The Ordway new era., 1921-06-03
Stopping
The Limited
o0
syx. PHILLIPS
(copyright.)

.po,o are you busyf" asked Nancy
cKinnOn. u.
.u,rnon self-righteously, looking up
rom his Uttered desk.
.w-ou did an-did Mr.. MontrOse-'"
naused in pretty, blushing cOnfu-
~" "yes he did" replied her father
heavily.
"And you-dld you"
.I told him." rejoined MckinnOn de-
,,srately, that would never con-
ont IN your marriage; that II you mar
,ad without my consent would never
'orriye you and that would do every
binp within my power to prevent. And
always keep my word"
Nancy retired. in tears.
arbe redoubtable McKinnon turned
hack to his desk.
81 always keep my word" was his
,ovorite phrase: and he always did.
Tbe habit of living up to his "strong
Character" had cost him considerable.
Having disposed effectually Of his
dauphter and young Dan Montrose, as
be imagined, Hugh McKinnon turned
Ia another affair in which he had also
uiven his word. He had assured the
r. and w. railroad that 1t would
stop Its new limited train at Bangor.
The railroad seemed equally positive
1t would not.
McKinnon lived at Pembroke, ten
miles from Bangor, but the T., B. and
w. was the principal avenue Of his
comlngs and goings. He was heavy
shipper, accustomed to favors, and had
received his official time card, showing
the new limited. as soon as the Bangor
E agent. Bangor was not scheduled as
E stopping place.
So McKinnon wrote the superintend-
. ent:
E There is n mistake. Your new No.
n 10 is not scheduled to stop at Bangor.
No mistake (assured the superin-
tendent). No. 10 won't stop there.
Mr.. McKinnon quit fencing and got
down to business then:
You know how much money i turn
to your road. The limited must stop
at Bangor. 1t will save me half
days time.
The superintendent wrote back dip
lomatIcally that the T., B. and w. ap-
preciated Mr.. McKinnon and his bust
ness at their full value; but 1t was
simply impossible to make Bangor a
station stop for the limited.
McKinnon had just finished pc
ruslng this missive when Nancy inop-
portunely appeared to plead for her
happiness. When she had gone, Nc
Kinnon snorted twice-oace for Dan
Montrose and once for the T., B. and
W. Then he wrote, In his great, angu-
lar hand, to his friend and enemy, the
superintendent:
have told you that you must stop
the limited at Bangor. serve notice
herewith that will force you to do
50. And always keep my word.
There must have been considerable
| boy about the superintendent, for he
wired back:
Am from Missouri; you've got to
show me!
II.
When Nancy McKinnon went, sob
Ding, to her mother that crisp, moonlit
december evening, that excellent wom-
an decided to take matters into her
own hands.
She sent for Dan Montrose, but the
messenger met him at the front gate.
sneitumed her back while the young
people greeted each other fondly, and
'hen said severely:
You two have got to elope and get
married. You needn't gasp, Nancy.
lou must run away without the knowl-
eoge Of your father or your mother.
Listen. you pair O. babies: Hugh
Mekinnon is going to the Valley farm
tomorrow. He won't be home till four
o'clock. Do you drive to Bangor in
pans machine-if twill hold together
Iand catch the two o'clock local to the
e'y' Your Aunt Nellie will meet you,
and have everything arranged for the
weddIn'."
up to certain point it worked like
a Charm. McKinnon went to the VAL
ley farm; Mrs. McKinnon rode with
r,in as far as Mrs. Bennie Shields.
Dan and Nancy composed the note
slslng the news Of their elopement and
,si. IL on Mckinnon's desk. Then they
asa lunch together, q component part
- 'ne meal being kisses. and started
~, Bangor In Dams rheumatic ma
Luck turned-like that.
Two miles from Pembroke a traitor
sus inner tube gave way with a de-
-,a .parlng bang! Dan patched 1t up
n eiue, bit of extra rubber, and
ae ,~sa whispered profanity. And that
oA ume. 1t was FIVE minutes past
49, the local to the city had gone
p.ay s .ney were still seven miles from