New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1921-06-17
CHAPTER Vl-Continued.

Mr.. van Britt saw ana talked with
everybody, and when he could wedge
off IA minute or W of privacy, he'd
go into the third room of the suite
and thresh ii out with Juneman, or
B%illoughby, Or Mr.. Ripley. From these
private talks | found out that there
was still some doubt in the minds of
all four of them about the boss drop
out-as to whether it was voluntary
or not.
Also, | found out what had been
done during the four days. We had
no company detective at that time,
and Mr.. IlOrnaek had borrowed n man
named Grimmer from his old com
pany. the Overland Central, wiring for
him and getting him on the ground
within tWenty-four hours of the time
Of Mr.. Norcross' disappearance.
Grimmer had gone to work at once,
but everything he had turned up, so
far, favored the voluntary runaway
theory. Mr.. NorcroSs' trunks were
still in his rooms ut the Billiard; but
his w grips were gone. And the
illEill 'l'lh At Nllt ll'l'l. W Ifll ne WIS
pushed to it, remembered that the
boss had paid his bill up to date that
night, before going up to his rooms
Past that, the trace was completely
lost. The conductor on the Fast Mail,
eastbound, on the night in question,
swore by all that was good and great
that Mr.. NorcroSs hadn't been a
passenger on his train. And he would
certainly have known II If he had been
carrying his general manager.
over in the other field there was
absolutely nothing to incriminate the
Hatch people. SO far from it, Hatch
had turned up at the railroad office,
bright and early the morning after
Mr.. NorcroSs had gone lie had asked
for the boss. and failing to find him,
he had hunted up Mr., Van Britt. What
he wanted, it seemed, was II chance
10 reopen the proposition that had
been made to him the day before
the offer of the new CITIZENS Storage
* Warehouse company 70 purchase the
various Red Tower equipments and
plants.
Mr.. Van Britt had referred him to
Mr.. Ripley, and to N lawyer Hatch
had made what purported to be an
open confession, admitting that he had
gone to Mr.. NOrcross the night be-
fore, determined to fight the new com
pany to a finish, ana that there had
been a good many things said that
would better be forgotten. Now, how
ever, he was willing TO talk straight
business and n compromise. lie had
called his board of directors together,
and they h. voted To sell their track
bordering plants to Citizens Storage
K Warehouse if n price could be ami
ngrced upon.
With Mr.. NorcroSs gone and a new
manager coming, Mr.. Ripley !
afraid to make n move. and Hatch :
was pressing him to get busy on the !
and sale proposition was APP
as anxious now to sell and :
withdraw as he had at first been TO :
ight everything in sight. =
by the morning | came on the scene '
he man Grimmer had, as they say, y
ust about done his do. He was only :
sort of "journeyman detective, and a.,
lad run out of clues. When he came ;
n and talked to Mr.. Van Britt and =
ir. Ripley, | could see that he fully -
in the drop-out theory, and .
ven the lawyer and Mr.. Van Britt =
al to admit that the facts were with !,
i'm. The boss had written a letter :
aging definitely that he was quitting; =,
@ had paid his hotel bill. and his :,
were gone; and two days later .
resident Dunton had appointed a -,
general manager, which was proof u
you'd say. that the boss had !"
and had so notified the New U,
ork office. "
When the noon hour came along, "
red May took me out to luncheon. y,
nd we went to the Billiard cafe. Ii :,
as pretty rich for our blood at two -
pillars per, but | guess Fred thought :,
IS job was gone. anyway. and felt
Over the good things at our :,
table we did a little threshing ..
4 our own account-and got a lot "
ore chafT and no grain. .,
Fred didn't want TO agree with ~
and the facts. but there NJ
dn't seem to be any help for it. And do
for ne. ! had other things in mind nj
] the time-the big scary fear that
1mebOdy had got to the boss after In
had left Ripley on the night of 90
IOckings. and had just dashed him in liz
e face with the story of Mrs. Sheila's 81,
w~idowhOOd. of
BY and by we got around to my tai
hand. and Fred told me Grim fe,
er had at least succeeded in clearing At
whatever mystery there was about 50
The wall switch for the electric o'c
int in the lower hall at the head ms
arters was right beside the outer fir
jamb-as / knew. II had burned go
{ in some way. and that was why
ere was M light on when / went
wn-stairs. And in burning out 1t
d short-circuited itself with the
ass lock of the door; Fred didn't
just how, but Grimmer had ex- sh-
lined if asked him III Griumar eae