Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-04-17

telegraph ONCE. The car was stu
standing on the siding when Sloun'
went 70 bed. But IN the morning 1;
was In motion again, jogging now on
1ts leisnrely way Up the branch line
At Lewiston, the town saf the end Of
the branch WHARF, the right Of way
trouble had originated. Blount found
more delay, carefully planned for. a.
he had now come firmly 70 believe
The plaintiffs IN the right o9 way case
were out OF town, and their lawyers
had gone TO the capital Biount saw
that he might wait week without &C
comphshing anything; hence hs tmme-
dtately instructed his conductor to get
orders 1or the return
After having been gone ietsurely
half hour the conductor came back
TO the service car 10 say e1at the single
telegraph wire connecting Lewiston
with the outer world was down and
that the orders for the return. Jour
ney could not be obtained until the
telegraph connection was restored. At
that point Blount took matters into
his own hands.
There was q mining company having
lis headquarters IN the isolated town.
and BIount had met the manager once
in the capital-met him in a social way
and had been able to show him some
little attention. Hiring q blackboard at
the one livery stable IN the place, he
drove out to the Little Mary mine
and luckily found Blatchford. the
friendly manager. It did not take over
70 nj
,Quaintance and 10 state his dilemma.
I'm hung up here with my special
train, the wires are down, and 1 can't
get out" was his statement of the
crude fact. Didn't you tell me that
you owned 4 motOrcarT
81 did" was the prompt reply. want
to borrow it,"
You beat me to it." said Blount,
laughing. THAT was precisely what I
was going to beg for-the loan of your
car. 1 believe you told me that you
had driven it from here to the capital"
"Oh, yes, several times. You ought
to make it in six hours and a half or
seven at the most. Drive me down to
the burg and I'll put you in posses
sion"
-
handling the levers of a very service
able knockabout car equipped for hard
work on country roads. When he was
ready to go he drove down 10 the rail
road yard and hunted up his conductor.
After you have had your vacation
you may get orders from Mr.. Kit
tredge and take his car back to the
capital" he told the man. when you
do you may give him my compn-
ments and tell him that I preferred to
run my own special train"
The conductor grinned and made no
reply, and he was still grinning when
he sauntered into the railroad tele-
graph Office and spoke to the operator
81 dunno what's up" he said, but.
whatever it was, the strings broke.
Old Dave Sagebrush's son has Dor
rowed him an automobeel and gone
back to town on his own hook. Guess
you'd better call up the division dis
patcher and tell him the broken wire
gag didn't work. Get a move on. We
hain't got nothing to stay here for
now"
The traffic manager had left his Office
for the day, but Blount found him at
the railway club.
Just a word, Dick" he began when
he had overtaken Kittredge's accom-
plice in the grill room corridor. kit
tredge put up a job on me. and think
you helped him. I had to borrow an
automobile to come back in from
Lewiston"
"Confound you" said Gantry hearth
~.
But that was all that he had a
chance TO say, since Blount had turn
ed abruptly and was already leaving
the club to go on to the hotel.
Since the election was now no more
than three days distant the Inter
Mountain lobby was filed with groups
Of caucusing politicians. Notwith-
standing the position he had taken,
and the open eyed fearIesspess with
which he had discussed the political
situation publicly in every considera-
BILE town in the state, Evan Blount
was still puzzle to those whose ways
were. by need and the force of cir
the reverse Of straightfor-
ward.
Blount was halted half a dozen
lDeS before ne could make his way
10 the elevator, and the pumping
process TO which he was subjected at
each fresh hating space amused him.
Il was plainly evident that in spite OF
Ill he had said and done a consider
able majority OF the politicians were
still rega riding him as in some sense
MS fathers lieutenant Somewhat TO
lis disappointment he found that Pa
Ticia had gone out with his father
md his fathers wife 20 dinner; hence
lie was forced TO sit at a table In the
.afe with three OF the caucusing pol
dcisns and was obliged 10 find his
moderate pleasure in trying to make
heir very evident perpiexity lose moth
ng of its acuteness during the table
Jour
When he reached his Office on Sat
lrday morning. after an early and
olitary breakfast at the hotel, the
-oung reformer scored. or thought he
lad scored. his first small victory.
Among the envelopes on his desk was
no baa-{ue- the fr7,r1Ffpr ~ The fraHso