The Washburn leader., 1907-11-29
!iferent

out. "My mind amt any different
from what it was last night"
| Redway grinned and withdrew, shut
ting the door. Fallon idgeted at the
desk, making feeble pretense of
working. but when the hands of the
clock drew around to s and the en-
gine had not pufred down the track to
couple to the train Fallon went out on
the platform.
Redway was sitting on the baggage
truck putting at his cigar. Several pas
sengers paced the platform, and both
of the day coaches were about half
filled.
"Where's the engine?" demanded
Fallon. Redway moved his cigar that
he might grin the broader.
'T'm on strike" he explained. 'The
engines in the house."
"Strikew shouted Fallon. "What you
strikin' about? You had raise last
spring!'
"It's not about money" explained the
engineer II saw Sadie last night, and
she says she won't marry me until you
say she can. Pm on strike until you
give the go ahead order"
Fallon glared impotently. There was
no one else in town who could run an
engine except Sim Dugan, who fired
for Redwax. Sim was sitting on the
truck by his boss and only smiled
pleasantly when Fallon offered him
double and even triple pay to take the
train out Some of the passengers
crowded about to watch the fun. and
in the end the superintendent beat
retreat to his office, where presently he
wired to 4Greenville for help.
But Greenvile was unsympathetic.
Something of Redway's plan the Office
knew, and Fallons pompousness had
not made friends for him. Greenville
declared fatty that they could spare
neither engine nor engineer. and when
the division headquarters wars appeal
ed to Fallon was. told to settle the
matter himself. In theory the G. and
B. S. was an Independent road, with
it's own corporate entity, and head
quarters was not interested in its af-
fairs. Several heavy wrecks had filled
the repair shops with locomotives, and
there were not enough to properly
equip the division, to say nothing of
loaning one to so unimportant branch
line
In desperation Fallon wired the main
offices of the L. and w., and their reply
was even more curt. The western strike
was growing worse. and the message
suggested that if Fallon could not man.
age without the assistance Of the en-
tire system strike of one engineer he
had better resign and let the office boy.
if he had one, take charge.
All this took time. and the station
was filled With the intending travellers,
who We're anxious to start upon their
journey. The cause of the strike had
been whispered about. and the passen-
gers took turns coming to the general
office, which was also the baggage
room, and demanding that the strike
be broken and communication restored.
Fallon grew desperate. Hardy, one
Of the heaviest stockholders of the
L. and v, had been born in Bay Side.
and his summer cottage over on the
point was always open to his old ac-
quaintances when the owner was there.
If the story should reach Hardy
through complaint Oh the part Of one
of the town people, there might be
trouble. With a gesture of despair he
opened the door and called Sadie into
consultation.
'See if you can't fix things up" he
pleaded. Don't give in unless you
have to- but as last resort-well,
suppose I'll have to let you marry
him.
With hug and a kiss, Sadie darted
to the window and threw up the sash.
Its all right, Mart!' she called. TN
ride down with you and get the ring"
Il told you as last resort" groaned
Fallon. "You might have talked him
out of the strike"
"Small chance of that" laughed the
girl as from the roundhouse came the
puff of the exhaust. LAS official strike
breaker of the road l saw long ago
that only complete surrender would be
effective"
"Strike breakerv grunted Fallon.
"There would have been another
strike in the morning." she explained.
'"The telegraph department and the
train dispatcher were going out in
sympathy"
Its darned little sympathy you
have" growled Fallon. "What do you
suppose Hardy will say If he hears of
this?"
"He promised me wedding present
If l broke the strike" explained the
girl calmly. "He wired this morning
to know what the trouble was, and l
told him."
For moment Fallon pondered the
situation, then he rose to his feet, with
a sigh.
'There won't be any more strikes"
he said. "It's all in the family now"
Why She Sang the Hymn.
A well known bishop relates that
while on recent visit to the south he