The Havre herald. [volume] (Havre, Mont.) 1904-1908, 1906-04-06

Medicine Bend 1t was precisely 7:54
p. m. when Giddings gave back the
complete, and at 7:55 Elcho reported
Special 326 tout" all just like clock
work. What head Martin Duffy has,
thought young Giddings. and, behold,
all the complicated everlasting head
work of the trick and the day and of
the West End and its honor was now
up to the signature Of third eighty at
Rat River. Just third eighty's sigma
ture for the Rock Point meeting, and
the biggest job ever tackled by sim
gle track road In America. Giddings
thought, was done, and we'll done.
So the ambitious Giddings by means
ening pimple on the end Of bis chubby
nose, palming the glass skillfully SO
Barnes Tracy couldn't see it even If he
did interrupt his eruption, and waited
for Bob Duffy, the Rat River night
man, to come back at him with third
eighty's signature. Under Giddings
eye as he sat licked Martin Duffy's
chronometer, the watch that split the
seconds and chimed the quarters and
stopped and started so impossibly and
ran to q second month-the watch
that Bucks, who never did things by
halves, had given little Martin Duffy
with the order that made him chief
It lay at Giddings' fingers, and the
minute hand wiped from the enameled
dial o'clock fifty-five, fifty-six, seven,
eight-nine. Young Giddings turned to
his order book and inspected his en-
tries like methodical bookkeeper, and
Martin Duffy's chronometer chimed the
fourth quarter, s o'clock. One entry he
had still to make. Book in hand, he
called Rat River.
Get third eighty's signature to Or
der 70 and hurry them out" he tapped
tmpatiently at Bob Duffy.
There was a wait. Giddings lighted
his pipe the way Callahan always light
ed his pipe-putting out his lips to
catch all the perfume and blowing the
first cloud away YEARLY, as Callahan
always did YEARLY. Then he twirled
the match meditatively and listened
and got suddenly this from Bob Duffy,
at Rat River:
II forgot Order TO-" came Bob Duffy S
message. Il let third eighty go with
out it. They left here at 7:50'-fifty
something, Giddings never heard fifty
what. The match went into the ink,
the pipe into the water pail, and Gid
dings, before Bob Duffy finished, like
a drowning man, was calling Elcho
with the life and death, the 10 CALL
Hold Special 1926" he cried over the
wire the instant Elcho replied.
But Elcho, steadily, answered this:
'Special-32G-left -here-7 :55"
Giddings, with both hands on the ia
BILE, raised up like a drunken man. The
West End was against it. Third eighty
in the open and going against the De
Molay Four! Bucks, Callahan, wife
everybody-and Rock Point blind sid
ing that no word from anybody on
earth could reach ahead of third eighty
Giddings sprang to the open window
and shouted to anybody and everybody
to call Martin Duffy. But Martin Duff
fy spoke behind him.
"What do you want?" he asked. 1t
came terribly quick on Giddings as he
turned
whats the matter?" exclaimed Mar
tin, looking into the boys face Speak,
can't you? What's the matter, Gid
dings?"
Bob forgot Order 70 and let third
eighty go without it-and Special 1926
is out of Elcho," choked Giddings.
''What?
Bob at-Rat Riyer-gaye third eighty
a clearance without the Order TO-"
Martin Duffy sprang straight up in
the air. Once he shut his lifted hands;
once he looked at Giddings, staggering
again through the frightful news, then
he dropped into the chair. looked wild
man, stared at his train sheet, grabbed
the order book and listened to Giddings
cutting off one hope after another of
stopping Special 1876. His fingers set
mechanically. and he made the Rat Riy-
er call; but Rat River was silent. With
Barnes Tracy tiptoeing in behind on the
instinct of trouble and young Giddings
shaking like leaf, the chief called
Rat River. Then he called Elcho, asked
for Special 326. and Elcho again repeat
ed steadily:
Especial -left-here-on-or order
79-at-7 :55 p. M"
Martin Duffy bent before the mes
sage; young Giddings. who had been
whispering to Tracy. dropped ON
stool and covered his face.
"Don't cry. Giddings." 1t was Duffy
who spoke, dry and parched his voice
TITS nothing you-could help" He
looked around and saw Tracy at his
elbow. Barnes" he said, but he tried
twice before his voice would carry.
'Barnes-they will meet in the CHINA
mon cut. Giddings told you? Bob
forgot-forgot my order. Run, Gid
dings. for Benedict Morgan and Dou-
bleday and Carhart-quick!''
Giddings ran. the Rat River call echo
ing again down the hall behind him.