The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-08-16
Copyright, 1910. by Charles Scrib-
nsr's Sons.

scenes of disaster, but when three sec
lions Of an eastbound cattle special,
ignoring the ten minute interval rule,
were piled up In the pinon hills he
went out and took personal command
of the track clearers
This happened when the joke was at
foodtide, and the men Of the wreck
ing crew took a ten gallon keg of
whisky along wherewith to celebrate
the first appearance of the new super
intendent in character as practical
wrecking boss. The outcome was rath-
er astonishing. For one thing, Lidger-
woods first executive act was to knock
in the head OF the ten gallon celebra-
ton with Il striking hammer before 1t
was even spieoted. and for another he
quickly proved that he was GridIey's
equal, If not his master In the gentle
art Of track clearing Through the
long day and the still longer night OF
tell and stress the new boss was able
to endure hardship with the best man
on the ground.
This was excellent, as far as 1t went.
But later. with the offending cattle
train crews before him for trial and
punishment. Lidgerwood lost all he had
gained by being too easy
We've got him chasin' his feet"
said Tryon, one of the rule breaking
encineors. making his report to the
rnundhouSe contingent at the close Of
the ''sweatboX' interview. It's Just
IS I've been tellin' you mugs all along
n ha: r1't 70
body"
One day in Lidgerwood's private of
fee Jack Benson said to him:
What do you know about Fred
Dawson, Gridley's shop draftsmanT'
Next to nothing personality replied
Lidgerwood. HE seems a fine fellow
much too fine a fellow to be wasting
himself out here in the desert Why?"
"Oh, l just wanted to know. Ever
met his mother and sister,?
mo
one Of the only two angels in Angels,
and the sister is the other. Dawson
himself is a CHASTITY monomaniac. He
is lame duck, you know, like every
other man this side Of Crosswater
Summit. present company excepted"
"a lame duck?" repeated Lidger-
| wood
Yes, man with q past. Over In
the ranch country beyond the Timan-
yonis they lump US all together and
call US the outlaws"
mot without reason" said Lidger-
wood.
mot any" asserted Benson, with
| cheerful pessimisn. 1.-The entire Red
| Butte Western outfit lis tarred with
| the same stick"
81 know" said Lidserwood But
you were speaking Of Dawson, weren't
you?'
YES. and that's what makes me say
what I'm saying. He is one Of them,
| though he needn't be If he weren't
such a hopelessly sensitive ass. He's
B. S. in NJ. E., or he would have
| been if he had stayed out his senior
year in Carnegie, but also he hap
pened to be a football fiend, and in
the last intercollegiate game of his
| last season he had the horrible luck
to kill a man, and the man was the
brother Of the girl Dawson was going
to marry"
Heavens and earthr' exclaimed
Lidgerwood. us be that Dawson2"
THE same" said the young engineer
| iaconically. at was the sheerest ac-
cident. and everybody knew it, and
nobody blamed Dawson. l happen to
know, because l was a Junior In Car
negie at the time. But Fred took 1t
hard let it spoil his life. He threw
up everything, left college between
two days and came to bury himself
out here. For two years he never let
his mother and sister know where
he was: made remittances to them
| through a bank in Omaha SO they
shouldn't be able to trace him. Care
to hear any more!'
Eyes; go on" said the superintend-
ent.
Il found him. chuckled Benson,
land l took the liberty Of piping his
little game off to the narrowed women.
Next thing he knew they dropped in
on him. and he IS just crazy enough
to stay here and TO keep them here.
That wouldn't be so bad II it wasn't
lOi lAitN. TEA tcSS Lpi4 WIZ
believe ii. but he has actually got the
nerve to make love to Dawson's sister
And he a widow man. old enough to be
her father
Lidgerw God smiled. 1t IS the privilege
Of youth to be intolerant Of age in It's
rival Gridley was. possibly. forty two
or three. but Benson was still on the
sunny slope Of twenty-five. You are
prejudiced. Jack" he criticised. Grid
ley is still young enough to marry
again if he wants to-and 10 live long
enough to spoil his grandchildren"
} But he doesn't begin TO be good
enough for Faith Dawson" countereG
the young engineer stubbornly.
Isn't he? Or is that another bit o.
your personal erudge? What do y0r
| know against him.
Pressed thus sharply against the IN
| yielding fact. Benson was obliged Il
| confess that he knew nothing At al
against the master mechanic. nothing
that could be pinned down 10 day ant
date. Gridley was we'll known 10 be {
hard hitter. and now and then, wher
| the blows fell rather merciIeSsly. tia
=: railroad colony called him tyrant ant
limited that he. too, had a past tina