The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1921-06-03

If l didn't hate slang so bad, l
should say that the portly man looked
as if he were going to throw fit.
"Not-not Graham Norcross?' he
stammered.
"Well, yes; 1 am 'Graham'-to my
friends. Anything else?"
The portly gentleman subsidized into
a chair.
There is some misunderstanding
about this" he said, his voice thicken-
ing little-with anger, thought.
"My name is Dismuke, and 1 am the
general manager of this railroad"
Il wouldn't dispute the name, but
your title is away off," said Mr.. Nor
cross, as cool as a handful of dry
snow. "WhO appointed you, if l may
ask?'
president Dunton and the board of
directors, of course"
1.-THE same authority appointed me,
something like three months ago." was
the calm reply. $50 far as | know,
l am still at the head of the COM
pany's staff in Portal City"
self Dismuke pulled out his cheeks and
looked as if he were about to ex-
plode.
This is devil of q mess!" he
raped out. Il understood-we all
understood in New York-that you had
resigned!"
"Well, l haven't" retorted the boss
shortly. And then he stuck the knife
in good and deep and twisted it around.
There is commercial telegraph wire
in the Hotel Billiard, where l suppose
you will put up, Mr.. Dismuke, and I'm
sure you will find it entirely at your
service, If you have anything further
to say to me hope it will keep until
after this office opens in the morning
l am very busy, just now"
l mighty nearly gasped. This Dis
nuke was the new general manager,
appointed, doubtless in all good faith,
by the president and sent out to take
charge of things. And here was the
boss practically ordering him out of
the office-telling him that his room
The portly man got out of his chair,
putting like a steam-engine.
We'll see about this!' he threat
ened. you've been here three months
and you haven't done anything but
middle things until the stock of the
company isn't worth much more than
the paper it's printed on! If l can
get a clear wire to New York, you'll
have word from President Dunton to-
morrow morning telling you where you
get off,"
To this Mr.. Norcross made no reply
whatever, and the heavy-footed gentle
man stumped out, saying things to
himself that wouldn't look very we'll
in print. When the hall door below
gave big slam to let us know that
he was still going, the boss looked
acre at me with sour grin wrin-
kiln, round his eyes.
mo" you know why made Gorcher
break all the rules Of the service get
ting here, Jimmie" he said. "Pos-
session is nine points of the law, and
that Mr.. Dismuke shouldn't find the
outfit without head and these offices
of ours unoccupied." He rose, stretched
his arms over his head like tired
boy, and reached for the golf cap he
kept to wear when he went out to
knock around in the shops and yard.
Lets go up to the hotel and see if
we can break into the cafe, Jimmie"
he finished up. Later on, We'll wire
Mr.. Chadwick; but that can wait.
haven't had square meal in four
days"
With everybody supposing he had
resigned and left the country. l guess
there were all kinds If a nine-minutes'
wonder in Portal City, and all along
the Short Line, when the word went
out that Mr.. Norcross was back on the
job and running it pretty much the
same as If nothing had happened
After supper, on the night of his
return from the hide-out he had sent
a long code message to Mr.. Chadwick,
and q short one to President Dunton;
and though 1 didn't see the reply to
either, guess Mr.. Chadwick's an
swer. at least, was the right kind, be-
cause our track renewing campaign
went into commission again with a
slam, and all the reform policies took
a sure-enough fresh start and began to
hump themselves, with Juneman work
ing the newspapers to finish.
We heard nothing further from Mr..
Dismuke, the portly gentleman in the
tan spats, though he still stayed on at
the Billiard. We saw him occasional
ly at meal times, and twice he was
eating at the same table with Hatch
and Henckel. That placed him all
right for us, though l guess he didn't
need much placing.
l wondered little at first that Mr..
NOrcrOss didn't take the clue that
tbo MO,ntaiooou