The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1921-07-15

| her hand on the door-knob she shot a
quick question at the boss.
"How much will you tell Cousin
Basil?"
Nothing of what you have told
me-"
'Thank you" she whispered back;
"you are as big in your friendship as
you are in other ways" And with
that she was gone.
1t was right along in the same half
minute, while the boss was standing
with his back to the fire and the ma
jor was going in to talk to him. that
lost Maisie Ann. don't know where
she went, or how. She had let go of
my wrist, and when l CROPPED for her
she was gone. Since didn't see any
good reason why should stay and
spy upon the boss and the major,
slipped out to the hall and curled up
on the big settee beyond the coat
rack; curled up, and after listening
while to the drone of voices in the
farther room, went to sleep.
| 1t was away deep in the night when
the boss took hold of me and shook me
awake. The long talk was just get
ting itself finished, and the major had
come to the door with his guest.
eve must manage to pull Collng-
wood out of it in some way" the ma
jor was saying. 81 don't love the
/ d-n' scoundrel any betteh than you
do. Graham; but that's a reason-a
family reason, as you might say"
Then he switched off quickly. "You
haven't asked me yet why ran away
from home this evenin' when was
expecting you"
"No," said the boss. "Sheila told
me that you had telephone call to
the Billiard"
The old Kentuckian chuckled.
Eyes, sub; and you'd neveh guess
in thousand yeahs who sent the
call, or what was wanted. 1t was Duh
friend Hatch, and no Otheh. And he
had the face to offeh me ten thousand
dollahs a yeah to act as consulting
counsel for him against the railroad
company"
'-Of course you accepted" said the
boss, meaning just the opposite.
The major chuckled again. 81
talked with him long enough to find
out about where he stood. He thinks
he's got you by the neck, but. like
most men o. his breed, he's paltry
coward, sub, at heart"
The boss laughed. "What Is he
afraid Off"
HE is afraid Of his life. He told
me, with his eyes buggin' out, that
thah was one man heah in Portal
City who would kill him to get pos
session of certain papehs that were
locked up In the cash vault of the
Security National"
The boss was pulling on his gloves.
II didn't give him any reason to
him." he said.
"Oh, no, my deah boy; it isn't you.
at all. It's HOWE Collingwood. That's
where we land afteh all Is said and
DONE You'll hands are tied, and we've
got this heah young maniac to deal
with. If COllingwOod gets about three
fingehs of red likkehs under his belt,
why, thah's one murder in prospect.
And if Hatch has any reason to think
that you can still get the underholt
on him, why, thah's another. I'm glad
you've seen fit to take RipIey's advice
at last, and got you bodyguard'
"What's that? Queried the boss.
But the query was answered a minute
later when we hit the sidewalk for
the tramp back to town and Tarbell
fell in to walk three steps behind us
all the way to the door of the rail-
road club.
1t sure did look as if things were
just about as bad as they could ever
be, now. Hatch once more on top,
the whole bottom knocked out of the
railroad experiment, our good name
for political honesty gone glimmering,
and, worst of ALL perhaps, the boss
big heart broken right in two over
those four little words that nothing
could ever rub out-"he Is my hus-
band" / didn't wonder that the boss
said never a word in all that long
walk downtown, or that he forgot to
tell me goodnight when he locked
himself up in his room at the club.