The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, October 30, 1904, Page 3

THE SAN TFRANCISCO SUNDAY CALL —_— to humanity than the woman who had forgotten b to ery. 3tt into the turmoil of thoughts half ant, bhzif self-compaszicnate, reproach and a great wave of . She saw, as with a pection, her moth- h inadequacy, and £aw, too, that the fought unselfishly, mother's declara- S atedly “'go wes no mere petu- it was for her daughters i grown thin and haggard : the persistent re- it was for them ng the Grimkie in- the matck-making long battle it aged her; her were not she put msby was in ki ad seen him bu g mist of emo- The tears in Elinor's eyes altogeth: of 1t y'. set your heart upon this r but I know you have. ave d as I could to be easonable; to you and Pe- t s Ormsby. He is a shame to give , almpst the mother-iove ) was careful and gs that perish the wa incoher- in the troubled put the mother who nd the daugh her knees at g her face in the lap , child; don’t ¢ r you like tk own voice shs ave been thinking future, and fear! couldn’t bear u are making it harder % tearful re- it is I who am He d stir up the the thrifty gear-ge e dead and gone G and diluted and Hepzibah, las ng wine = iry hteousness had co trained. it, daughter,” she the tale was told, ed head tenderly of healing. r right, Ellie, dear; And ou were the only one to t matter; it was all Are you sure he and stood with clasped mother’s chair; a very hal ble young woman erself the head of n means of knowing what she said slowly. “But I has turned back.” t the door and a » say that Mr. ng with h Miss Brentwood near! te,” and when e a confidante the first time since you have suspected summer in New Hamp- is true,” she confessed. “I much as I dare to whether he cares for t J am not strong ut I am, and Mr. Ormsby is ugh and generous enough to half-wa$. Is there any other ng to do, mother?” bah shook her head de- and determinedly, though she was shaking the Ormsby to the abyse of the unattain- D is his just d being sorry for do if he says But I can’t n, Ellie. What t doesn’t make s were downcast. Having asked so ch and accepted so much from him be as he says, mother.” ernoon had been all that a afternoon on the brown high- lands can be, and the powerful tour- ing car had swent them from mile to mile over the dun hills like an earth- i dragon whose wing-beat ed, explosive thud of the pugh most of the miles E'inor had given herself up to silent enjoyvment of re of swift motion, and Orms- wad respected her mood, as he al- Put when they were on the is beyond the mining camp of and he had thrown the engines ke the car gently €, there was room i out last spin together on the igins, I suppose,” he sald. “Your has fixed upon to-morrow for our return to town, hasn’t she?” confirmed it half absently. She keved up to face the in- in this drive with Ormsby, and she was afraid now that he was going to Dbreak. her resolution by a dip into tke «.mmonplaces. “Are vou glad or sorry?” he asked. Ecr reply was evasive. “I have enjoyed the thin, clean air and t freedom of the wide horizons. Who could help it?” “But you have not been entirely kappy?” . it was on her lips to say some con- jonal thiog about the constant jar- rote In 21l human happiness, but she changed-it to a simple “No.” *“May I try if I can give the reason?" She made a reluctant little gesture of assent; some such signal of ac- quiescence as Marie Antoinette may have given the waiting headsman, ou have been afraid every day Jest T shouid begin a second time to press you for an answer, haven't you?” She could not thrust and parry with him. They were past all that. “Yes,” she admitted briefly. . “You break my heart, Elinor,” he filled quickly with the swift shock of gratitvde. “If you had made a study of woman- d through ten lifetimes instead of a part of one, you could not know when and hpw to strike truer and deeper,” ze said; and then, softly: “Why can't you make me iove you, Brookes?” He took his foot from the brake- pedal, and for ten seconds the released car shot down the slope ' unhindered. Then he checked the speed and an- swered her. “A little while ago I should have said I didn’t know; but now I do knows It is becadse you love David Kent: you loved him before I had my chance.” She did not deny the principal fact, but she gave him his opportunity to set it aside if he could—and would. “Call it foolish, romantic sentiment, it you like. there no way to shame me out of it? He shook his head slowly. “You don’t mean that.” “But if I say that I do; if I insist that I am willing to be shamed. out of i.” His le was that of a brother who remembers tardily to be loving-kind. “1 shall leave that task for some one who cares less for you and for your true happiness than I do, or ever shall. And it will be a mighty thankless ser- vice that that ‘some one’ will render you.” “But I ought to be whipped and sent to bed,” she protested, almost tearfu “Do you know what I have done?