The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-06-27

step for the young fool, and he took it. Having baited the trap and set it, Hallock sprung it. Jaekson's got a couple of years to serve yet, I believe"
 Lidgerwood was listening thought fully. The story which had ended so disastrously for the young conductor threw a rather lurid side light upon Jackson's accuser. Yet the superin- tendent was just enough to distin- guish between gross vindictiveness and an evil which bore no relation to the vengeful one.
 "A financially honest man might still have a weakness for playing even in a personal quarrel" he commented. 'Your story proves nothing more than that.''
 "I know it'
 "But I am going to run the other thing down. too," Lidgerwood insisted. 'sHallock shall have a chance to clear himself, but if he can't do it he can't stay with me-"
 At this the trainmaster changed front so suddenly that Lidgerwood began to wonder if his estimate of the mans courage was at fault.
 Don't do that, MT. Lidgerwood. Don't stir up the devil in that long haired knife fighter at such time as this," he begged. "The Lord knows you've got trouble enough on hand as it is without digging up something that belongs to the has-beens."
 "I know, but justice is justice" was the decisive rejoinder. "The question is still a live one, as the complaint of the grievance committee proves. If dodge, my refusal to investigate will be used against us in the labor trou ble which you say is brewing. I'm not going to dodge, McCloskey."
 "You haven't asked my advice, MT. Lidgerwood, but here it is anyway" Z said McCloskey. "Flemister, the own CT of the Wire Silver. mine over in H- manyoni Park, was the president of that building and loan outfit. He and Hallock are at daggers drawn, for some reason that I've never under stood. If you could get them together perhaps they could make some sort of statement that would quiet the kick CTS for the time being, at any rate"
 Lidgerwood looked up quickly. That's odd,'' he said. 'Ne longer than yesterday Gridley suggested precisely the same thing.'
 McCloskey was on his feet again and fumbling behind him for the door knob.
 "Tm all in,'' he grimaced. "When it comes to figuring with Gridley and Flemister and Hallock, all in the same breath, Pm done''
 Lidgerwood made a memorandum on his desk calendar to take the building and loan matter up with Hallock the following day. But another wreck in- tervened, and after the wreck a con- ference with the Red Butte mine own CTS postponed all office business for an additional twentyfour hours. It was late in the evening of the third day when the superintendent's special steamed home from the west, and Lidgerwood, who had dined in his car, went directly to his office in the Crows Nest.
 He had scarcely settled himself at his desk for an attack upon the accu- mutation of mail when Benson came in. It was a trouble call, and the young engineers face advertised it.
 'Its no use talking, Lidgerwood," he began, "I can't do business on this railroad until you have killed off some of the thugs and highbinders.''
 Lidgerwood flung the paper knife aside and whirled his chair to face the new complaint.
 "What is the matter now, Jack?' he snapped.
 "Oh, nothing much-when you're lars worth of dimension timber gone gHmmering; that's all. It's the Gloria bridge. We had the timbers all ready to pull out the old and put in the new. and the sn1rr was to De made today between trains. Last night every stick Of the new stock disappeared"
 Lidgerwood was not profane man, but what he said to Benson in the coruscating minute or two which fol lowed resolved itself into a very fair imitation of profanity, inclusive and world embracing.
 And you didn't have wit enough to leave waterman on the JOb, he chafed. By heavens, this thing has got to stop, Benson. And it's going to stop if we have to call out the state militia and picket every mile of this rotten railroad!'
 Do it," said Benson gruff1y, land when it's done you notify me and I'll come back to work" And with that he tramped out and was too angry te remember to close the door.
 Lidgerwood turned back to his desl savagely out of humor with Benson and with himself and raging inwaEdly at the mysterious thieves who were footing the company as boldly as an invading army might. At this the most inauspicious moment possible his eye fell upon the calendar memoran- dunn. "See Hallock about B-L..' and