Arizona republican., 1911-09-16


 "Oh. all right,s said the man. "I'll
 be back" and he disappeared in the shadow of the station.
 He acts like he was nutty," nut. tered Haggerty, and swung himself on the steps.
 But, though Haggerty waited. the man did not come back, and he had not come back when the train began to roll out of the station. and flag gerty was again on the rear platform of the car Then. just as his hand reached out to open the door. he stopped and started suddenly as though he had been stung e
 A voice came out of the darkness from the other side of the track over by the roundhouse. Where's flag. gerty?" it demanded anxiously.
 Then Haggerty tumbled. and his face went red with rage. He leaned far out over the rail, and, forgetful that the pantomime was lost in the darkness, shook his clenched fist in the direction from whence the voice had come.
 You go to he-ee-ll-lll!" he bawled, the exclamation shaken into syllables by reason of the car wheels jolting over the siding switches at that precise moment And then, his senses being very acute, from where the light shone in the despatcher's window he thought he heard, above the momentarily in- creasing rattle of the train, laugh laugh that produced anything but quieting effect on his already outraged sensibilities.
 Now Haggerty was not of the nature of those who can pass lightly over joke at their own expense. especially if that joke be too prolonged and car ries with it a hint of underlying venom. Therefore, as the "one on Haggerty" spread over the Division, and scarcely an hour of the day passed that the cry Where's Haggerty?" did not reach his ears, he began to sulk and treasure up his injury. The Di- vision was rubbing it in pretty hard. But the curious part of 1t all was that his bitterness was not directed against himself, who was the direct cause of his discomfiture, nor against MacDon- aid. who was the indirect cause: but against Hale, the super. who was no cause at all.
 Just once had Haggerty seen the superintendent. Hale was pointed out to him on the platform at Big Cloud, and Haggerty had tucked hastily back inside his train. Hale was the inof- tensive little fellow he had treated with such scant courtesy at the lunch counter, the insignificant, squint-eyed individual he had hauled from the car platform by the coat collar! When Haggerty's mingled feelings of pertur- bation and amazement permitted him any speech at all. it was rather in coherent.
 "Thdt-the runt!" he gasped, and subsided into an empty seat.
 And in this inelegant. but pithy. sum- ming up of the capacity and dimen- sions of his chief. the Division was with him to the last section hand. Him "a railroad man, The Hill Division was ashamed, and 1t ranked for the shame that 1t considered had been put upon it. Out of 1t all. Haggerty was the only thing of saving grace, So upon Haggerty they loosened. behind the humor, some of their bitterness. Haggerty became the safety valve of the Division.
 A month had gone by and Hale had lived we'll up to what his appearance had led them to expect. He might have been an automaton for all the signs of life that emanated from his office. Just routine. the routine busi. ness, routine, that was all. The dis luiet and unrest that brooded over the Division became contempt-the kind of contempt that made the car-tinks put on airs, and in their heart of hearts figure themselves better railroad men than he who sat over them in supreme authority.
 And then Haggerty got shock. It was imparted by Macdonald.
 "I got 1t from J. C.'s clerk last night" said the despatcher. Hes going to run an inspection special over the Division, and he's picked out the flag end of all things for the crew. He picked you first. Haggerty."
 "Aw, forget it!" growled Haggerty. with a scowl.
 'I think there's something behind 1t, though" Macdonald went on, his voice modulated confidentially. Between you and me, Haggerty. the inspection trip is bluff."
 Haggerty pricked up his ears. " How's that?" he demanded.
 Well" said Mcdonald serenely, backing to safe distance, "I think he's hurt at the way you've cut him since he's been here. He's pining for your company, and"
 Haggerty sprang to his feet from the baggage truck on which he had been seated, and shook his fist frantically at the fast retreating figure. He was still gesticulating fiercely and muttering savagely to himself when the window in the despatcher's room overhead opened softly, and Mcdonald stuck out his head.
 "Hey. there, Haggerty." he called. "quit practising that deaf and dumb alphabet. You haven't got any time to waste. You want to run along and get the missus to press out pair of pan. ties, and iron a boiled shirt for you. You'll get your orders in the morning"