The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-01-27

into forty passenger car. While he's running the town this rotten old line won't have any competition
 ''Mr. Sledge is a good customer of mine,' observed the fat butcher.
 There's one thing about Ben SIedge he always keeps some big city inn provement going on,' announced the Irishmasa who had extinguished little Henry Peters
 Little Henry pulled his derby audi ply off his head and rubbed the red circle it had left.
 ttMr. Sledge is the workingman's friend,'' he declared.
 "Aw, shut upv' ordered the gaunt Celtic laborer and kicked his ankle by way of accidental emphasis.
 It was strange that, while verybody on the car kept the name of Frank Marley sacred to their hatred, the name of Sledge, who was notorious through out the United States for his utterly conscienceless methods of public theft, was received with equanimity.
 Meanwhile Sledge, turning to see who his neighbors might be, met the eye of Frank Marley and nodded per functoriIy and then bent his entire at tention on Molly, gazing at her in sto1-
 
 of expression on his heavy features than if he had been reading a time table. Bert Glider noticed his rude ness and tried in a mood of intense aggravation to catch SIedge's eye and reprove him with a savage frown, but he might as well have tried to catch the eye of an oyster. Sledge, perfect ly contented with the pleasing picture which sat before him, continued to stare calmly until Molly, discerning from Bert's countenance that some thing was wrong, turned to meet the small gray eyes of Sledge fixed thought fully upon her. She wheeled abruptly to her father.
 Isn't that the scandalous S1edge?''s she asked, annoyed and still amused.
 Her father nodded his head and smiled, his s1ese becoming still more pointed in the process
 'sWen, introduce him. can make him stop staring, then" she ordered. "He can't drive on.''
 q say, sledge,'' called Marley, lean ing forward. "This is my daughter, Molly
 Sledge tugged at his hat and smiled his acknowledgements of the introduc- tion.
 t'Glad to meet you.'' he told Molly. 'I didn't know you had such a fine looking girl, Marley. She's a corker," and once more he viewed Miss Molly with quiet approbation, in which there was a dawning glimmer of quite un- Sledge-Iike enthusiasm.
 'I think so myself,'' laughed Marley. First thing I know she'll be getting marrfed.''
  ing her earnestly in this new light. '1'd marry her myself
 The street car ahead gave a forward Iurcn, and the ifamingly indignant Molly darted into the opening.
 ."The ugly brute!' she gasped.
 
 ! There arrived on the morning train, escorted to the platform by a distinct Iy worsaipfu1 porter, a tall, big boned gentleman in light gray suit of fine texture, plump, careless man to whom one would instinctiYe1y turn for a tediously funny story, and a hard jawed man of a most forbidding ex- pression, who looked about as commu- nicative as a cabbage. This gentle man loafed/ about the hotel with his mouth shut, while the< other two secuted" Promptly at Il o'clock they returned from their various; directions and gathered in the room of the smil- ing tall one in<the gray suit
 Well, Timbers, is it as cheerful as we thought?'' asked the host, settling himself in the most comfortable chair.
 Looks gay and merry to me, Boz zam," replied MT. Timbers, folding his hands on his fat knee and frowning intently at a little slip of paper he held H1% I,9 ''S1edge is, Of course, the whole wQrks.'' What's the approach to Sledge?'
 'eTom Bendix," returned Timbers promptly, consulting his slip of paper. He sits everything before it gets to the big boy, and you don't need any introductions. The best plan is to go right to his office and give him the straight story"
 How about Marley?"
 "A fluff" returned Timbers con- temptuous1y. Because he's the presi- dent of the street car company he thinks he invented electricity, and his noodle is swel1ed so that it cracks his scalp"
 .sYou'd better lead me to this Bendix person. suggested Bozzam,, rising. Come on, Moodson."
 Very automatically the silent man arose and accompanied Bozzam from the room with the air of being just as willing to do that as anything else. Just as automatically he followed into the office of Tom Bendix five minutes later and stood silently by, so oppres- sive in his inertia that he removed to himself all speculation about any one who was in his company. q want to talk electrical transporta- ton with you," began MT. Bozzam cheerily as he laid the cards of MT. Moodson and himself on the desk. ''I am Charles ". Bozzam of New York, and this is MT. Alvin Moodson Of Phil aGelphia.''