you on earth again. Feeling a little more fit, tonight?" I told him I didn't think It would take more than half a dozen fellows of my size to knock me out. hut I was gaining. Then he sat down nnd put • on the question rack. I gave him I had—except that thing about the delivered telegrams nnd two or three oibers that I couldn't give him or nny'We're in pretty bad shape, aren't ?" I sugg-sted. "We couldn't he In worse shape,'' ! was the way he put It. Then he told me a little more than Malsle Ann had; how President Dunton had wired to stop nil the betterment work on the Short I.ine uniII the new general manager could get on the ground ; how the local capitalists at the head of the new Citizens' Storage & Warehouse organization were scared plumb out of their shoes and were afraid to make a move; and how the newspapers all over the state were saying that It was Just what they had expected—that the railroad was crooked in root and branch, and that a good man couldn't slay with If long enough to get Ms

breath.

"Then the new general manager has been appointed?*' I asked. He nodded. "Some fellow by the name of Dismuke. I don't know him. and neither does Horoack. He Is on his way west now. they say." "Mr. Norcross hasn't shown up at Mr. Chadwick's Chicago officesT I ventured. “No. The telegraph people have been wiring everywhere and can't get any trace of him." Tell them 'o try Galesburg. That's where his people live." T know." he said; and he made a note of the address on the back of an envelope. Then he came at me again, on the "direct." us a lawyer would

-upp

o be the

W hoi

lldli’I,

I 1 .lldn' 1 him. I!

ill»t

business was beside the

mark. Mulsh- Ann knew, mid 1 knew, that the boss, strong and unbreakable us he was in other ways, had simply thrown up his hands mid quit because somebody hud told him that Mrs. Shelia hud u husband living. So I

just said:

"Nothing that would help out." and after he had talked a little while longer our only millionaire went downstairs again. It's so funny how things change around for a person Just hy giving them time to sort of shake down Into place and fit themselves together. After a while the chin edge of the wedge that Mrs.' Sheila had been try-

n't v

r heard

thing that would help to turn a more light on this damnable blov I hadn't—outside of the one I couldn’t talk about—and I tol m>. and at this he let me see u

Ing to drive Into me began to take hold. Just a little. In spite of what I knew-or thought I knew. Was It barely possible, after all. that them had been foul play of some sort? In th” first place, something had been done to me hy somebody: It was a sura thing that I hadn't crippled and half-killed myaelf all by my lonesomn. Then they had sahl that the hou stayed up with Mr. Hlpley that night until after ten o'eloek. and hud then gone up to go to lied. That being tiro case, how could nnyhody have got tB him between that time and the leaving time of the midnight Fast Mall tB tell him about Mrs. Sheila? Anyway It was stacked up. It matto a three-cornered puzzle, m-edinA soiub* body to tackle It rlglu away; and when I finally went to sleep It waB with the notion that, sick or no sick. | was going to turn out early !n ttro morning and get busy. I was well enough to get up the next morning, nnd when I phoned to Mr. Van Britt he sent his car out to tiro major's to take me down to the officoL Just before I left the house, Mra. Sheila waylaid me. and after telling me that I must be careful and not take cold in the burnt hnnd. she pot in another word about the boss' dlo-

appenrnnee.

"I want you to remember what L said lust night. Jimmie, and not lot the oiliera (nlk you over into the trollef that Mr. Norcross has gone away because ho was either discouraged or afraid. He wouldn't do that: yo« know It. and I know It. We are bis friends, you and I. and we must xtan4 . by Mm and defond him when he Isn’t

here to defend himself."

It did me good to bear her talk that way. I had been sort of getting ■ady to dislike her for letting Uw >ss get in so deep and not telling him straight out that she was a married woman and he mustn't; hut when I saw that she was trying to bo Just ns loyal to him as I was. It pullog

me over to her side again.

Though the boss' disappearance waa now four days old. things were still in a sort of daze down at the railroad offices. Mr. Van Britt, being tbo general superintendent and next la command, had moved over Into tko boss' office, nnd Fred May was doing his shorthand work. They wouldn't lot me do anything much—I couldnt do much with my right arm In a sling -so I had a chance to hang around and size up the situation. Ef you want to know how it sized up, you ran take It from me trial it waa pretty had. People all along th. line were bombarding Mr. Van Britt wltk ietters and telegrams wanting to know what was going to be done, and what the change In mar .geraent was going to mean for the public, and all that. You ire. Mr Norcross had laW out a mighty attractive program Ib the little lime he had been at tho wheel, and now It looked as If It wu all going to be dumped Into the ditch.