The Ordway new era., 1921-08-19

| forth. OF course, but the newspapers.
| led by the Mountaineer, took hold. und
| then, pretty soon. everybody took
| hold: after which the only trouble was
! TO keep people-our own rank and file
among them--from buying +. s. l..
| Common so fast that the New York
ers would catch on and run the price
up.
| They didn't catch on-not until after
| II was too late; and the minute Mr..
| Chadwick wired us from Chicago that
we were safe. the strike went on, as
YOU might say. between t,so minutes,
and Mr.. Norcross called a meeting of
stockholders, the same to be held
bless your heart i'm Portal City. the
| thriving metropolis of the region in
which, counting Mr.. Chadwick in Ms
one Of us, n good solid voting major
| ity of the stock was now held. The
| Mountanccr printed the call. and it
| smoke of the railroad as "our railroad
company!
The meeting was held in due time.
and Mr.. Chadwick was there to pre-
side He made cracking good chair
man. and the wny he dilated on the
| fact that now the country-and the
employees-had n railroad of their
own, and that the whole nation would
| be looking to see how we would de-
monstrute the problem we had taken
over. actually brought cheers-think
of 1t; cheers in railroad stockhold-
ers meeting
Following Mr.. Chadwick's talk there
was the usual routine business. re-
ports We're read and II was shown that
the Short Line, Notwithstanding all the
| stcalingS and mismanagements, was
still a good going proposition at the
| price at which 1t had been bought in.
new board OF directors was chosen,
and as soon ms the new board got to-
gether Mr. Norcross went back to his
office In the headquarters. not as gem
eral manager. this time-not on your
| life but MS the newly elected presi-
dent OF Pioneer Short Line. And by
the same token, the first official cir
culnr that came out-a copy Of which
sent. tied up with blue ribbon, to
Mnisie Ann-rend like this:
ITO all Employees:
effective this day, Mr.. James r.
Dodds is appointed assistant to the
president with headquarters in Portal
City.
&c. Norcross, President"
That's all; all but little talk be-
tween the boss and Mr.. Upton Van
Britt that took place in our Office on
the day after Mr.. Van Britt, still kick
| I'M oh har hat h., M ~
was always piling upon him. had been
appointed general manager.
You've made the rifle, Graham
just as l said you would" said our
own and only millionaire, after he had
got through abusing the fates that
wouldn't let him go back east and play
with his coupon shears and his yachts
and polo ponies. You're going to
be the biggest man this side of the
mountains, some day; and the day isn't
so very far off, either"
1t was just here that the boss got
out Of his chair and walked to the
other end of the room. When he came
back 1t was to say:
You think l have won out, Up
ton. and so does everybody else.
suppose it looks that way to the man
in the street. But haven't, you know.
l have lost the one thing for which
l would gladly give NIL the business
success l have ever made or hope to
make"
Mr.. Van Britt's smile was more than
half grin.
''lt isn't lost, Graham: it's only gone
before. Can't you wait decent lit
tie while?"
"If l should wait all my life II
wouldn't be long enough, Upton" was
the reply. "What you said to me
that time when we first spoke of Col
lingwood-was true. You said she
loved the other man--and so she did u
This time Mr.. Van Britt's smile was
whole grin.
II said 1t, and I'll say 1t again. She
didn't realize it or admit 1t, even to
herself. you know; she's too good and
clean-henrted for anything like that
But could see it plainly enough. and
so could everybody else except the
two people most nearly concerned.
didn't mean Howie Collingwood: you
were the other man. Graham"
; At this the boss whirled short
around and tramped to the other end
OF the room again, standing for quite
little while vita one foot on the
low window-slll and making out like
he was looking down at the traffic
clatterng along In Nevada avenue
But I'll bet quarter he never saw
single wheel of 1t. When he came
back our way HIS eyes were shining
and he put his hand on Mr.. Van Britt's
[ shoulder.