—how 1 have— She could not cuite put it in words, , and he helped her gener- before. what Kent hasn’t done; to the point. But he enough if you will give .. said definitively. One thing, and one thing s kept him from telling you ince last autumn: that is a al loyalty to me. I saw how stood when he came aboard of ain at Gaston—I am asking you e that I didn't know it befure— I saw then that my only hope to make a handfast friend of him. d 1did “I Yelieve you can do anything you ry to do,” she said warmly. This time smile was a mere have to make one exception 'd =0 shall L. And since it consequenc it grinds. e anything but u would have dow another what you thrown him out of way,” she rejciaed. would have a dago’s trick; not a waite man he asser “I sup- pose 1 might have got in his way and d the dog in the manger generally, you would have stuck to your ise and marri me, but I am not ing for that kind of a winning. I ssing that I played my card I released you from vour engageme I said to myself: If that doesn't ak down the bar- rs nothing w - leoked up quickly. i, mever know ou how near it aidn’t quite. ,s yther-smile came again. paste that leaf down and turn er; the one that has David Kent's name written at the top. tle is to succeed all around, Elindr, and 1 going to help him—for his sake well as yours.” she dissented. “He (s to fail; and I am to blame for ‘it. He looked at her sidewise. “So you were at the bottom of that. were you? I thought as much, and tried to make him admit it, but he wouldn't. What was your reason”™ “I gave it to him; I can’'t give it to you.” “I guess not,” he laughed. “I was not born on the right side of the Berk- shire Hills to appreciate it. But reaily, you mustn't interfere. As I say. we are going to make somethipg out of David; and a little conscience—of the right old Pilgrim Fathers’ brand—goes a long ways in politics 2cing “But you promised me you were not going to spoil him—only it doesn’t mat- ter; you ean't.” sby chuckled openly, and when she questioned “What?” he said: I was just wondering what you y if you knew what he is into guess, for instance, have put up a cool thousand to be used as he sharp disappointment in “You don’t mean that he is g to bribe th men?” No,” he said, relenting. “As a mat- ter of fact, I don't know precisely what he is doing with the money, but I guess it is finding its way into legiti- te channels. I'll make him give me an itemized expense account for your benefit when it's all over. if you like-” “It would be kinder to tell me more about it now,” she pleaded. “No; I'll let him have that pleasure, after the fact—if we can get him par- dcned out before you go back East.” She was silent so long that he stole another sidewise look between his snubbings of the brake-pedal. Her face was white and still, like the face of one suddenly frost-smitten, and he was in- stantly self-reproachful. “Don’t look that way,” he begged. “It hurts me; makes me feel how heavy my hand is when I'm doing my best t> make it light. He is trying a rather desperate experiment, to be sure, but he is in no immediate personal dan- ger. I believe it or I shouldn’t be here; I should be with him.” / She asked no more questions. being unwilling to tempt him to break con- fidence with Kent. But she was thinking of all the desperate things a determined man with temperamental unbalancings might do When the tous ing car rolled noiselessly down the final hill into the single street of Megilp. There was but one vehicle in the street at the moment; a freighter’s ore- wagon drawn by a team of mules, meekest and most shambling-prosaic of their tribe. The motor-car was running on the spent velocity of the descent, and Ormsby thought to edge past without stopping. But at the critical nstant the mules gave way to terror, snatched the heavy wagon Into the oppesite plank walk, and tried to climb a near-by telephone pole. Orms- by put his foot on the brake and some- thing snapped under the car. ““What was that?” Elinor asked; and Ormsby got down to investigate. “It is our brake connection,” he an- nounced, after a brief