Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1921-04-28

as he was in other ways, had simply
thrown up his hands and quit because
somebody had told him that Mrs.
Sheila had husband living. So l
just said:
Nothing that would help out" and
after he had talked little while
longer our only millionaire went down.
stairs again.
It's so funny how things change
around for person just by giving
them time to sort Of shake down into
place and fit themselves together.
After while the chin edge Of the
wedge that Mrs. Sheila had been try
ing to drive into me began to take
hold, just a little, in spite of what
knew-or thought l knew. Was it
barely possible, after all, that there
had been foul play Of some sort?
In the first place. something had
been done to me by somebody: it was
sure thing that hadn't crippled and
half-killed myself all by my lonesome.
Then they had said that the boss
stayed up with Mr.. Ripley that night
until after ten o'clock, and had then
gone up to go to bed. That being the
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. Sheila?
Anyway it was stacked up, it made
a three-cornered puzzle, needing some
body to tackle it right away; and
when finally went to sleep it was
with the notion that, sick or no sick,
l was going to turn out early in the
morning and get busy.
was well 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 l must be careful and not
take cold in the burnt hand, she put
in another word about the boss dis
appearance.
II want you to remember what I
said last night, Jimmie, and not let
tAC ONACAS Tain yOu ONCl 1lllO LuC UV.
lief that Mr.. Norcross has gone away
because he was either discouraged or
afraid. He wouldn't do. that: you
know it, and know it. We are his
friends, you and I, and we must stand
by him and defend him when he isn't
here to defend himself"
It did me good to hear her talk
that way. I 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 saw that she was trying 10 be
just as loyal to him as 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 a
sling-so I had a chance to hang
around and size up the situation. If
You want to know how it sized up,
you can take it from me that it was
pretty bad. People all along the line
were bombarding Mr.. Van Britt with
letters and kilograms wanting to know
what was going to be done, and what
the change in management was 60.
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 it looked as If it was
all going to be dumped into the ditch.
Mr.. Van Britt saw and talked with
everybody, and when he could wedge
off minute or two Of privacy, he'd
70 into the third room of the s,,ito