Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-02

happen. right then and there. After that
It'd be easy enough. All Flemister had
to do was to rout out his miners over his
own telephones. jump on to the hand car
again and come back In time to snow
up to YOU
Lidgerwood was frowning thoughtfully.
Then both of them must have come
back; or, no-that must have been your
third man who tried to flag Crawford
down. Judson, I've got to know who that
third man is. He has complicated things
so that / don't dare move. even against
Flemister. until l know more. We are
not at the ultimate bottom of this thing
yet"
Were far enough to put the handouts
onto Mr.. Pennington Flemister any time
you say" asserted Judson. There was
one little thing that forgot to put In the
report When you get ready to take that
missing switch engine back. you'll find it
choo- chooin' away up yonder i'm Flem-
listers new power house that he's built
out of boards made from Mr.. Benson's
bridge timbers.'
rs that so? Did you see the engineer
queried the superintendent. quickly.
mo, but ] might as we'll have. Shes
there. all right, and they didn't care
enough to even muffie her exhaust"
Lidgerwood took slender gold banded
cigar from his desk box and passed the
box to the ex-engineer.
wen get Mr.. Pennington Flemister-
and before he is very many hours older.
he said, definitely. An. then: II wish
we were little more certain Of the other
man."
Judson bit the end from his cigar, but
he forbore to light it. The Red desert
had not entirely effaced his sense of the
respect due to superintendent riding in
his own private car.
Its queer sort Of mix-up. Mr.. Lid
gerwood," he said. lingering his cigar
tenderly. KNOWN what's what. as some
Of us do, you'd say them two'd never get
throats.''
Lidgerwood nodded .I've heard there
was bad blood between them-it was
about that building and loan business.
wasn't it?'
"Shucks! no: that was only a drop in
the bucket" said Judson, surprised out
Of his attitude Of rank and file Difference.
'Hallock was the original owner of the
Wire-Silver. Didn't you know that?"
mo"
HE was, and Flemister beat him out
of H--lock. stock and barrel; just simply
reached out an took II. Then, when he'd
done that, he reached out and took Hal
locks wife-tust to make 1t clean
sweep, was the way he Dragged about it. :"
Heavens and EARTH" calculated the
listener. Then some Of the hidden things
began to define themselves in the light or
this astounding revelation: Hallock's I'M
willingness to go to FIemister for the
proof of his innocence in the building and
loan matter; his yelled warning that evil,
cerned IL LidgerwOod should insist; the
invasion of the service car at Copah by
the poor, demented creature, whose cry
was still for vengeance upon her be-
trayer. Truly. F1emister had many crimes
to answer for. But the revelation made
Hallocks attitude all the more myster-
ious. 1t was unaccountable save upon
one hypothesis-that Flemister was able
to so play upon the mans weaknesses as
to make him a mere tool In his hands.
But Judson was going on to elucidate.
First of, we all thought Haliock'd kill
Flemister. Rankin was never much of a
bragger or much of talker but he let
out few hints, and, accOrdin' to Red
desert rulin's. Flemister wasn't much bet
ter than dead man right then. But 1t
blew over, some way, and now
Now he is Flemister's accomplice in a
hanging matter, you would say. I'm.
afraid you are right, Judson," was the
superintendent comment; and with this
the subject was dropped.
The early dawn of the summer morning
was graying over the desert when the
special drew into the Angels yard. Lid
gerwood had the yard crew place the
service car on the same siding with the
Nadia, and near enough SO that his
guests. upon rising, could pass across the
platforms.
That done. and he saw to the doing of
it himself, he climbed the stair in the
Crows Nest meaning to snatch a little
sleep before the labors and hazards OF
new day should claim him. But Nc
Closkey. TIE dour-faced, was waiting for
him in the upper corridor-with news that
would not wait
ultimatum at last he said. gruffly. I'VE
cancel the new Book of Rules and REIN
state all the men that have been dis
charged, or a strike will be declared. and
every wheel on the line will stop at mid
night tonight"
Weary to the point of mental stagna-
ton, Lidgerwood still had residence
enough left to rise to the new grapple.
rs the strike authorized by the labor
union leaders," he asked.
burning the wires to find out. 1t isn't;
the brotherhoods won't stand for it, and
our men are pulling it off by their lone
some. But it'll materialize, just the
same. The strikers are in the majority.
and they'll scare the well affected minor
ity to standstill Business will stop at
II o'clock tonight"
mot entirely" said the superintendent,
with anger rising. THE mails will be
carried. and perishable freight will con-
enlist on our side, and buy up all the
guns you can find and serve them out:
we'll prepare to fight with whatever
weapons the other side may force US to
thing about this?"
81 guess not. They had all gone to bed
in the Nadia when the grievance commit
tee came up"
That's good: he needn't know it. He
is going over to the Copperette and we
must arrange to get him and his party
out of town at once. That will eliminate
the women. See to engaging the buck
boards for them. and call me when the
presidents party is ready to leave. I'm
going TO rest up a little before we lock
horns with these pirates. and you'd better
do the same after you get things shaped
up for tonight's hustle
I'm needing it, all right" admitted the
trainmaster. And then: "Was this pas
senger wreck another Of the assisted.
Ones?"
ut was. Two men broke a rail joint on
Little Butte side cutting for my special
and caught the delayed passenger in
stead. F1emister was one of the two"
And the other?" said McCloskey.
LidgerwOod did not name the other.
well get the other man in good time,
saken desert we'll hang both of Them
I'll turn I'M
''AH but one little item, and maybe
you'll rest better if I don't tell you that
right now"
Give it a name." said Lidgerwood,
crisply.
Bart Rufford has broken Jail and he is
here, in Angels"
McCloskey was watching his chiefs
face, and he was sorry to see the sudden
pallor make 1t colorless. But the SUPER
intendents voice was quite steady when