The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-08-15
CHAT PIER Y.
FHk 0UTlAWe-

~OH the first few weeks after the
Il change In ownership and the
arrival Of the new supefintend-
Il ent at Angels a sardonic laugh
was heard in the land The Red des-
ert grinned like the famed Cheshire
cat when an incoming train from the
east brought sundry boxes and trunks
said to contain the new boss ward
robe. Its outlaws were long and up
roarfous when 1t began to be noised
about that the company carpenters
end filters were Installing a bath and
other civilizing and softening apph
ances In the alcove opening out Of the
surerintendent's sleeping room In the
headquarters building.
Ldgerwood slept in the Crows Nest
not so much from choice as for the
reason that there seemed to be no al
Tentative save room In the town
tavern. appropriately named the Ho-
tel Celestial.
1t Ia a railroad proverb that the
properly inoculated railroad man eats
and sleeps with his business Lidger-
wood exempltf1ed the saying by hav-
ing a wire cut into the dispatcher's
Office. with the terminals on a little
table at hts beds head and with a tiny
telegraph relay instrument mounted
on the stand. Through the relay. tap
ping softly in the darkness. came tho
news Of the line, and often after the
strenuous day was ended Ldgerwood
would lie awake listening.
At the tar paper covered, iron roof
ed Celestial, where he took hts meals,
Lidgerwood had a table to himself,
which he shared at times with Nc
Closkey and at other times with
breezy Jack Benson, the young engi-
neer whom Vice President Ford had
sent upon Lidgerwood's request and
recommendation to put new life into
the track force and to make the pre-
nminary surveys for a possible west
ern extension Of the road.
On the line and in the roundhouss
and repair shops the nickname COL
lars and Cuffs" became classical. and
once, when Brannagan and tho 1T
were ordered out on the service car,
the Irishman wore the highest celfu-
loid collar he could hnd In Angels.
rounding out the clownery with a pair
Of huge wickerware cuffs, which had
once seen service as the coverings Of
q pair Of maraschino bottles.
Lidgerwood ignored the jests good
naturally, rather thankful for the
playful interlude which gave him .
breathing space and time to study the
| dold before the real battle should b.
gin.
That a battle would have 10 b
fought was evidsnt enough. A. yet
| the Generalization had been scarcely
checked. and sooner or later the neces-
sary radical reforms would have to
begin. Gridley, whose attitude toward
the new superintendent continued to
be that Of a disinterested adviser, a.
aured Lidgerwood that he was losing
ground by not opening the campaign
Of severity at once.
The fact that the master mechanic
was continually urging the warfare
made Ldgerwood delay 1t. Just why
Gridley's counsel should have produced
such a contrary effect Lidgerwood
could not have explained. The advice
was sound, and the man who gave It
was friendly and apparently ingenu-
Gus. But prejud1ces, like proposes
sions, are sometimes as strong az they
arc inexplicable, and, while Ldger-
wood freely accused himself Of injus-
tee toward the master mechanic, q
certain feeling Of distrust and repul-
sion, dating back to his nrst impress
sions Of tho man. died hard.
Oddly enough. on the other hand,
there was q prepossession, quite AZ
unreasoning, for Hallock. There was
absolutely nothing In the chief clerk
to inspire liking or even common bust
ness confidence. On the contrary, while
Hallock attended to his duties and car.
with the exactness Of an automaton
bis attitude was distinctly atagonistic
Al the chief subaltern on Lidgerwood's
small STAFF ho was efficient and well
nigh Invaluable As a man Ldger
wood felt he might easily be regarded
- an enemy whose designs could
never be fathomed or preflgured, but
under the Grabbed and gloomy crust OF
The man the superintendent fancied be
could discover a certain savage loyalty
But under the loyalty there was q
deeper depth-of misery or tragedy. OF
both.
} Questioned by Lidgerwood, McClos
key declared that Hallock was mar
He'd; that after the first few months II
Angels his wife, a st1kingly beautiful
young woman, had disappeared ant
that since her departure Hallock hat
lived alone In two rooms over thu
freight station, rooms which no one
save himself, ever entered.
On the Red Butte Western orders
regarded by disciplined railroad me,
, as having the immutability Of the law
Of the Modes and Persians, were st1l
Interpreted as loosely as II they wer'
but the casual suggestions Of a by
. stander. Rules were formulated onl!
to be coolly ignored when they chancet
!. 70 corAfct Nth Soypo train GROUP