Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1921-07-22
CHAPTER v
And Satan Came Also

~ saw your office lights from the
street." was the way the Red Tower
president began on me, and his voice
took me straight back to the Oregon
woods and lumber camp where the
saw-fllers were at work. "Where is
Mr.. Norcross?'
l told him that Mr.. Norcross was
uptown, and that l didn't suppose he
would come back to the office again
chat night, now that 1t was so late,
MY name Is Hatch Of the Red
Tower company" he grated, after q
minute or two. you're the one they
call Dodds, aren't your"
l admitted 1t, and he went on.
"Norcross brought you here with
him from the West didn't he? What
pay are you getting hereY
1t was on the tip of my tongue to
cuss him out right there and then
and tell him 1t was none Of his busl-
ness But the second thought (Which
isn't always as good as it's said to
be) whispered to me to lead him on
and see how far he would go. So
told him the figures Of my pay check.
"Tm needing another shorthand
man, and | can afford to pay q good
DIT more than that" he growled.
"They tell me you are well up at the
top in your trade. Are you open to an
offer?"
let him have 1t straight then. "Not
from YOU" l said.
"And why not from meT'
Here was where l made my first
bad break All of a sudden l got so
angry at the thought that he was ac-
tually trying to buy me that l couldn't
see anything but red, and / blurted
out, Because don't hire out to work
for any strong-arm outft-not If l
know i"
For little while he sat blinking
at me from under his bushy eyebrows
and his hard mouth was drawn into
a straight line with a mean little
wrinkle coming and going at the cor
ners Of it.
When he got ready to speak again
he said, you're only boy. You want
to get on in the world don't you?
I'm offering you a good chance: the
best you ever had, You don't owe
Norcross anything more than your
Job do you"
Maybe not"
That's better. Put on your hat
and come along with me. l want to
show you what can do for you in
better field than railroading ever was,
or ever will be. It'll pay YOU" and
he named a figure that very nearly
made me fall dead out of my chair
OF course, it was all plain enough.
The boss had him on the hip with that
kidnapping business, with me for a
witness. And he was trying to fix the
witness.
81 guess we needn't beat about the
bushes any longer Mr. Hatch" said,
braciDg up to him 81 haven't told
the sheriff, or anybody but Mr.. Nor
cross, what l know about certain
little train hold-up that happened a
few weeks ago down at Sand Greek
siding; but that isn't saying that I'm
not going to-"
II | had had the sense Of a fed
mouse, might have known that l
was no match for such a man; tut
I lacked the senSe-lacked it good aud
hard.
You're like your boss he said
shortly. you'd go long distance out
of your way to make ap enemy WSen
there is no need of II. That holceup
business was joke, from starr to
finish. don't k'sow how you and f1or-
cross came to get in on it; the nke
was meant to be on John Chadwick.
The night before, at little dimes we
were giving him at the railroad !lub,
ne said there never was raj ROAD
hold-up that couldn't have been stood
off. A few of us got together Ftter-
ward and put up Job on him; sent
him over to Strathcona and arranged
to have him held up on the way TACK"
"Mr. Chadwick didn't take 1t as
joke!" l retorted.
81 know he didn't; and that's why
we're all anxious now to dig a hole
and bury the thing decently. Perhaps
we had all been taking drop too
much at the club dinner that night
At that / swelled up man-size ana
kicked the whole kettle of fat into
the fire.
"Of course, It was joke" l rip
ped out. And your coming here to-
night to try to hire me away from Mr..
Ncrcross is another. The woods are
full of good shorthand men, Mr.. Hatca,
but for the present think l SHAH
atax right where I sm-wheie coR1