Evening star., 1914-01-18

don't say you are wrong about the advantage
to us of the Westfeld Valley extension; but
l guess we won't recommend it to the board
of directors now: in two or three years
maybe, when we can see our way ahead a
bit clearer
| "Well, of course it's just as you decide,
Mr.. Vanderhof,' the chief engineer perforce
submitted.
aYes, well lay the plan aside for awhile.
Meantime perhaps advanced methods of
construction will reduce the cost. At pres
ent the extension does not seem to be abso-
lutely necessary.
"You have nothing more to say to me,
| then?' the chief engineer spoke trifie
| sharply, putting on his hat as if about to
leave the office in huff.
@Yes-ho1d on minute, Decort. There
is the ventilation of that tunnel at Bord-
hampton we are compelled to take up. Sit
down-sit down, Man! Light one of those
cigars He passed to the table and -ust
box Of Havanas across.
The president bestowed on Doran word
or two of official recognition; for secretly
he rather chuckled on having upset his over
masterful chief engineer. Then he smilingly
nodded an intination that the lesser man
could depart.
60 far as the Westfeld extension was con-
cerned it practically ended there; but
entirely otherwise the course Doran had
taken in opposing the chief engineer. Not
that there was an immediate perceptible
change in the chief attitude toward Doran.
He did not even vaguely refer to the dis
pute: if anything, appeared a shade more
| friendly. But gradually trouble began to
pile up around Doran's position: not big
things to tackle and wrestle with, but fire.
Oh, 70
bites, at last make man wonder if there is
any satisfaction in this life. The worst of
it was that Doran could not charge anyone
definitely with being the cause of it all: GER
tainly not the chief engineer, who, while
continually wanting to know why this or
that had gone wrong, encouraged Doran to
greater efforts with an engineers blessing.
"You seem to have run into streak Of
bad luck" Decort remarked. at would be
nonsense to talk to you of lack of efficiency
and discipline. Maybe you need change
of some kind, Doran.'
A different man might have guessed by
the drift of things that the change to which
the chief engineer referred was meant to ac-
company Doran's resignation. But Doran
was plainspoken man, never dealing in or
taking heed of insinuations. He walked
and talked by the light of mathematical
precision. So he went to break his back, if
not his spirit, over his daily toll, never i'm
agining that his usefulness on that road was
surely at an end in the chief engineers mind.
SUDDENLY the chief engineer delivered
~ his final stroke. He summoned Doran
| to his office at an hour when he knew his
assistant would be pretty tired with hard
days work. Doran must be forced out,
since he wouldn't take hint.
"See here, Doran!" began the chief. u
want to put in that switch on the north end
of the Haven River Bridge between the run
ming time of the Cleveland Express and the
Interocean Limited
Doran thought minute, and half sub
consciously repeated the chiefs order.
@Yes!" the chief snapped tersely. Il talk
plainly, don't 1? want that switch placed
in service tomorrow" His brow contracted
into an ominous frown.
But protested Doran, 4there is less
than two hours between the Express and
the Limited. 1t usually takes at least two
and half to put in switch in that po-
sition'
The chief engineer sat up straight, and
looked at Doran in manner that would
have told any ordinary man that his imme-
diate resignation was expected. But Doran's
mind was completely occupied in calculat-
ing whether there was bare possibility of
putting in the switch in the given time. The