Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-10-19

1ET ---.----
the company demand change in the man.
agement of this division Therefore, 1 beg
leave to tender herewith my resignation, to
take effect
He stopped because Miss Gray's flying
pencil had stopped and she was looking
up at him with something more than sur
prise lying at the bottom of the deep-welled
eyes ''Oh, no; not THAR she said. quickly;
and then she looked away from him.
He stared at her as he might have stared
at the first presidents picture over his
desk if that had suddenly spoken to him.
Then he said: why not?''
Excuse me, please" she entreated turn
ing back to her notebook. Il had no right
to say that-or anything" Then she gave
him his cue-''my resignation, to take eff
feet
He pushed the cue aside in an impatient
gesture. I'VE will waive the technical
question of right. Is there the smallest
defensible reason why should not resign?"
There is every reason" She said 1t
warmly, with another upward flash of the
clear-seeing eyes. What would you think
| of soldier-an oficer-who resigned under
| fire?'
| Pettigrew pulled himself together and
| tried to remember that he was the division
| superintendent and she was his stenogra-
| pher-this for decent discipline's sake. But
| the barrier of sham dignity fell down, and
| his better sense told him that they were for
| the time only a man and a woman as God
made .them-a man in sore trouble and a
woman who would help him If she could.
Go on" he said humbly. cit appears
| to me that my course is the only justifi-
| able one."
''she shook her head. mo; you haven't
| done ALL
1T is very evident that haven't done
| the right thing he reioined."
| She pushed the pencil and notebook away
| as If to remind him that their business re-
lation was suspended for the moment.
/ ~.
with the nervousness Of a young woman
| who. the business relations apart, could
take her place instantly as his equal.
| He gaZed at her with interest newly
| aroused. He had been regarding her as a
| mere bit Of the Office machinery-the only
| bit that never gave him any trouble by get
| ting out of gear. But now he saw the real
| Agnes Gray, the daughter of the brave
| army officer. who, he had been told, had
| given his life in battle with the Utes when
the c. & G. R. was fighting it's way through
| the reservation.
| Il can bear anything better than defeat
| Miss Gray. What should do-that have
| failed to do?''
Her reply was shotlike in its directness
| You are master of men, in name and
| title and authority; you must be so in fact
| l can't tell you how; that is a mans work
| But 1t can be done, and you can do it."
She put little of the fine fervor of her
self into him. He reached for the note
| book and drew his pen through the unfin-
ished letter of resignation. As he did II
| the door opened and the trainmaster came
| In to say that the wreck train was going
| out to pick up the remains Of the latest
| smash, and to ask if there were any spe-
cial orders.
NO" said Pettigrew: 'I'n go with YOU. ~
| He shut his desk, and as he passed her he
said, Good night Miss Gray, and-I thank
| YOU
| To say that Trainmaster Dougan was sur
| prised is putting it mildly. Not in any OF
the late frequent calls for the wreckine
train had the new superintendent taken the
| field.
| We'll have to wait few minutes till ]
| can get your car out, Mr.. Pettigrew," he
| said. as they were hurrying down the cleo
| tric-lighted yard; and then he had the sec
| ond shock of surprise.
Il don't want the car. The wreck ca
boose Is good enough for you and the men;
| 1t Is good enough for me-
mat night the trainInaSter, the crew of
the wreck-train and what was left of the
crews Of the two derailed freights had a
| revelation made them. They discovered
mat the new superintendent not only knew
| eXpeditiously, but that he could also he q
man among men, directing Commanding.
| cheering, and even laying hold with his own
| hands at pinch.
| Never In all the history Of tho a,,,,.,
| had the kinks been taken out of a piledun
| string OF pox cars so quickly and SO easily.
ana on the run back to Grand Butte with
] the remains Pettigrew ciinched the nau
| by riding on the engine with Abel Griscnu
| Relieved OF his presence In the cahoose
| the men discussed this new phase of the
| superintendent freely.
Took hold just like old man Grebv
| didn't he?' said Simmons, the derrick man
| Bgosh, 1t reminded me of old timesr''
| Yes, and, by gravy, he knows how toom
| cut In the shop foreman. "Why. believe
he could swap jobs with any Of us if he
| had mind to-
That's nothin'," said flanagan, the uttIe
irish machinist, who never failed to get in
double time" on the wrecking train when
| the opportunity offered. '.They tell me that
| nowadays they do be putting thin college
| b'ys right In the shop to shtudy the thrade.
| practikfi. But sa-ay, did yez see him wild
tn piper WIZ
What pipe was that. Jerry?'
Mine. thin, begob! Whin he was wieein'
| at that lasht box he TUX broke-up ciRyar
out av his pocket. D--nP seq he, tits the
lasht wan l had. Lind me the loan ay yer
pipe, Lanagan.'An' shtud back an raned
at MIN wh1n he plugged the black dudheen
an shtuck 1t betwane his teeth. Ioshv sez
| to meself, there's the maxim ay a gin
tieman In We, afther all, Misther Petit
grew"
While the men in the caboose were con-
ming the newly learned lesson Abel Griscom
| was making yet other discoveries In the
CAP or the III. Since the freight smash had
happened between stations, the wreck train
had to feel Its way under q nag to the near
est telegraph ONCE, and during the nag
following preface to the homeward run the
superintendent sat on the flreman.s box and
SAID nothing. ''-'N