Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-01

was told many times and in many diff
ferent ways what the one woman
thought of me- For the few days dur
ing which she and her mother waited
at her fathers mine for the coming Of
the Yellowstone party. she used me for
a doormat. as / deserved. That was a
year ago last spring. | haven't seen
her since: haven't tried to-"
The vice president reached up and
snapped the key Of the electric bulb
in the corners of the room fed away.
sit down. he said, shortly; and
when LidGerwood had found chair:
You treat it as an incident closed.
Howard. Do you mean to go on leav-
ing it up in the air like that"
ut was left in the air year ago
last spring. l can't pull 1T down now"
Yes, you can. You haven't exaE-
Serated the conditions on the Red
Butte line an atom. AS you say. the
outlaws as ever ran trains or ditched
them: They all know that the road
has been bought and sold, and that
pretty sweeping changes are impend
ing: They are looking for trouble.
and are quite ready to help make Il.
II you could discharge them in a body.
you couldn't replace them-the Red
desert having nothing to offer as q
dwelling place for civilized men: and
this they know. too. Howard. I'm tell
ing you right now that it will require
a higher brand Of courage to go over
to Angels and manhandle the Red
Butte western as division OF the p.
5. w. than it would to face a dozen
highwaymen, il every individual one
Of the dozen had the drop on YOU"
Lidgerwood left his chair and began
to pace the narrow limits OF the pri-
vate Office, five steps and a turn. The
noisy switching engine had gone clat
tering and shrieking down the yard
again before he said, You mean that
you are still giving me the chance to
make good over yonder in the Red des-.
ert-after what have told you?"
Il do; only I make it more binding
sheer necessity now. You've got to CO."
Again Lidgerwood took time to re-
fleet. tramping the floor with his head
down and his hands in the pockets OF
the correct coat. In the end he yield
ed, as the vice presidents subjects
commonly did.
'Pll go, if you still insist upon it,"
was the slowly spoken decision. There
will doubtless be plenty Of trouble. and
shall probably show the yellow streak
kind of an outfit to kill a coward for
the pure pleasure of 1t. il I'm not mis-
taken"
Well" said the man in the swing
chair. calmly. maybe you need a little
killing. Howard. Had you ever thought
Of that?"
A gray look came into Lidgerwoods
face.
Maybe / do
A little silence supervened. Then
Ford plunged into detail.
Now that You are fairly committed.
sit down and let me give you an idea
of what you'll find at Angels in the
way OF headquarters outfit. Draw
up here and well go over the layout
together"
A busy hour had elapsed. and the
gong of the station dining room below
was adding it's raucous clamor to the
drumming thunder OF the incoming
train from Green Butte. when the vice
president concluded his outline sketch
of the Red Butte Western conditions
"Of course, you know that you will
have a free hand. We have already
cleared the decks for you. AS an in
dependent road. the Red Butte line had
the usual executive organization in
general superintendent, but his author
ity, when he cared to assert IT, was
really that OF general manager. Under
him, in the headquarters stan at An
gels, there was an auditor-who also
acted as paymaster, a general freight
and passenger agent, and a superin-
tendent OF motive power Operating
the line as branch of the +. s. W:
system, we can simplify the organiza-
ton. We have consolidated the audit
ing and traffic departments with our
Colorado lines headquarters at Denver.
This will leave you with only the op-
telegraph. train service and
engineering departments to handle
from Angels. With one exception. your
authority will be absolute; you will
hire ana discharge as you see fit, and
there will be no appeal from your de-
cision."
THAT applies to my own depart
operating, telegraph, train
service and engineering; but how about
the motive power?" asked the new
Ford threw down the desk knife.
pencil, with a little gesture indicative
Of displeasure.
There lies the exception. and l wish
it didn't. Gridlcy the master mechanic,
will be nominally under your orders, or
course; but "a it should come to blows
between you, you couldn't fire him. In
the regular routine he will report to
the Colorado lines superintendent OF
motive power at Denver. But in quar-
rel with you he could make a still
longer arm and reach the p. s. w.
BOARD of directors in New York.
How is that?" inquired Lidgerwood.
Its a family AFFAIR. He is a wild.
,wer, and his wife was sister Of the
Van Kensingtons. He got his job
lold it in the same way. But you
ire not likely to have any trouble
With him. He Is a brute in his own
peculiar fashion: but when it comes to
shopmen and keeping the en-
zines in service. he can't be beat"
he new superintendent. Anything
,lse?" looking at his watch.
(To be continued tomorrow