The news=record. [volume] (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon) 1907-1910, 1909-09-15
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CHAPTER XVIII.

po'eu " pe III Wretched tangle. Sax
ton employed an expert accountant TO
open set of books for the company.
while he gave his immediate attention to
the physical condition of the propertv
Inc company's service was a byword and
Missing In the town, and he did what
ne couid to better it, working long hours,
put enjoying the labor. 1t had been a
sudden Impulse on Fenton's part to have
oaxton made receiver In Saxton's first
days at Clarkson he had taken legal ad-
vice OF Fenton in matters which had al
ready been placed in the LAWYERS hands
ny tne Dank; but most of these had long
Deen closed, and Saxton had latterly gone
TO Raridan for such legal assistance as
ne needed from time to time. Fenton had
nrmiy intended asking Wheaton's appoint
nent; this seemed to him perfectly nat
urai and proper in view Of Wheaton's DO
sltlon In the bank and his relations with
forter, which were much less confidential
than even Fenton imagined.
Fenton had been disturbed TO find Mar
grave and Wheaton together in the direc-
tors room the night before the annual
meeting of the Traction stockholders. He
could imagine no business that would
Dring them together; and the hour and
the place were not propitious for forming
new alliances for the bank. Wheaton had
appeared agitated as he passed out the
packet of bonds and stocks; and Msr-
graves efforts at gaiety had only increas-
ed fenton's suspicious. From every point
OF view 1t was unfortunate that Porter
should have fallen Ill just at this time
but 1t was, on the whole, Just as we'll to
take warning from circumstances that
were even slightly suspicious, and he had
decided that Wheaton should not have the
receivership. He had not considered
Saxton in this connection until the hour
OF the Traction meeting; and he had in
wardly debated 1t until the moment of
his decision at the street corner.
lie had expected to supervise Saxton's
acts, but the receiver had taken hold of
the company's affairs with a zeal and an
Intelligence which surprised him. Saxton
wasn't SO slow as he looked, he said to
the federal judge, who had accepted Sax
ton wholly on Fentons recommendation.
Within a fortnight Saxton had improved
the service of the company to the public
SO markedly that the newspapers praised
him. He reduced the Office force to a
working basis and installed a cashier who
was warranted not to steal. 1t appeared
that the motormen and conductors held
their positions by paying tribute to GER
tain minor officers, and Saxton applied
heroic treatment to these abuses without
ado.
The motormen and conductors grew
used to the big blond in the long gray
ulster who was forever swinging himself
aboard the cars and asking them ques-
tions. They affectionately called him
"Whiskers," for no obvious reason, and
the report that Saxton had, In one of the
power-houses, filed his pipe with sweep
ings OF tobacco factories known in the
trade as "Trolleyman's Special" had fur
ther endeared him to those men whose
pay checks bore his name as receiver. In
snow-storms the Traction Company had
usually given up with only a tame strug-
gle, but Saxton devised new snow
plow, which he hitched to a trolley and
drove with his own hand over the Trac-
ton Company's tracks.
John was cleaning out the desk of the
late secretary of the company one even
ing while Raridan read a newspaper and
waited for him. Wary was often lonely
these days. Saxton was too much en-
crossed to find time for frivolity, and Mr..
Porter's illness cut sharply In on Warry's
visits to the Hill. He was resting while
he waited for the Transcontinental to
exhaust Its usual tactices of delay and
come to trial. On Fenton's suggestion
Saxton had intrusted to Raridan some
matters pertaining to the receivership,
and these served to carry Wary over an
interval of idleness and restlessness.
"You may hang me |" said Saxton, sud-
denly. He had that day Unexpectedly
came upon the long-lost stock records of
the company and was now examining
them. Thrust into one Of the books were
two Cancelled certificates.
"It's certainly queer he said, as War
ry went over to his desk. He spread out
one of the certificates which Margraye
had taken from Wheaton the night before
the annual meeting. "Thats certainly.
Wheaton's endorsement all right enough"
Raridan took off his glasses and
brought his near-sighted gaze to bear
critically upon the paper.
There's no doubt about It."
"And look at this, too" Saxton hand
ed him Evelyn Porter's certificate. Rari-
dan examined 1t and Evelyn's signature
on the back with greater care. He car
ried the paper nearer to the light, and
scanned 1t again while Saxton watched
him and smoked his pipe.
"You notice that Wheaton witnessed
the signature"
Raridan nodded. Saxton, who knew
his friends moods thoroughly, saw that
he was troubled
81 can find no plausible explanation Of
that" said Saxton. Anybody may be
called on to witness a signature; but /
can't explain this. He opened the stock
record and followed the history Of the
two certificates from one page to anoth-
er. It was clear enough that the certiH-
Gates held by Evelyn Porter and James
Wheston had been merged into one,
which had been made out In the name of
Tim Margrave, and dated the day be-
fore l.es annual meeting.
"It doesn't make much difference at
present." said Saxton. when Mr.. Por-
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