inspection. “And we are five good miles from Hudgins and his repair kit.” 4 A ring of town idiers was beginning to form about them. An automobile was still enough of a rarity in the mining-camp to draw a crowd. “Busted?” inquired one of the on- {lookers. Ormshy nodded, and asked if tHere were a machinist in the camp. “Yep,” said the spokesman; “up at the Blue Jay mine.” “Somebody go after him,” suggested Ormsby, flipping a coln, and a boy started on a run.. The waiting was a little awkward. The ringing riders were good-natured, but curious., Ormsby stood by and an- swered questions multiform, diverting curiosity from the lady to the machine. Presently the spokesman said: “Is this here the steam buggy that the lengthening perspective as the east- bound train shot away from Agua Caliente. “What was the trouble that day?” hifi asked, putting in a question on his side. “A little ruction up at the Twin Sis- ters. There was a fuss, an' -a gun went off, accidently on purpose killin’ Jim Harkins,” was the reply. The machinist was come from the Blue Jay and Ormsby helped Elinor out of her seat while the repairs were mak- ing. The town office of the Blue Jay was just across the street, and he took her there and begged house-room and a chair for her, inaking an excuse that he mustigo and see to the brake-mending. But once outside he promptly stul- tificd himself, letting the repairs take care of themselves while he went in search of one Jud Byrers. The deputy sheriff was not haré to find. Normally and in private life ke was the .weigher for the Blue Jay; and Ormsby was di- rected to the seale shanty which served as the weigher's office. The interview was brief and conclu- sive; was little more than a rapid fire of question and answer; and for the greater part the sheriff’s affirmatives were heartily eager. Yes, eertainly; if the thing could be brought to' pdgs, he, Byers, would surely do his part. All ed was an hour or two in which to prepare. >u shall have all the time there fhe reply. “Have you a West- ern Union wire here?” No; nothing but the railroad office.” “That won't do; they'd stop the mes- sage. How about the Inn?” “Breezeland has a Western Union all right; wire your notice there, and I'll fix {o have it 'phoned over- I don’t be- lieve it can be worked, htough,” added the deputy, doubtfully. “We can’t tell till we try,” sald Ormsby; and he hurried back to his car to egg on the machinist with golden promises contigent upon haste. Miss Brentwood found her compan- fon singularly silent on the five-mile race to Breezeland; but the lightning speed at which he drove the car put conversation out of the question. At the hotel he saw her into the lift with deccnt deliberation; but the moment she was off his hands he fairly ran to the telegrapher’'s alcove in the main hall. “Have you a Western Union wire to the capital direct?” he inquired. The syoung man snapped his key and said he had. “It ‘has no connection with the Transwestern railroad offices?” “None whatever.” Ormsby dashed off a brief message tu Kent,"giving three or four addresses at whicii he might be found. “Send that, and have them try the Union station train platform first. Dom't let them spare expense at the other end, and if you can bring proof of delivery to room 261 within half an hour it means a month's pay to you individually. Can you do it?” But the operator was already claim- ing the wire, writing “deth,” ‘‘deth, “deth,” as rapidly as his fingers could shake off the dots and dashes. CHAPTER XXVIIL, By Order of the Court. Between the hours of 8:30 and 10 m. the Union passenger sthtion capital presents a moving and spectacle. 'Within the shed the stuttering pop-valves of the locomotives, the thunderous trundling of the heavy baggage trucks, and the shrill, monotonous chant of the ex- press messengers checking in their car- goes lift a din harmonious to the sea- soned traveler; a medley softened and distance-diminished for those that crowd upon the gate-keepers at the iron grille. It was the evening of the last day in the month; the day wheh the Federa- tive Council of Railway Workers had sent its ultimatum to Receiver Guil- ford. The reduction in wages was to go into effect at midnight; if, by mid- night, the order had not been rescinded, and the way opened for a joint confer- ence touching the removal of certain obnoxicus officlals, a general strike and tie-up would be ordered. Trains in transit carrying passengers or United States mail would be run to their re- spective destinations; trains