The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-01-25

breathlessly. Where's
Here" said Haggerty promptly,
leaning out over the steps and show
ing his light What dye want?"
"oh. all right 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 of
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 Hag-
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.
voice came out Of the darkness
from the other side Of the track over
by the roundhouse. Where's Hag-
gerty?" it demanded anxiously.
Then Hasgerty 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
4 he heard, above the momentarily in
creasing rattle of the train, laugh
laugh that produced anything but a
/ quieting effect on his already outraged
/ sensibilities.
Now Haggerty was not of the nature
of those who can pass lightly over q
joke at their own expense, especially
if that joke be too prolonged and car
ries with it 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 d.
vision was rubbing it in pretty hard.
But the curious part of it all was that
his bitterness was not directed against
himself, who was the direct cause of
his discontinue. 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 ducked hastily back
inside his train. Hale was the inof-
fensiye 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-
baton and amazement permitted him
any speech at all, it was rather In
coherent.
"That-the runt!" he gasped, and
subsidized into an empty seat
And in this inelegant, but pithy, sum
ming up OF the capacity and dfmen
sions of his chief. the Division was
with him to the last section hand. Him
"a railroad man! The Hill Division
was ashamed, and It ranked for the
shame that it considered had been put
upon it. Out of it all, Haggerty was
the only thing of saving gracei Sc
upon Haggerty they loosened, behind
the humor. some of their bitterness
Haggerty became the safety valve Of
the Division.
month had gone by and Hale hat
lived well up to what his appearance
had led them to expect. He NIGH
have been an automaton for all thu
signs of life that emanated from hi!
office. Just routine, the routine bust
ness, routine. that was all. The dis
quiet and unrest that brooded over thu
Division became contemplate kline
of contempt that made the car-tink
figure themselves better railroad mel
than he who sat over them in supreme
authority.
And then Haggerty got a shock. I
was impaired by Macdonald.
Il got 1t from ]. C.'s clerk las
night" said the dispatcher. "He'
going to run an inspection special owe
the Division. and he's picked out tn
fag end of all things for the crew
He picked you first, Haggerty."
Jaw. forget IT." growled Haggerty
with scowl.
q think there's something behind 4
though" Macdonald went on, his voic
modulated confidentially. "Betwee
you and me. Haggerty. the inspectio
trip is bluff
Haggerty pricked up his ear
"How's that?" he demanded.
Well" said Macdonald serenel,
backing to safe distance. Il thin
he's hurt at the way you've cut hill
, since he's been here. He's pining Il
your company, and"
Haggerty sprang to his feet from tt
baggage truck on which he had bee
seated, and shook his fist frantically /:
the fast retreating figure. He was sti
; gesticulating fiercely and mutterir
savagely to himself when the windo
, in the despatcher's room overhes
, opened softly, and Macdonald stut
? out his head.
Hey, there. Haggerty," he calle
:"quit practising that deaf and dun