Rocky Ford enterprise., 1914-04-03

| q present from some Admtring constit'
uent"
He threw back his head and laughed
but McCarthy's ready anger rose.
Where did the stuff come from?"
Out of the fresh air" replied the
operator. From most anywhere in.
side the zone of communication"
Couldn't you tell who sent lit"
mo way. 1t wasn't signed. Come
from quite a distance. though"
How can you tell that?"
you can tell by the way 1t sounds
Say, they ought to be a law about
these amatoors cluttering up the air
own dope out of a dozen or fifteen
messages all ticking away in my head
piece at once"
IT know the crazy slob what sent
'em, all right, all right" growled Nc.
Carthy. Hes nutty for fair"
well. If he's nutty. I wish you'd
hurry his little trip to Matteawan.
complained the operator. turning away
The boss went to his office. where
he established himself behind his
tabletop desk. There all day he con
ducted a leisurely business of mysteri-
GUS import. sitting where the cool
autumn breeze from the river brought
its refreshment
There were two other. inner. offices
to McCarthy's establishment. in which
sat private secretary and an office
boy Occasionally Mccarthy. with
some especial visitor, retired to one OF
these for a more confidential CONVEX.
sation. The secretary seemed always
very busy: the ONCE boy was often in
the street. At noon Mccarthy took
lunch at a small round table in the
cafe below. When he reappeared at
the elevator shaft. the elevator starter
again verified his watch. Malachi Nc
Carthy had but the one virtue of &C
curacy. and that had to do with mat
tiers of time. At Ave minutes of six
he reached for his hat; at three min
utes of six he boarded the elevator.
Runs all right today, SAM" he re-
marked genially to the boy whom he
had half throttled the evening before.
He stood for a moment in the en-.
trance Of the building, enjoying the
sight of the crowds hurrying to their
cars, the elevated, the subway. and
the ferries. The clang and roar of
the city pleased his senses, as a YES
| sci vibrates to its master tone. Nc.
Carthy was feeling largely paternal
as he stepped toward the corner. for
to great extent the destinies Of
these people were in his hands.
Easy marks!" was his philan.
thropic expression of this sentiment. !.
At the corner he stopped for a car.
He glanced up at the clock at the
Metropolitan tower. The bronze hand
pointed to the stroke of six. AS he
looked, the first note of the quarter
chimes rang out. The car swung the
corner and headed down the street.
Mccarthy stepped forward. The
phrasing. and the great bell began
its spaced and solemn booming.
One!-Two!-Thre e,-Four,-F
| Six! Mccarthy counted. At the reccl-
. lection of a crazy message from the
I Unknown. he smiled. He stepped for.
ward to hold up his hand at the car.
Somewhat to his surprise the car had
already stopped some twenty feet
away.
Mccarthy picked his way to the
car
Wonder you wouldn't stop at q
crossing" ne growled.
Juice give out" explained the mo
torman.
Mccarthy clambered aboard and sat
down in a comfortably filled car. Up
and down the perspective of the street
could be seen other cars. also stalled
Ten minutes slipped by; then Mala
chi Mccarthy grew impatient. With
a muttered growl he rose, elbowed his
way through the strap-hangers. and
stepped to the street. A row of Idle
taxicabs stood in front of the Atlas
Building. Into the first of these
bounced Mccarthy. throwing his ad
dress to the expectant chauffeur.
The man hoped down from his box
threw on the coil switch and ran tc
the front. He turned the engine over
the compression, but no explosion fol
lowed. He repeated the effort a dozen
times. Then, grasping the starting
handle with firmer grip, he "whirled'
the engine-without result.
What's the matter? Can't you make
her go?" demanded Mccarthy. thrust
ing his head from the door.
viii you please listen, sir. and see