Evening star., 1913-03-02


with outstretched arms, Magee assured her.
/ 1t was on Kendrick that Mrs. Quimby
showered her attentions, and when the group
rose to seek the station, amid a consultation
of watches that recalled the commuter who
rose at dawn to play tag with hlppant
train, Magee heard her say to the railroad
man in heartfelt aside:
II don't know as l can ever thank you
enough, Mr. Kendrick, for putting new hope
into Ouimby. You'll never understand
what it means, when you've given up, and
your life seems all done and wasted, to hear
that there's chance left"
wont II" replied Kendrick warmly.
@Mrs. Ouimby, it will make me very happy
man to give your husband his chance"
THE first streaks of dawn were in the sky
when the hernits of Baldpate filed
through the gate into the road, waving
goodby to Quirnby and his wife, who stood
in their dooryard for the farewell. Down
through sleepy little Asquewan Falls they
paraded, meeting here and there tired man
with lunch basket in his hand, who stepped
to one side and frankly stared while the odd
procession passed
In the station Magee encountered an old
friend, he of the mop of ginger -colored hair.
The man who had complained of the slowness
of the village gazed with wide eyes at Magee.
"I figured" he said, "that you'd come
this way again. Well, must say you We put
a little life into this place. If I'd known
when l saw you here the other night all the
exciting things you had up your sleeve, Id
a gone right up to Baldpate with YOU
"But l hadn't anything up my sleeve"
protested Magee.
MAYBE" replied the agent, winking
"There's some pretty giddy stories going
round about the carvings on up at Bald
pate. Shots fired, and strange lights fash
ing-doggone it! the only thing that's hap
pened here in years, and l wasn't in on it.!
certainly wish you d put me wise to it."
"By the way" inquired Magee, "did you
notice the passengers from here on the ten
thirty train last night?'
@Ten-thirty," repeated the agent. "Say,
what sort of hours do you think keep! A
man has to get some sleep, even if he does
work for a railroad. l wasn't here at ten
thirty last night. Young Cal Hunt was on
duty then He's home and in bed now"
No help there. Into the night the girl and
the two hundred thousand had fled together,
and Magee could only watt and wonder. as
to the meaning of that fight.
TWO dropping figures entered the station,
the Mayor and his faithful lieutenant
Max The dignity of the former had faded
like flower, and the same withered simile
might have been applied with equal force to
the accustomed jauntiness of Lou.
"Good morning" said Magee in greeting.
"Taking an early train too, eh? Have a
pleasant night?"
young man." replied Cargan, "if you
ever put up at hotel in town the size Of
this, called the Commercial House, you
know that last question has just one answer,
-manslaughter! l heard minister say
once that all drummers are bound for hell.
Il. they are, it Il be pleasant change for EN- y
Max delved beneath his overcoat and
brought forth the materials for a cigarette,
which he rolled between yellow fingers. "If
was a drummer" he said dolefully, zone
breakfast-was that what they called it,
Jim?-one breakfast like we just passed
through would drive me into the awful habit
of reading one of these here books of Drum
mers' Yarns"
Sorry" smiled Magee 1--WE had an ex-
cellent breakfast at Mrs Quimby's. Really,
you should have stayed. BY the way, where
is Bland?"
"Got shaky in the knees" said Cargan.
"Afraid of the reformers. Amt had much
experience in these things, or he'd know he
might just as we'll tremble at the approach