carrying perishable freight would be run to di-* vision stations; with these exceptions all labor would cease promptly on the stroke of 12. Such was the text of the ultimatum, sa certified copy of which Engineer Scott had delivered in person into the hands of the receiver at noon. It was now 8:45 p. m. The east- bound night express was ready for the run to A. & T. Junction; the fast mail, one hour and thirty-five minutes late from the east, was backing in on track nine to take on the city mail. On track eight, pulled down so that the smoke from the engine should not foul the airjof the train-shed, the receiver’s private car, with the 1010 for motive power and “Red” Callahan in the cab, had been waiting since 7 o'clock for the order to run special to Gaston. And as yet the headquarters office had made no sign; sent no word of reply to the strike notice, and his cap drawn down over his eyes. “'Pis not fr meself I'm thingin’, Misther M'Tosh, as ye well know. But TI'm a widdy man; an’ there’s the bit colleen in the convint.” “She‘ll be well cared for, whatever happens to you,” was the quick reply. “Thin I'm yer man,” said Callahan; and when the train-master was gone, he ordered Shovel to oil around while he did two or three things which, to an initiated onlooker, might have seemed fairly inexplicable. First he discon- nected the girhose between the car and the engine, tying the ends up with a stout cord so that the connection would not seem to be broken. Next he crawled under the naught-seven and deliberately bled the air tank, setting the cock open a mere hair’s-breadth so that it would leak slowly but surely until the pressure was entirely gone. Then he got a hammer and sledge out of the engine tool box, and after hook- ing up the safety chaln couplings be- tween the private car and the 1010, he crippled the points of the hooks with the hammer so that they could not be disengaged, without the use of force and the proper tools. “There ye are, ye ould divil's band- wagon,” he said, apostrophizing the private car when his work was done. “Ye'l! ride this night where Patsy Cal- lahan dhrives, an’ be dommed to ye.” Meanwhile the train-master had reached the iron grille at the other end of the long track platform. At a small wicket used by the station employes and trainmen, Kent was waiting for him. 3 Is it all right, M'Tosh? Will he do it?” he asked anxiously. “Yes, Patsy’s game for it: I knew he would be. He'd put his neck in a rope to spite the major. But it's a crazy thing. Mr. Kent.” e a b, 7 pror’r, Jomaz Mamsron. Z warr rzy RZFEOAD Griggs was on for the night run east- ward with the express; and “Dutch” Tischer had found Himself slated to take the fast mail west. The change of engines on the mail had been effected at the shops; and when Tischer backed his train in on track nine his berth was heside the 1010. Caflahan swung down from his cab and climbed quickly to that of the mail engine. “Annything new at Dutchy ?” he inquired. “L ' was not somet'ings gehearing, nein. You was dot Arkoos newspaper dis evening sehen? He says nodings too, alretty, about dot strike.” “Divil a worrd. Ye might think Scotty’d handed the major a bit av blank paper f'r all the notice he's tak- ing. More thin that, he’s lavin, town, wid me to pull him. naught-sev- en’s to run special to Gaston—bad cess to ut!” “Vell, I can’d hellup id,” said the phlegmatic Bavarian. “I haf the mail and egspress got, and I go mit dem t'rough to Pighorn. You haf der brivate car got, and you go mit dem . t'rough to Gaston. Den ve qvits, ain’d fr the shops, “T know 1it; but if it will give me twenty-four hours—" “It won't. They can’t get home on our line because we'll be tied up. But they can get the naught-seven put on the overland limited at A. & T. Junc- tion, and that will put them back here before you’ve had time to turn around twice. Have they come down yet?"” “No,” said Kent; and just then he saw Loring coming in from the stréet entrance and went to meet him. 3 “I have the final word from Boston,” said the ex-manager, when he had walked Kent out of earshot of the train takers. “Your terms are ac- cepted—with . all sorts of safeguards thrown about the ‘no cure, no pay’ pro- viso; also with a distinct repudiation of you and your scheme if there is any- thing unlawful afoot. Do you still think it best to kéep me in the dark as to what you aré doing?” “Yes; there are enough of us in- volved, as it s You couldn't help; and you might hinder. Besides, if the mine $hould happen to explode in our direction