The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1921-03-18
The
Weckers
By
FRANCIS
LYNDB

(SOUIluu6Q IRON rage 1WO.J
case, how could anybody have got to
him between that time and the leav-
ing time Of the midnight Fast Mail to
tell him about Mrs. Sheila7
Anyway it was stacked up, 1t made
q three-cornered puzzle, needing some
body to tackle it right away; and
when I finally went to sleep 1t was
with the notion that, sick or no sick,
/ was going to turn out early in the
morning and get busy.
was yell enough to get up the next
morning, and when I phoned to Mr..
Van Britt he sent his car out to the
majors to take me down to the office.
Just before I left the house, Mrs.
Sheila waylaid me, and after telling
me that I must be careful and not
take cold in the burnt hand, she put
in another word about the boss dis
appearance.
said last night, Jimmie. and not let
the others talk you over Into the be-
lief that Mr.. Norcross has gone away
because he was either discouraged or
afraid. He wouldn't do that: you
know 1t, and I know 1t. We are his
friends. you and I, and we must stand
by him and defend him when he isn't
here to defend himself"
1t did me good to hear her talk
that way. l had been sort of getting
ready to dislike her for letting the
boss get In so deep and not telling
him straight out that she was a mar
ried woman and he mustn't; but
when I saw that she was trying to be
just as loyal to him as I was, it pulled
me over to her side again.
Though the boss disappearance was
now four days old, things were still
in sort Of daze down at the rail-
road offices. Mr.. Van Britt. being the
general superintendent and next in
command. had moved over into the
boss office, and Fred May was doing
his shorthand. work. They wouldn't
let me do anything much-I couldn't
do much with my right arm In q
sling-so had chance to hang
around and size up the situation. If
yon want to know how 1t sized up,
you can tfke 1t from me that 1t was
prett" had. People all along the line
were bombarding Mr. Van Britt with
letters and. kilograms wanting to know
wnat was going to be done, and what
the change in management WIS go
Ing to mean for the public, and all
that. You see, Mr.. Norcross had laid
out mighty attractive program In
the little time he had been at the
wheel, and now 1t looked as II 1t was
all going to be dumped into the ditch
Mr.. Van Britt saw and talked with
everybodyA and when he could wedge
on minute or two of privacy, he'd
go into the third room Of the suite
and thresh II out with Juneman, or
Billoughby 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 1t was voluntary
or not
Also, found out what had been
done during the four days. We had
no company detective" Mt that time,
and Mr.. Hornack had borrowed 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 at the Bullard; but
his two grips were gone. And the
night clerk at the hotel, when he was
pushed to 1t. remembered that the
boss had paid his bill mp to date that
might, 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 q
passenger on his train. And he would