The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1906-12-20

Lesterville to A. & T. junction"
well /"
Nov we nave II all to straighten
out by wire on another division:
meeting points to mSlSe, slow trains
to side-track, fool operators TO hold
down; all on the dizzy edge OF a strike
that is making every man on the line
lose his balance. But you go ahead
with your newspaper business. I'll
do what a man can here. And IL you
come across that right-of-way agent,
| wish you'd make IL case OF assault
and battery and get him locked up
I'm leery about him"
Kent went his way obviously re-
Elective. In the moment of triumph,
when Durgan had announced the sue
cess of the bold change in the pro-
gramme, he had made light Of Hawks
escape. But now he saw possibilities
True. the junto was leaderless for the
moment. and Bucks had no very able
lieutenants. But Hawk would give the
alarm; and there was the rank and file
Of the machine to reckon with. And
for weapons, the ring controlled the
police power Of the state and OF the
city. Let the word be passed that the
employees OF the s-Western were
kidnapping their receiver and the gov
ernor and many things might happen
before Red" Callahan should finish
his long race to the westward.
Thinking Of these things, David Kent
walked uptown when he might have
taken a car. When the toxin OF panic
is in the air there Is no antidote like
vigorous action.
Passing the Western Union central
Office, he stopped 20 send Ormsby a
second telegram, reporting progress
and asking him to be present in per-
son at the denouement to put the facts
on the wire at the earliest possible
instant of time. Everything depends
upon this" he added, when he had
made the message otherwise emphatic
IF we miss the morning papers. we are
done"
While he was pocketing his change
at the receiving clerks pigeon-hole. a
cab ratified up with a horse at a gall
lop, and Stephen Hawk sprang out
Kent saw him through the plate-glass
front and turned quickly TO the public
writing-desk. hoping TO be overlooked.
He was For once in a way the ex-
district attorney was too nearly ratified
to be fully alert to his surroundings.
There were others at the standing
desk; and Hawk wrote his message,
after two or three false starts. almost
at Kent's elbow.
Kent heard the chink Of coin and the
low-spoken urglngs for haste at the
receiving clerks window: but he for
bore to move until the cab had ratified
away. Then he gathered up the spoiled
blanks left behind by Hawk and
smoothed them out Two OF them bore
nothing but the date line, made illegi-
bic, II would seem. by the writer's
haste and nervousness. But at the
third attempt Hawk had got as far as
the address: "To All Trans-Western
Agents on Western Division"
Kent stepped quickly to the receivers
window The only expedient he could
think Of was open to reproach, but it
was no time to be oyer-scrupulous.
Pardon me-" he began, but didn't
the gentleman who was just here for
get to sign his message?'
The little hook caught fits minnow
The receiving clerk was folding Hawks
message to place it in the leather car
rier of the pneumatic tube, but he
opened and examined II.
NO" he said. its all right: J. B.
Halkett. G. s."
"Ahl" said Kent That's a little
odd. Mr.. Halkett is out of town, and
this gentleman, Mr.. Hawk. IS not in his
department. believe should invest-
gate little before sending that, IL
were you"
Having thus sown the small seed Of
suspicion, which, by the by. fell on bar
rem soil, Kent lost no time in calling
up MTosh over the nearest telephone.
do our agents on the Western Di-
vision handle Western Union busi-
ness?" he asked.
The reply came promptly.
Eyes; locally. The WI. has an in
dependent line to Breczeland Inn and
points beyond"
well. our right-of-way man has
just sent a telegram to all agents,
signing Halkett's name. don't know
what he said in it. but you can figure
that out for yourself"
you bet cant" was the emphatic
rejoinder. And then: Where are
you now"
I'm at the Clarendon public phone,
but am going over to the Argus Of
fee. I'll let you know when leave
there. Good-by."
When Kent reached the night
editors den on the third floor Of the
Argus building he found Hildreth i'm
mersed chin-deep in a sea of work.
But he quickly extricated himself and
cleared a chair for his visitor.
praise bel" he calculated. II was
beginning to get anxious. Large
things are happening. and you didn't
turn up. I've had Manville wiring all
over town for you"
What are some Of the large
things?" asked Kent. lighting his first
cigar since dinner.
QUAIL for npas 1O Won Ln0w that