Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1911-07-07

N5s&s
IT DIRECTED HIM To Go To REMOTE
IoKrIuS OF TIE STATE
anime the papers in IA right of way
case which was coming up for trial
at the next term of court.
This was in Kittredges department,
and Blount called up the superin-
tendcnt on the phone kittredge was
in his office. and he evidently knew
about the vice presidents telegram;
also he seemed very anxious 10 have
the division counsel go to Lewiston at
once, so anxious that he offered his
own service car to be run as special
train.
Blount saw no way to evAde posi-
tive order from his chief. but he was
more than suspicious that Gantry or
Kittredge or possibly both Of them
were conspiring to get him away from
the capital at the critical moment.
What did not occur to him at the time
was the fact that Mr.. McNickar's tel
egram might have originated IN Kilt
tredgc'S office.
Asking the superintendent 10 have
| the service car made ready immcdi-
ately. he packed his hand bag, left Il
note for Patricia and began the useless
| journey.
| In all his travelling up and down the
| state he had never found anything
to equal the slowness Of the special
train. -Four mortal hours were lost
on the lonely siding. There was no
station, and Blount could not tele-
graph So far as he knew. the serv-
ice car might stay there for day or
week. 1t was all to no purpose that
he Quarreled with his conductor. The
train crew had orders to wait for
westbound II. and there was nothing
to do but to keep on waiting.
Late In the afternoon train II or
some other train came along, and the
special was once more set In motion
eastward, but at dinner time it was
again sidetracked. eighty odd miles
from its destination. and once more
at n blind siding, where there was no
telegraph office. The car was still
standing on the siding when Blount
went to bed But In the morning 1t
was in motion again. jogging now on
It's lciSurely way up the branch line.
At Lewiston, the town at the end OF
the branch where the right of way
trouble had originated, Blount found
more delay. carefully planned for. as
he had now come firmly to believe.
The plaintiffs In the right OF way case
were out Of town, and their lawyers
had gone to the capital. Blount saw
that he might wait week without ac-
complishing anything; hence he imme-
diately instructed his conductor to get
orders for the return.
After having been gone leiSurely
half hour the conductor came back
to the service car to say that 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 mining cOr.pany having
Its headquarters In the isolated town,
and Blount had met the manager on :,
in the capital-met him In social wal
and had been able to show him som,
} little attention. Hiring blackboard a
the one livery stable In the place, b,
drove out to the Little Mary min,
J and luckily found Blatchford. tn,
friendly manager. Ii did not take owe
a minute to renew the pleasant ac
Quaintance and to state his dilemma.
I'm hung up here with my specia
; train. the wires are down. and can
. get out" was his statement OF tn
crude fact. Didn't you tell me tina
you owned a mOtorcar!'
II did," was the prompt reply. IVAN
to borrow IT."
You beat me to It," said Blount
! laughing. THAT was precisely what
! was going to beg for-the loan of you
. car. believe you told me that yol
had driven 1t from here to the capital.
''Oh. yes. several times You ough
to make 1t In six hours and q half o
seven at the most Drive me down t
the burg and I'll put you In posses
| sion"
A little later Blount found himsel
handling the levers Of very service
able knockabout car equipped for har'
work on country roads. When he wa
ready to so he drove down to 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 tn
capital" he told the man. when 20,
do you may give him my compll
ments and tell him that preferred t
run my own special train"
The conductor grinned and made n
reply. and he was still grinning whel
he sauntered into the railroad tele
graph office and spoke to the operator
Il dunno what's up." he said, blu,
whatever 1t was. the strings broke
Old Dave Sagebrush's son has boz
rowed him an automobeel and gon
back to town on his own hook. Cues
you'd better call up the division dis
patcher and tell him the broken wir
gag didn't work. Get a move ON. W
hain't got nothing to stay here 70
now"
The traffic manager had left his offic
for the day. but Blount found him a
the railway club.
Just a word, Dick" he began whel
he had Overtaken Kittrcdge's accom-
plice In the grill room corridor. "Kii
tredge put up Job on me. and thin
you helped him. had to borrow a
automobile to come back in from
Lewiston"
"Confound you" said Gantry heart
~.
But that was all that he had
chance TO say. since Blount had turf
cd abruptly and was already leavin
the club to 20 on to the hotel
Since the election was now no NOR
than three days distant the Inter
Mountain lobby was filled with group