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

Britt threw up both hanIs ana yipped
and swore like pirate. 1t just showed
what raw edge the Headquarters
nerves were taking on.
Though 1t wasn't his business, Mr..
Ven Britt went out with the wreck
Ing train. and Fred May and / had 1t
all to ourselves for the remaining hour
or so up to closing time. Just before
five. Mr.. Cantrell, the editor Of the
Mountaineer. dropped in. He looked
a bit disappointed when he found
only us two. Fred turned him over
to me. and he came on in to the priv
ate office when i asked him to, and
smoked one Of the boss good cigars
out Of box that found In the big
desk.
I liked Cantrell. He was Just the
sort Of man you expect an editor to
be; tall and thin and kind Of mild
eyed, with an absent way with him
that made you feel as II he were
thinking along about a mile ahead Of
you when you were striking the best
think-gait you ever knew of.
NO word yet from Mr.. Norcross. l
supposeT" he said
/ told him there wasn't.
"It's very singular to me- and to
all of us, as II is to YOU" threw In.
The editor smoked on for a full
minute without saying anything more,
and he seemed to he staring absently
ut steamship picture on the wall.
When he got good and ready, he be-
| gan again.
you don't need any common plain
clothes man on this job, Jimmie: you
need the best there Is: real. dyed
in-the-wool Sherlock Holmes, II there
ever were such n miracle"
You think 1t Is case for a de-
tective?"
II do" he replied, looking straight
at me with his mild blue eyes. IF
I were one Of Mr.. NorcrOss' close
friends I should get the best help that
could be found and not lose q single
minute about It,"
Since there was nobody around
who was any closer to the boss than
was, jumped into the hole pretty
quick.
"Can YOU tell us anything that will
help, Mr.. Cantrell?" l asked.
mot specifically; wish 1 could
But can say this: / know Mr. Rufus
Hatch and his associates up one side
and down the other. They are hand
in-glove with the political pirates who
control this state. From the little
that has leaked out. and the great deal
that has been published in the Hatch
controlled newspapers all over the
state during the past few weeks. 1t is
apparent that Mr.. Norcross' removal
was a thing greatly to be desired. not
only by the Red Tower people but
also by the political bosses. That
ought to be enough to make all Of
you suspiciOus-very suspicious, jim
mie."
The tall editor got up and made
ready to go. "If were in your place,
or rather In Mr.. Van Britt's. I'd get
an expert on this job-and shouldn't
let much grass grow under my feet
while was about 1t. Call me up at
the Mountaineer Office II 1 can help"
And with that he went away.
1t was just little while after this
that / put on my hat and strOlled
across the yard tracks to Kirgan's
Office in the shops. Kirgan was an
old friend, as you might say: he had
been on the Oregon building Job with
us and knew the boss through and
through. didn't have anything spe-
cial 70 say. but ! kind of wanted to
talk TO somebody who knew. So I
lOafed in on Kirgan.
He loved the boss like a brother.
AS soon as ] came In, he fired his kid
stenographer on some errand or other,
and made me sit down and tell him
all / knew. When ] got through he
was pulling at his long mustache and
wrinkling his nose as I've seen hull
dog do when he was getting ready to
bite something.
you haven't got all the drop-out
business cornered over yonder In the
| general Office. Jimmie" he said slow
ly. fitting back In his swing chair and
glowering at me with those sultry eyes
Of his. "On that same night that you're
talkin' about, stand to lose one per-
fectly good Atlantic-type locomotive.
At ten o'clock she was set In on the
spur below the coal chutes. At Twelve
o'clock. when the rOund-house watch
man went down there to see II her
fire was banked all right, she was
ncne"