The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1915-11-18

| 1ellO, AlllSOn, Shllcu lne htdrly
voice of Jim Sargent. You're looking
like youngster tonight"
81 feel like one" replied Allison,
smiling. I'm on vacation" He was
either vain enough or curious enough
to glance at himself In the big mirror
as he passed 1t. He did look younger;
astonishingly so; and he had about him
a quality Of lightness which made him
restless. He had been noted among
his business associates for certain
dry wit. scathlng satirical, relentless
now he used that quality agreeably,
and when Lucille and Ted, and Arly
and Dick Rodley Joined them, he was
quite easily sharer in the gayety AT
the rheater he was the same. He par
ticipated in all the repartee during the
intermissions, and the fact that he
found Gail studying him, now and then,
only gave him an added impulse. He
was frank with himself about Gail He
wanted her, and he had made up his
mind to have her. He was himself a
little surprised at his own capacity Of
entertainment, and when he parted
from Gall at the Sargent house, he
| left her smiling, and with softer look
In her eyes than he had yet seen there.
Immediately on his return to his
library. Allison threw off his coat and
waistcoat, collar and tie, and sat at
the table.
What is there in the icebox?" he
wanted to know
We'll, sir" enumerated Ephralm
carefully; "Mirandy had a chicken
potpie for dinner. and then there's"
That will do; cold" interrupted Al.
lison. Bring 1t here with as few
service things as possible. a bottle OF
Vichy and some olives"
He began to set down some figures
and when Ephraim came, shaking his
head to himself about such things as
cold dumplings at night. Allison
stopped for ten minutes, and lunched
with apparent relish. At seven-thirty
he called Ephraim and ordered a cold
plunge and some breakfast. He had
been up all night, and on the map Of
the United States there were penciled
two thin straight black lines, one from
New York to Chicago, and one from
Chicago to San Francisco Crossing
them, and paralleling them, and an
Cling in their general direction, bui
quite close to them in the main, were
lines of green and lines of orange;
these three.
Another day and another night he
spent with his maps, and his books
and his figures; then he went to his
broker with a list of railroads.
Get me what stock you can Of
these" he directed. Pick 1t up al
quietly as possible"
The broker looked them over snt
elevated his eyebrows. There wa,
not a road in the list which was i'm
portant strategically. but he hac
ceased to ask questions Of Edwarc
Allison.
Three days later Allison went into
the annual stockholders meeting OF
the L. and c. railroad, and registered
majority of the stock in that insig
nifcant line, which ran up the shore
opposite Crescent island. joined the
Towando Valley shortly after its emer
gence from its hired entrance into
New York, ran for fifty miles over the
roadway of the Towando, with which
1t had a longtime tracking contract
and wandered up into the country
where 1t served as an outlet to Ger
tain conservatively profitable terri
tory.
The president reached for his gave
and called the meeting. The stock
holders, gray and grave. and some
with watery eyes, drew up their chairs
to the long table; for they were direc
tors, too. They answered to their
names, and they listened to the min
utes. and waded mechanically through
the routine business, always with theii
gaze straying to the new force which
had come among them. Every man
there knew all about Edward Il. ALI
son. He had combined the traction In.
terests of New York by methods as
logical and unsympathetic as geom
etry, and where he appeared, no mat
ter how pacific his avowed intentions,
there were certain to be radical up
heavings.
Election Of officers was reached in
the routine, and again that solemn in.
quiry in the faded eyes. The official
slate" was proposed in nomination
Edward E. Allison voted with the rest.
Every director was reelected
New business. Again the solemn
inquiry.
Move to amend Article Three, Sec
tion One of the constitution, relating
to duration of Office" announced ALI.
son, passing the written motion to the
secretary. "On a call from the major.
ity OF stock, the stockholders of the
L. and c. railroad have right to
demand special meeting, on one
weeks notice, for the purpose of re,
organization and reelection"
They knew 1t. 1t had to come
Edward L. Allison waited just long
enough to vote his majority stock. and
left the meeting in hurry. for he
had an engagement to take tea with
Gail Sargent.
CTO BE CoNTINUED.)
Fools ofttimes rush in and win
while wise men investigate
N-~~~~~~~~~~~~~o~~~
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