The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1921-03-17

CHAPTER {
A, Sand Creek siding

A a general proposition. ! don't be-
lieve much IN the things called
lunches" But there are exceptions
10 all rules, and we certainly uncov-
cred the biggest one OF the lot-the
boss and 1.-THE night we left Port
land and the good old Pacific coast.
II was this way. We had finished
the construction work on the Oregon
Midland and were on our way 10 the
train, when had one OF those queer
little premonitory chills you hear so
much about and knew Just as well AS
could be that we were never going
10 pull through 10 Chicago without get
ting a jolt OF some sort The reason
II you'll call II a reason-was that
Just before we came TO the railroad
station, the boss walked calmly under
q ladder standing in front OF new
building and besides that, II was the
thirteenth day OF the month. Fri
day, and raining like the very mis-
chief.
Just to sort OF toll us along. may.
be, the fates didn't begin on us that
night. They waited until the next
day, and then proceeded TO shove us
In behind freight-train wreck at
Widner. Idaho. where we lost twelve
hours II looked as If that didn't
amount 10 much, because we weren't
due anywhere at any particular time.
The boss was on his way home for a
little visit with his folks In Illinois,
and beyond that he was going TO meet
a bunch OF Engllshmen In Montreal,
and maybe let them make him general
manager OF one OF the Canadian rail
roads.
So Mr.. Norcross was In no special
hurry, and neither was l. had been
confidential clerk and shorthand man
for the boss on the Midland construc.
ton, and he was taking me along part
ly because he knows a cracking good
stenographer when he sees one. but
mostly because ] was dead anxious to
go anywhere he was going
But, II II hadn't been for that
twelve-hour layout we would have
caught the Saturday night train on
the Pioneer Short Line. instead Of the
train Sunday morning and there
would have been no meeting with
Mrs. Shella and Maisie Ann; no tele.
gram from Mr.. Chadwick. because II
wouldn't have found us: no hold-up
at Sand Greek siding in short. nothing
would have happened that did hap
pen.
II was on Sunday that the Jolt be.
gan 10 get ready to land on u.s. Right
soon after breakfast, with the help Of
little Pullman berth table and me
and my typewriter. Mr.. Norcross
turned our section into business ONCE,
saying that now we had a good quiet
day, we'd clean up the million or so
odds and ends Of correspondence he'd
been letting go while we were tussling
for the Midland right-ofway through
the Oregon mountains
From where he sat debating TO me
the boss was facing forward and now
and then an absent sort Of look came |
into his eyes while he was talking of |
iitN AfAhfiNs anu ~ lhSEifu btAhArt
II wasn't Ike him. One OF the times |
after he had given me a full grist OF |
letters and had gone of to smoke /
while ! typed few thousand lines |
from my notes TO catch up | made |
a discovery. There we're two people I
in Section Five just ahead OF US. a /
young woman and a girl OF maybe If |
teen or so. and the Pullman was the |
old-fashioned kind. with low seat /
backs. I put II up that in those alb
sent-eyed intervals Mr.. Norcross had (
been studying the back Of the young
woman's neck. ] was measurably sure 1
II wasn't the little girls.
Along in the forenoon made an ex.
cuse 10 go and get a drink Of water
out Of the forward cooler. and on the
way back ] took a good square look
at our neighbors In Number Five. The
young woman was pretty enough TO +
start a stopped clock-only pretty
isn't Just the word. either; there
wasn't any word. when You come right
down to II. And the little girl was
simply a peach--a nice. downy. rosy
peach: chunky, round-faced. sunny
haired. Jolly; with a neat little turned.
up nose and big sort Of boyish laugh
ing eyes that fairly dared the world
Al the second call 10 dinner Mr
Sorcross told me 70 strap up the ma.
chine and put the files away In the
grips and we'd 20 eat he was pretty
quiet breaking out once, in the meat
course. 20 tell me that he'd just had q
forwarded telegram from an old friend
Of his that would stop Us OF for
day Or two In Portal City. the head
quarters OF the Pioneer Short Line
Farther along. pretty well into the ice
cream and black coffee. he came 70 llfe
again 20 ask me II had noticed me
young lady and the girl IN the Pull
nan section next % ours
todd him had. and then. because
| had never known him 20 bother his
head for two minutes In succession
about any woman. be gave me- q
shocs said they wene tickefed 70