Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-13

psychologist moment had arrived delays
were intolerable.
Now it sometimes happens that SEEM
ing misfortunes only blessings in dis
gulse. When Ford entered the hotel cafe
to eat his belated dinner he saw Evans,
the P. s. w. auditor, sitting alone at a
table for two. He crossed the room
quickly and shook hands with the man
he had meant to interview either before
or after the meeting with North.
1t was after they had chatted comfort
ably through to the coffee that the au-
ditor said blandly: What are you down
for. Ford? Anything special?'
Yes. i am down to get leave of alb
sence to go east" said Ford. wariy.
But that isn't ALL" was the quiet re-
joinder. In fact, it's only the non-com-
initial item that you'd give to Rocky
Mountain News reporter
Ford impatient of diplomatic
methods when there was no occasion for
them.
Give it a name he said. bluntly.
What do you think you know, Evans?"
The auditor smiled.
There is a leak in your office up at
Saints Rest. I'm afraid What sort of a
bombshell are you fixing to fire at Mr..
North?''
Ford grew interested at once
Tell me what you know and perhaps
l can piece 1t out for you.
III tell you what Mr.. North knows
which will be more to the purpose, per-
maps. OF d year OF more you nave Deen
figuring on some kind of scheme to
pull the company's financial leg in behalf
of your oodfor-not hing narrow gauge
A month ago. for example, you went all
! over the old survey on the other side OF
the mountains and verified the original
S. L. & w. preliminares and rights of
way on it's proposed extension"
Ford'S eyes narrowed He was thinking
of the warning letter he would have to
write to Frisbie. But what he said was
Ito ly,,n hon z Iiclya
guessed all that But no matter; suppos-
ing l dido
ITS no good said the auditor, shak-
ing his head. I'm talking as friend
North doesn't like you, personally; and if
he did, you couldn't persuade him to
experiment on the Plug Mountain. So
I far from extending your two-byfour
branch-if that is what you have in mind
he'd be much more likely to counsel its
abandonment, If the charter didn't re-
! quire us to keep it going
| Ford found cigar for the auditor and
| lighted one for himself.
| From all of which I infer that the
| semi-annual report of the Pacific South
! western is going to be a pretty bad one,
| he said, with carefully assumed indf-
ference.
Evans regarded him shrewdly.
| Are you guessing at that? Or is there
! leak at our end of the line as well as
| at yours
"Oh. it's a guess laughed Ford. Call
| it that. anyhow. At least. 1 haven't any
of your confidential clerks in my pay:
| But just how bad is the report going to
be-"
The auditor shook his head.
Worse than the last one. Perhaps
you have noticed that the stock has drop
ped six points in the past week. You re
one of the official family, l don't mind
telling you that We are in the nine hole.
Ford
"Of course we are said Ford. with
calm conviction. THAT much is pretty
evident to a man who merely reads the
| Wall street news bulletins. What is the
matter with us-specifically, l mean?'
Evans shrugged.
Are you division superintendent on
| the system and don't know" he de-
manded. 1--WE are too short at both ends.
| With our eastern terminal only half way
to Chicago we can't control the east
bound grain which grows on our own line.
/ and with the other END stopping short
| here at Denver we can't bid for west
bound transcontinental business. It's as
simple as twice two. Our competitors
catch us going and coming"
Precisely. And if we don't get relief"
The auditor smiled grimly.
LAS I've said, your one of us. Ford,
and I don't mind speaking freely to you.
A receivership is looming in the distance
and the not very dim distance, for the P.
S.W.''
II thought so. How near is it %
Il don't know-nobody knows definite
ly. If we had man of resources at the
head of things-as we have not-it might
be stood off for another six months
m on the way to stand it off per-
manently, if 1 can get any backing" said
Ford, quietly.
YOU was the astonished reply.
Yes. l.. Listen. Evans For two years
have been buried up yonder in the hills,
with not enough to do in the summer
season to keep me out of mischief. l am
rather fond of mathematics. and / am
telling you l have this thing figured out
to the fourth decimal. If President Col
BIRTH and his associates can be made to
see that the multiplication of two by two
gives an nvariable resultant of four there