it'll be a comfort to have a foot-loose friend or two on the out- side to pick up the pieces of us.” Loring was polishing his eye-glasses ‘with uncommon vigor. “] wish youw'd drop it, David, if it isn’t too late. I can't help feeling as if I had prddded you into it, whatever him to the street en ~ “Go away, Grantham, don’t fme o RN . you B you didn’t know anything about it. It Bot mamatbts o the- G0 3 o-5ee not up 4o see Portia; she'll keep you Interested while | at train time, had disappeared again. It was a standing mystery to the train-master, and to the rank and file, why Receiver Guilford had elected to ignore the fact that he was within three hours of a strike which promised to include at least four-fifths of his operatives; had taken mo steps for de- fense, and had not confided, as it ap- ‘peared, in the members of his own offi- cial staff. But Kent was at no loss to account for the official silence. If the secret could be kept for a few hours longer, the junta would unload the Transwe: tern, strike, tie-up and general demor- alization, upon am unsuspecting Over- land management. None the less, there were other things unexplainable even to Kent; for one, this night ditting to Gaston to put the finishing touches on an edifice of fraud which had been builded shamelessly in the light of day. Kent had not the key to unlock this door of mystery; but here the master spirit of the junta was doing, not what he would, but what he could. The negotiations for the lease had con- sumed much time at a crisis when time was precious. - Judge MatFarlane had to be recalled and once more bullied in- to subjection; and Falkland, acting for the Plantagould interest, had h_asisted upon some formal compliance with the letter of the law. Bucks had’ striven masterfully to drive and not be driven; but the delays were inexorable, and the impending strike threatened to turn the orderly charge into a rout. The Governor had postponed the coup from day to day, waiting upon the leisurely movements of Falkland; ard at the end of the ends there remained but three hours of the finai day of grace when the telegram camé from Falkland with the welcome news that the Overland officials were on their way from Midland City to keep the appointment in Gaston. Of all this Kent knew nothing, and was anxious in just proportion as the minutes elapsed and the time for the departure of the east-bound express drew near. For the success of the des- perate venture turned upon this: that the receiver's specizl must leave ahead of the passenger train. With the ex- press blocking the way the difficulties became insurmountable. Kent was still standing at the train- men’s wicket when Callahan sent the private car gently up to the trackhead of track eight. M'Tosh had been tele- phoning again, and the receiver and his party w on the way to the station. “] was afraid you'd have to let the express go first,” said Kent, when the train-master came his way again. “How much time have we?” “Five minutes more; and they are on the way down—there they come.” Kent looked and saw a group of six men making for the nearest exit\in the grille. Then he smote his fist into his palm. “Damn!” he muttered; “they’'ve got the vice president of the Overland with them! That's bad.” “It's bad for Mr. Callafield,” M'Tosh. “We're in too deep back down on his account.” Kent moved nea nd stood in the shadow of the gate-keeper's box. leav- ing M'Tosh, who was on the track plat- growled now to form, free to show himself. From his new point of vial_Kent checked off the members of the party. When Ma- jor Guilford left it to come bac word with M'Tosh, there others; the Governor, his pri retary, Hawk, Halkett, the gen perintendent, and the Overland's vice sident. All ready, M'Tosh?” said the re- ceiver. “Ready and waiting, Major,” was the bland reply. “Who is our engineer?” “Patrick Callahan.” 