The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-06-28
THE TANNING OF RED
 BUTTE WESTERN
(Continued from Page 15.)

SOn nurr1eOly- Tell me half dozen things in just about as many seconds Has Flemister used that spur since you took charge of the road?"
 "Eo."
 Have you ever suspected him of being mixed up in the looting?"
 II haven't known enough about him to form an opinion.'
 Benson stepped to the door communi- eating with the outer office and closed it quietly.
 "Your man Hallock out there-how is he mixed up with Flemister?"
 "I don't know. Why?"
 Because the day before yesterday when I was on the Little Butte station platform talking with Goodloe I saw Flemister and Hallock walking down the new spur together. When they saw me they turned around and began to walk back toward the mine.''
 'Hallock had business with Flemis- ter-I know that much-and he took half day off Thursday to go and see him." said the superintendent.
 "Do you happen to know what the business was?"
 "Yes, do. He went at my request '
 "H'mr' said Benson. Another string broken. Never mind; I've got to catch that train"
 "Shll after those bridge timbersT'
 "Stll after the boards they have probably been sawed into. And before get back I am going to know whats at the upper end of that old Silver Switch | spur"
 The young engineer had been gone less than half an hour and Lidgerwood had scarcely finished reading his mail when McCloskey opened the door. Like Benson, the trainmaster also had the light of discovery in his eye.
 "More thievery,' he announced gloomily. '"This time they have been footing my department I had ten or twelve thousand feet of high priced in. sulated copper wire a1d a dozen or more telephone sets in the storeroom. The wire and all those telephone sets are gone.'
 Well" said Lidgerwood evenly. The temptation to take it out upon the nearest man was still as strong as ever, but he was growing better able to resist it.
 eve done what I could" snapped McCloskey, seeming to know what was expected of him, but nobody knows anything, of course. So far as I could find out; no one of my men has had oc- casion to go to the storeroom for a week.
 "Who has the keys?"
 'I have one, and Spurlock. the line chief, has one. Hallock has the third"
 Always Hallockv' was the half i'm patient comment 'I hope you don't suspect him of stealing your wire"
 That's just what do. I've got him dead to rights this time. He was in that storeroom day before yesterday. or, rather, night before last. Callahan saw him coming out of there.''
 Lidgerwood sat back in his chair and smiled.
 "I don't blame you much, Mac. This thing is getting to be pretty binding upon all of us But I think you are mistaken-in your conclusion, I mean. Hallock has been making an inventory of material on hand for the past week or more, and now that 1 think of it remember having seen your wire and the telephone sets included in his last sheet of telegraph supplies"
 There it goes again" said the train master sourly. Every time I get a half hitch on that fellow, something turns up to make it slip"
 "Try to be as fair to him as you can," Lidgerwood advised. "I know you dislike him, and probably you have good reasons. But have you stopped to ask yourself what possible use he could make of the stolen materially
 'I can tell you one thing, MT. Lid gerwood-Flemister has just put com plete system of wiring and telephones in his mine, and if he had the stuff for the system shipped in over our rail- road the agent at Little Butte doesn't know anything about it."
 "That proves nothing against Hal lock, Mac, as you will see when you cool down a xittle." he said.
 q know it dOesn't,' wrathfully. Nothing proves anything any more. l suppose I've got to say it again-Tm all in, down and out" And he went away, growing to his hat brim.
 Late in the evening of the same day Benson returned from the west He sought out Lidgerwood at once and made his report of the days doings.
 'I have and I haven't" he said, be- ginning in the midst of things, as his habit was. You were right about the track connection at Silver Switch. It is in. Flemister put it in himself month ago, when he had a carload of coal taken up to the back door of his mine' "Did you go up over the spur?'
 "Yes, and I had my trouble for my pains. Before I go any further, Lid
 MO