The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-09-06
CHAPTER XIV
BLIND SIGNALS.

with the ability to take care Of much
Of the routine correspondence without
specific instructions and with a dispo-
sition to be loyal to his salt
Climbing the stairs to his Office on
the second floor of the Crows Nest
after the brief exchange Of question
and answer with Jud>on, Lidgerwood
found his helper hard at work grind
ing through the days train mail.
"Colgan wired that you were on Mr..
Brewster's special, and | was waiting
on the chance that you might want TO
rush something through when you got
in,' said Grady, reaching mechanically
for his notebook.
Il shall want to rush lot Of 1t
through after awhile, but you'd better
go and get your supper now and come
back fresh for it." said the superin-
tendent, who was always humane to
every one but himself. WAS there
anything special in today's mail?''
only this" turning up Il letter
marked Immediate" and bearing the
cancellation stamp Of the postal car
which had passed eastward on train
2O2
Lidgerwood read the marked letter
twice before he placed it face down
In the "unanswered' basket. It was
from Flemfster. and 1t called for de-
cisiOn which the superintendent was
willing to postpone for the moment.
He had not seen Flemister since the
day Of the rather spiteful converse
ton, with the building and loan theft
for q topic, and on that occasion the
mine owner had gone away with
threats in his mouth. Yet his letter
was distinctly friendly, conveying an
offer Of neighborly help.
The occasion for the neighborliness
arose upon right of way involve
ment. Acting under instructions from
Vice President Ford, Lidgerwood had
already begun to move in the matter
Of extending the Red Butte Western
toward the Nevada gold fields, and
Benson had been running preliminary
surveys and making estimates Of cost.
OF the two more feasible routes that
which left the main lii,e at Little
Butte, turning southwark up the Wire
Silver gulch. had been favorably re-
ported by the engineer. The right OF
way over this route. save for q few
miles through an upland valley Of cat
tie ranches, could be acquired from
the government. and among the ranch
owners only one was disposed to fight
the coming OF the railroad-for n pure
ly mercenary purpose, Benson de-
clared
1t was about this man. James Gro
field, that Flemister wrote. The ranch
man, so the letter stated had passed
through Little Butte early In the day
on his way to Red Butte. He would
be returning by the accommodation
late in the afternoon and would stop
at the Wire Silver mine. where he had
| he had taken a dislike to Benson. but
II Lidgerwood could make 1t conven-
| lent to come over to Little Butte on
| the evening passenger train from An
| gels tie writer of the letter would ar
range to keep Grofield over night, and
| the right Of way matter could doubt
| less be settled satisfactorily.
1
| owners letter, and if LdgerWood hes
1tated it was partly because he was
suspicious Of Flemisters sudden
| friendliness. Then the motive-Flem-
| listers motive-Suggested itself. and
! the suspicion was put TO sleep. The
| Wire Silver mine was five miles dis
tant from the main line at Little Butte.
| at the end of spur: if the extension
should be built it would be main
accruing therefrom.
Iidgerwood looked at his watch. If
Grady should not be gone too long he
might be able to work through the pile
Of correspondence and get away on the
evening passenger, and when the ste
| nographer came back the work was at
tackled with that end in view. But
after an hours rapid debating a long
drawn whistle signal announced the
incoming of the train he was trying
/ to make and warned him that the race
against time had failed.
\ Its no use: We'll have-to make two
/ bites of it, he said to Grady. and
then he left his desk to go downstairs
for breathing moment and cup Of
coffee
Train 205. the train Flemister had
suggested that he might take. was just
pulling IN from the long run across the
desert when he reached the foot Of the
stairs. That it was too late to take
this means of reaChing Little Butte
and the Wire Silver mine was a small
matter: it merely meant that he would
be obliged to order out the service cal
and 60 special. If he should finally de-
eide to act upon FIemister's sugges
ton.
| Lidgerwood marked group Of dis
charged raiIroaders withdrawing 10 {
corner Of the lunch room as he entered
and while the waiter was serving hi
coffee he saw Hallock join the group
Once again Lidgerwood remembered
McCloskey's proposal and his OWE re
reluctant assent To II. and now h,
was not too greatly conscience stricken
when he saw JudSon quietly workin:
his way through the crowded room t
q point If eSpiaI upon the group in th'
corner
The keen inner sense which neithe
the Psychologists nor the psychologist:
have yet been able IN define or +,
name apprised him Of a threat de
yeloping in the distant corner, but h,
resoIutely ignored it. drank his coffet
! and presently Went his way around tn