'That wild Irishman? The Governor says he'd as soon ride behind the de- viL"” “Callahan will get you there,” said the train-master, with deliberate em- phasis. Then he asked a question of his own. “Is Mr. Callafield going with ou?” 4 0. “He came down to see us off. How iIs t fast mail to-night?” “She’s just in— an hour and thirty- five minutes late.” 5 The major swore pathetically. He was of the generation of railway offi- cials, happily fast passing, which cursed and swore itself into authority. “That’s anather $500 forfeit to the Postoffice Department! Who's taking it west?” cher.” “Give him orders to cut out all the stops. If he is more than fifty-five min- utes late at Bighorn he can come in and get his time.” Tischer had just got the word to go, and was pulling out on the yard main line. “I'll catch him with the wire at yard limits,” said M'Tosh. Then: “Would you mind hurrying your people a little, major? The express is due to leave.” Guilford was a heavy man for his weight, and he waddled back to the others, waving his arms as a signal for them to board the car. Kent saw the vice president of the Overland Short Line shgke hands with Bucks and take his leave, and was so intent upon watching the tableau of departure that he failed to notice the small boy in Western Union blue who was trying to thrust a telegram, damp from the copying rolls, into his hand. “It's a rush, sir,” said the boy, pant- ing from his quick dash across the track platforms. It was Ormsby's message from Breezeland; and while Kent was try- ing to grasp the tremendous import of it, M'Tosh was giving Caliahan the signal to go. Kent sprang past the gate-keeper and gave the square of damp paper to the train-master. “My God! read that!” he gasped, with a dry sob of excitement. “It was our chance—one chance in a million— and we've lost it!” M'Tosh was a man for a crisis. The red tail lights of the private car special were yet within a sprinter’s dash of the trackhead, but the train-master lost no time chasing a ten-wheel fiyer with “Red” Callahan at the throttle. “Up to my office!” he shouted; and ten seconds later Kent was leaning breathless over the desk in the de- spatcher’s room while M'Tosh called Durgan over the yard limits telephone. “Is that you, Durgan?” he asked, when the reply came. Then: “Drop the board on the mail, quick! and send somdbody to tell Tischer to side track, leaving the.main line Western Division clear. Got that?” The answer was evidently prompt and satisfactory, since he began again almest in the same breath. “Now go out yourself and flag Calla- han before he reaches the limits. Tell him the time card’s changed and he is to run west with the special to Megilp as first section of the mail—no stops, or Tischer will rug him down. Leg it! He's half way down the yard now! The train-master drojped the ear- piece of the telephone and crossed quickly to the despatcher’s table. “Orders for the Western Division, * Donohue,” he said curtly, “and don't let the grass w. ‘Receiver’s ecar, Callahan, T, runs to Megilp as first section of mail. Hunt, Tischer, Suddenly the clicking began again. € operator at. “yard lmits”™ was. sending the O. K. to the two train or- ders, So far, so good. Now if Calla- han could get safely out on the West- . ern Division. But there was a hitch in the lower yard. Durgan had obeyed his orders promptly and precisely, and had sue- ceeded in stopping Callahan at the street crossing where Engineer Dixon had killed the farmer. Durgan climbed to the cab of the 1010 and the changed Plan was explained in a dozen words. But now came the crux. “If I stand here till you'd be bringin’ Me my orders, I'll have the whole kit av thim buzzin’ round to know fwhat's the matther,” said Callahan; but theré Wwas no other thing to do, and Durgan hurried back to the telegraph office to play the messenger. He was too long about it. Before he got back Halkett was under the cab window of the 1010, demanding to know —with many objurgations—why Calla- han had stopped in the middle of the yards. “Get a move on you!" he shouted. “The express is right behind us, and il run us down, you damned bog- trotter Callahan's gauntleted hand shot up to the thrcttle bar. “I'm Javin', Misther Halkett,” he said mildly. “Will yez go back to the car or ride wit' me?" : The general superintendent took no chance of catching the naught-seven's hand rails in the, darkness, and he whipped up into the cab at the first sharp cough of the exhaust. “T'll go back when you stop for your orders,” he said; but a shadowy figure had leaped upon the engine step a scant haif-second behind him, and Cal- lahan was stuffing the crumpled copy of the order into the sweat-band of his cap. The next instant the big 1010 leaped forward like a blooded horse under an unmerited cut of the whip. slid past the yard limits telegraph office and shot out upon the main line of the western division. “Sit down, Misther Halkett, an’ make yerself aisy!” yelled Callahan across the cab. “'Tis small use Jimmy Shovel'll have for his box this night.” “Shut off, you Irish madman!” was the shouted command. “Don’t you see you're on the wrong division?" Callahan gave the throttle-bar on- other outward hitch, tipped his seat and took a hammer from the tool box. “I_know where I'm goin’, an’ that's more thin you know, ye blandhander- in” divil! Up on that box wit* you, an’ kape out av Jimmy Shovel's road, or I'lll be the death av yez! Climb, now!"