Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1921-04-07

Tor lUN DoSS 10 ne pIlIluE UNIV ~
the window so long alone, and | know
Mr.. IIornack would keep him talking
about something or other oil the rest
of the way In,
For n little while they talked bust
ness. BY and by the business talk
wound Itself UP and ! heard Mr., lior-
mack say Il saw Ripley going IN on
Number Six this morning, and he
had company; Mrs. Macrae, and the
majors wife, and the husky lIte-girl
cousin. They've been visiting AZ the
capital, so they told me and | expect
the major will be mighty glad TO see
them bnck,'
| didn't hear what Mr. NorcroSs
said If he said anything at all, but
If | had been stone deaf ! thInkA
should have heard the thing that Mr..
Hornack said when he went on.
~ heard something the other day
IN Portal CITY that seems pretty hard
TO believe, NorcrOsS. II was at one
Of Mrs. Sagford's evenings and !
was sitting out dance with a certain
young woman who shall be n.meless.
We were speaking of the Hendricks,
ana She gave me a rather brond hint
that Mrs MHcrae isn't widow ut
nil; that her husband is sim living"
Ny heavens, | had figured out n
thousand WAYS in which tho boss might
get Wised up 10 the dreadful truth,
but never anything like this; 10 have
II dropped on him that way out of
clear sky
anything, but when he did speak,
saw that the truth wasn't going to
take hold.
"That is gossip. pure and simple.
Hnrnack. The Hendricks are my
friends, and ! have been as intimate
in their household rs any outsider
could be- It's merely Idle gossip, can
assure you"
Maybe So" said Mr.. lIornack, sort
of drawing in his horns when he saw
how positive the boss was about II.
I'm not beyond admitting that the
Young woman who told me IS little
inclined that way. But the story was
pretty CrCumStnntal II Went so far
rs to assert that Macrac wasn't Mrs,
Shela'S married name ut all. and to
say that her long stay with her West
crn cousins WaS--and still is--reHlly
flight from conditions that were too
hum!Iiatng to be borne"
81 don't care what was said. or
who said It." tine boss cut in brus1ucly.
ITS Ridiculous to suppose that any
woman, and especially woman like
SheiIa Macrae, would attempt 70 pass
herself off az widow when she wasn't
one"
II know" said the traffic manager.
tcmporizing little "Ru; ON the
other hand. I've never heard the ma
Ior, or any one else say outright that
she was n widow. II seems to he Just
taken for granted It stirred mo MP
Bit ON Van Britt's account You
don't 90 anywhere 10 mix and minglc
socially, but It's the talk of the town
that Upton Is in over his head in that
quarter"
shut my eyes and held my breath,
Mr., tlornark hadn't the slightest idea
what thin ice he was skating over
or how this easy mention of Mr.. Van
Britt might he Just like rubbing salt
into fresh cut. BY this time It was
growing dark. and we were running
into Portal city. and I was mighty
glad that It couldn't last much longer.
The boss didn't speak again until the
yard switches were clankIng under
the car and then he said:
"Tpton is we'll able to take care nf
himself, Hornack, and I don't think
we need worry about him" and then
over his shoulder 70 me: ".gimmtc. it's
time to wake mp. We're pulling tn
As he always did on q return trip.
Mr.. Norcross ran M to his office to
see If there was anything pressing
before he did anything else May
was still at his desk, and in answer
to the boss question he shook his
head.
NO; nohod; that couldn't walt" he
said, referring to the days callers
'Mr. Hatch was up with couple of
men that I didn't know. but he only
wanted tn inquire If you would he
In the office this evening after dinner.
I told him I'd find out when you came,
and let him know by phone"
| thought after all that had hap
pencd, Hatch certainly had his nerve
10 want to come and make n talk
with the man his hired nsSaSSinS were
trying to murder. But If Mr.. NOrcrnss
took that view Of it. he didn't show
II. On the contrary, he told Fred It
would be all right 10 telephone Hatch;
that he was coming down after din
ner and the Office would be open. rs
usual
CTO BE CONTTNUEDl