Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1921-04-15
CHAPTER III
The Directors Meeting

SnAT En-
The Directors Meeting
was up bright and early the next
morning, and after breakfast l took
a little sashay down Nevada avenue
to have look at our railroad. OF
course. I knew, after what the boss
had said to Mr.. Chadwick the night
before. Just before we went to bed,
that we weren't ever going to see
Canada, or even Illinois.
I'll have to admit that the look got
didn't make me feel as IL we'd found
Cullinan diamond. Down In the yards
everything seemed to be at the loosest
kind of loose ends. A switching crew
was making up freight, and the way
they slammed the boxes together, re-
gardless Of broken Drawbacks and the
like, was a sin and q shame.
After q while, after I'd loafed
through the shops and around the
yard and got few more whiffs Of
the decay, strolled on back to the
hotel.
I was wondering q little what had
become Of the boss-who was general
II the earliest riser on the job
when two men came bullying through
the screen doors of the cafe, picking
their teeth and feeling In their pockets
for cigars. Right on the dot, and In
the face of knowing that 1t couldn't
reasonably be 80. had feeling that
I'd seen those men before. One Of
them was short and rather stocky,
and his. face had q sort Of hard, hum
gry look: and the other was big and
baErel-bodied. The short one was clean
shaven. but the other had a reddish
gray beard clipped close on his fat
Jaws and trimmed to point at the
chin.
Il After they had lighted up they came
along and sat down three or four
chairs away from me. They paid no
attention to me, but for fear they
might, tried to look as sleepy as an
all-night bell-hop in busy hotel.
y 'The Dunton bunch got together in
one OF the committee rooms upstairs
I little after eight O'Clock" said the
short man, In low. rasping voice that
went through You like buxz-saw.
Thanks to those internal blunderers
Clanahan sent us last night. Chadwick
was with them"
Il think that was choost So" said
the big man. speaking slowly and with
something more than hint Of Ger.
man accent. sBeckler was choost what
you call him--a tam blundGrer."
Like 4 dash It came over me that
was listening In" to talk between
the same two men who had sat in the
auto at Sand Greek siding and smoked
while they were waiting for the actual
kidnapers to return. You can bet high
that l made myself mighty small and
unobtrusive.
After : while the big man spoke
sSain.
~What has Uncle Chon Chadwick up
his aeeve got, do you thinkf"
II don't think kn0wi" was the
snappy reply. Its one Of two things
. receivership-which will knock M
into . cooked hat because we CAM
~ With IN oflcer Of the United
q I went along on the new JOB.
knsw I would be needed every minute
right at Mr.. Norcross' elbow, now that
the actual work was beginning.
Luncheon was served In the Alexa
and they kept the business talk 60
ing like house afire while they were
eating. the hurry being that Mr.. Chad
wick wanted to start back for Chi
eago the minute he could find out Il
eur connecting line east would rur
him special
snow for q few unoflicial things
Graham, and we'll call 1t CO." hi
said. "You are to have an absolutely
free hand in the management and thu
operating. What you say goes as Il
Mes, and Dunton has promised me tina
there shall be no appeal, not even II
him"
II imagine he didn't say that will
ingiy," the boss put in. which was thu
nrst intimation I had had that h'
wasn't present at the directors meet
ing In the hotel. .
"No, indeed; nothing was done will
ingly. I had to swing the big sticl
and swing 1t hard. But I had Their
where they couldn't wiggle. You ar
to set your own pace, and you are t
have some money for betterments
] offered to float new loan on short