™ t this moment that the tense st uspense was broken in the despatcher’'s room on the second floor of the Union station. The telephone skirled joyously, and the train-master snatched up the ear piece “What does he say?” asked Kent. “It's all right. He says Callahan is ont ¢n the western division, with Tischer chasing him according to pro- gramme. Halkett’s in the cab of the vas at 1019 ‘with Pat; and—hold on— By George! he says one of them jumped the car as it was passing the limits station “Which one was it?” asked Kent; and he had to wait till the reply came from Durgan. “It was Hawk, the right-of-way man. He_ broke and ran for the nearest lectric car line the minute he hit the und, Du n say Does he count ™ No.” said Kent; but it is always a mistake to underrate an enemy’s cali- Ler—even that of his small arms. CHAPTER XXVIL The Night of Alatms. _ If Editor Hildreth had said nothing his edition about the im- = on the Transwestern, it e public interest was fortnight the news- waning. papers in the territory tributary to the road had been full of strike talk, and Hillreth had said his say, deprecating the thrcatened appeal to force as fear- lessly as he condemned the mismanage- ment which was provoking it. But it was nt who was responsi- bie for the dearth of news on the eve of the even Early in 4he morning of the last day of the month he had sougnht out the edifor and begged him to eclose the colufins of the Evening Argus to strike news, no matter what should come in during the “course -of the day. “I can’t go into the reasons as deep- ly now as I hope to a little later,” he had said, his cretiva habit holding good to the final fathom of the siip- ping nawser of events, “But you must bear with me once more, and whatever you hear between now and the time you go to press don't comment on it. I have one more chance to win out, and it hangs in a Dbalance that a feather’s weight might tip the wrong way. I'll be with you between 10 and 12 to-night, and you ecan safely save two columns of the morn- ing paper for the semsation I'm going to give you."" It was in fulfillment of this promise that Kent bestirr himself after he had sent a wire to Ormsby, and M'Tosh had settled down to the task of smoothing Callahan’s way westward over a division already twitching in the preliminary rigor of the strike convuls sion. “l1 am going to set the fuse for the newspaper explosion,” he said to his ally. “Barring accidents, there is no reason why we shouldn't begin to fig- ure definitely upon the result, is there 2" M'Tosh was leaning over Despatcher Donohue’s shouider. He had slipped Donohue’s fingers aside from the ke to cut in with a peremptory “G. S.” or-, der suspending, in favor of the fast mail, the rule which requires a station operator to drop his board on a follow- ing section that is less than tem min- utes behind its file leader. “The fun is beginning,” said the train-master. “Tischer has his tip from Durgan to keep Callahan's tail- lights in sight. With the mail treading on their heels the gentlemen in the naught-seven will be chary about pull- ing Patsy down too suddemnly in mid career. They have just passed Morning Dew, and the operator reports Tischer for disregarding his slow signal.” “Can’t you fix that?” asked Kent. “Oh, yes; that is one of the things I can fix. But there are going to be plenty of others.” “Still we must take something for granted, Mr. M'Tosh. What I have to do uptown won’t wgit until Callahan has finished his rw I thought the main difficulty was safely overcome.” “Umph!"” said the train-master; “the troubles are barely getting themsélves born. You must remember that we swapped horses at the last minute. We were ready for the race to the east. Everybody on the prairie division had been notified that a special was to go through to-night without stop from Lesterville to A. & T. Junction.” on the dizzy edge of a strike making every man on the line balance. But you go ahead wifh newspaper business. I'l man can here. And if you come that right-of-way agent, I wish make it a case of assault and and get him locked up. I'm him.” . Kent went his way dubiously tive. In the moment of triumph, had announced the the bold change in the had made light of Hawk's possibilities. i i it escape.