Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-10
your pocket and walk Oft with it. 70
say you've wired Copah?'

your pocket and walk Oft with it, You
say you've wired Copah?'
Yes
Who was at the Copah key-Mr.
mo. didn't want to advertise our
troubles to mainline Official l got the
day dispatcher. Crandall. and told him to
Keep his mouth shut until he heard Of it
some other way"
Good. And what did Crandau saw"
He said that the '16 had never gone
out through the Copah yards that it
couldn't get anywhere if it had without
everybody knowing about it,
Lidgerwood's abstracted gaze out of the
oh1ce window became frown of concen-
tration.
But the object. McCloskey-what pos.
sible profit could there be in the theft OF
a locomotive that can neither be carried
away nor converted into salabie junk ?"
The trainmaster shook his head. i've
! stewed over that till I'm threatened with
softening of the BRAIN" he confessed.
Never mind. you have a comparative
engine is somewhere this side Of the
Crosswater hills. It is too big to be hid
den under a bushel basket. Find It and
you'll be hot on tho trail Of the carload
robbers
McCloskey got upon his feet as if he
were going at once to begin the search,
but Lidgerwood detained him.
Hold on; I'm not quite through yet.
Sit down again and have a smoke
The trainmaster squinted sourly at the
demurred. II cut it out along with the
toddies the day 1 put on my coat and
hat and walked out Of the old F. & p.
Nj. offices without my time check
eff it had to be both or neither. you
were wise: whisky and rairoading don't
go together very we'll. But about this
other matter. Some years ago there was
building and loan association started
l,1, To-, thn OH y
ing to help the railroad men to own their
homes. Ever hear Of it?''
Yes. but II was dead and buried be-
fore my time"
Dead, but not buried corrected Lid
gerwood. LAS l understand it, the rail-
road company fathered it. or at all
events, some Of the officials took stock
in it. When it died there was consid-
cradle deficit. together with failure on
the part Of the executive committee to
account for a pretty liberal cash bal
ancc."
i've heard that much" said the train
master.
"Then wen bring it down to date"
there are twenty-five or thirty of the
losers still in the employ of this COM
pany, and they have sent a committee to
me to ask for an investigation. basing
the demand on the assertion that they
were coerced into giving up their money
TO the building and loan people"
I've heard that. too McCloskey adj
mitted. THE story goes that the house
building scheme was promoted by the old
Red Butte Western bosses, and if "A man
didn't take stock ne got himself disi ked
IF he did take it, the premiums were held
out on the pay rolls. 1t smells like
good, old fashioned graft. with the lid
nailed on.
There wouldn't seem TO he any reason
able doubt about the graft said the
superintendent. But my duty is clear
OF course. the Pacific Southwestern Conn
pany isn't responsible for the side-issue
schemes OF the old Red Butte Western
officials But | want to do strict justice
These men charge the officials of the
building and loan company with open dis
honesty. There was a balance of sew
eral thousand dollars in the treasury
when the explosion came. and 1t disap-
peared.'
..Well?" said the trainmaster.
THE losers contend that somebody
ousht to make good to them. They also
call attention to the fact that the build
ing ard loan treasurer, who was never
able satisfactorily to explain the disap-
pearance Of the cash balance, fs stu on
the railroad company's pay rolls.
McCloskey sat up and tilted the derby
to the back Of his head. "Gridley? he
asked.
NO: for some reasons | wish 1t were
Gridlev. He is able to fight his own bat
Ties n comes nearer home. Mac. The
treasurer was Hallock.
McCloskey rose noiselessly, tiptoed to
the door of communication with the outer
office and opened 1t with . quick jerk.
There was no one there.
"I thought / heard something" he said.