The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-06-28

much lately? I'm gofn' to stay round here till I get a chance to lick that scrub.'
 "You rail pounders d better get next to Rankin Hallock," Broadbent warn: ed He's the next sup'rintendent of the R. B. W. You'll see the point ment circular the next day after that | jim-dandy over in the Crows Nest gets moved off'n the map" "Well, Pm some afeared Bart Ruff lords likely to move him." drawled Clay, the six foot Kentuckian, who was filing the 1858 brasses at the bench. Which the same I ain't re- joicin' about neither. That little cuss is shore a mighty good railroad man. And when you ain't rubbin' his fur the wrong way he treats you white" For instance"' snapped Hodges, freight engineer who had been thrice ''on the carpet in Lidgerwood's office for overrunning his orders. "Oh, they ain't so blame hard to find" Clay retorted. Last week when we was out on the Navajo WTeCh lHe dIiO luo UOy Otuu nave AO dinner buckets. Bradford was runnin' the super's car. and when Andy just sort of happened to mention the famine up along, the little man made that Jap cook O his'n get US up dinner that'd made your hair frizzle. He shore did"
 It was Williams inning, and what he said was cautionary.
 Dry up. you fellows! Here comes Gridley."
 The master mechanic was walking down the planked track from the back shop carrying his years. which showed only in the graying mustache and chin beard, and his 1S0 pounds of we'll set up bone and muscle jauntily.
 Like many another man, Henry Grid ley lived a double life, or perhaps it would be nearer the truth to say that there were two Henry Gridleys. Lid gerwood. the Dawsons, the little world of Angels at large. knew the virile, ac- complished mechanical engineer and master of men. which was his normal personality What time the other per sonaIity, the elemental barbarian, yawned, stretched itself and came awake, the unspeakable denss of the Copah lower quarter engulfed him un- til the neither man had gorged himsef cn degradation.
 To his men Gridley was a tyrant, exacting, but just, ruling them as the men of the desert could only be ruled, with the mailed fist. Generous rough nesses were recorded of him, and II the attitude of the men was somewhat tempered by wholesome fear 1t was none the less loyal.
 Hence when he entered the round house industrious silence supplanted the discussion of the super1ntendents case Glancing at the group of engine men, he beckoned to Judson. When the discharged engineer had followed him across the turntable he raced about and said, not too crisply: so your sins have found you out one more time, have they, John? What IS II this time-thirty days?'
 Judson shook his head gloomlly. "No; I'm down and out"
 Underwood made it final, aid ne! Well. you can't blame him.
 You hain't heard me saying any thing, have you?" was the surly re joinder.
 'No. but it isn't in human nature to forget these little things" Then sud denly, Where were you day before yesterday between noon and 1 o'clocF about the time you should have beer taking your train out?''
 Judson had a needle-Iike mind wher the alcohol was out of it. and the sud den query made him dissenble.
 About 10 o'clock I was playing poo in Raffertys place with the butt end O. the cue. After that things got kind O. hay"
 "WelI. I want you to buckle dow and think hard. Don't you remembe1 going over to Cat Riggs about noor and sitting down at one of the empt! card tables to drink yourself stiff?"
 Judson could not have told unde; the thumbscrews why he was prompt ed to tell Gridley a plain lie But h. did it.
 "I can't remember" he denied. Ther the needle pointed brain got in its work, and he added, "WhyT'
 T saw you there when I was goine up to dinner. You called me in to tel me what you were going to do to Lidgerwood if he slated you for getting drunk. Don't you remember it?'
 Judson was looking the master me chanic fairly in the eyes when he said, "No; I don't remember a thing about that''
 To Be ContinuedA