Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1912-01-31
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
A Woman Again
By JEAN ELGINBROD
By JEAN ELGINBROD

jeanette Whipple, trunk operator, fac
ing the clock. saw that in little less
than two hours her time would be up.
She wondered If Richard were watch
ing the clock as impatiently as she.
Such long. long time to six o'clock
and the happy walk home
She glanced over at the local board.
The local girls were always busy.
Their hands few as they connected
line after line. The drops fell quick
er than they could answer them. The
chief operator (No. Is officially, was
working back of the board on the
Hayes.
The monitor walked up and down,
up and down, back of the girls. who
hated her nearly as much as they did
tteir chief. She had been IS years in
the business-and showed It. She was
reported to have a soft spot in her
heart for the young, curly-headed as
sistant chief operator at the desk.
The messenger boys called him the
fellow with the pretty blue hair"
The girls called him "twelve-and-a-
half" being assistant to No. 25.
Jeanette laughed to herself as she
thought of It, Then she turned down
a jack to see if Ne. 27O were still
talking to Ridgeton. Captain Henry's
big voice doomed in her ear. and she
caught a sentence.
old, been foreman of the Electric
tall and dark. about 80 years
old, been foreman of the electric
company six years"
Mechanically she turned up the
jack. Then, as she realized what
she had heard she listened again.
Why, Richard was foreman of the
Electric company. What could have
happened!
'Oh, Lathrop'n die There is no
chance Don't know just how it hap
pened yet. Nash has always borne
good name. though there has been
bad blood between him and Lathrop
a long time, I hear. Have your men
watch sharp If he did go on that
7GOur o'clock I'll head it off at Saturne.
II gets there about 4:30. If he got off
at Ridgetou, which | doubt. he can't
have gone far yet l think he will
keep on toward the west. Got it all?
-- feet II, dark. smooth face. WEI!
built, brown suit. black derby-all
right. Goodby."
270 rang off.
jeanette took the connection down
and leaned back in her chair. The
bulletins on the board swayed up and
down with a horrible. sickening ac-
ton. The noise of falling plugs grew
faint. The hum of voices died into
silence. The board seemed an i'm
measurable distance away.
Then. slowly her brain cleared.
She had no trouble in realizing now
what it all meant. Richard Nash. her
Richard Nash. had killed Lathrop.
She looked swiftly down the long
line of girls. All were working, still
and sober. The monitor paced slowly,
back and forth. No. 1914 was writing
out trouble reports.
A drop fell. 1t was 270 She took
II before the recording operator could
reach it, and plugged in on the line
Her voice sounded strange to her as
she spoke.
Toll line"
Give me police station saturne,
Captain Briggs to the telephone. And
right away quick. too, central.
She made out the ticket slowly. Her
fingers we're stiff and cold She felt
numbed all over except her brain
That seemed on fire. She looked down
at the small diamond on her left
hand Whether It were true. or not,
he was Richard-yes--and she loved
him.
If Ridgeton had not been able to
get a man down to the train in time
10 search IT, after getting Captain
Henry's message. there was a small
chance for his escape-perhaps she
could make 1t a bigger one, If he we're
really on that train, as they thought
Could she keep 270 from getting
Saturne before the train passed there.
q whole half hour yet?
New York was probably his goal II
she could keep the train from being
searched before it reached New York
he might escape west, or across the
water
Was he thinking of their walk home
at the end of the day. now. she won
dered. remorse and fear fighting
within him. Or had he had no time
60 think of her yet?
go was calling again.
Cant you get Saturne. Central?
What is the matter?"
Wire is busy will call you" she
answered clearly. 1t was only quar-
ter OF FIVE now.
She cast a furtive look at the mon
,tor who was coming toward her. She
answered two other calls. and made
Quick connections The monitor
glanced at her board, then walked
slowly away again. Time seemed to
stand still. 4:57-4:5S-
270 called again.
Captain Henry's voice BODIED trou-
BILE for somebody.
why can't have Saturne? ! must
have them before $50"