The Elk Mountain pilot., 1921-06-09
CHAPTER XVI
The Deserter

to 0vertake Collingwood, going as far
as the foot of the stairs. l went, too,
but got only far enough to meet the
boss coming UP again. There was
nothing doing. The station policeman
had seen the crazy rounder jump into
a taxi and go spinning off uptown.
There was another jolt waiting for
us when we got back to the office.
While we were both out, Mr. Van Britt
had blown in from his room at the
foot of the hall and we found him
lounging comfortably in the chair that
Collingwood had just vacated.
II thought maybe you'd turn up
again pretty soon, since you'd left the
doors all open," was the way he started
out. Then: "Sit down, Graham; I
want to talk few lines.~
Mr.. Norcross took his own chair and
twirled it to face the general super
intendent. "Say it" he commanded
briefly.
Mr.. Van Britt hooked his thumbs
In his armholes.
i've just been figuring q bit on the
general outlook: you have decently
efficient operating outfit here, what
with Perkins and Brant and Conway
handling the three divisions as self
contained units. You don't need
general superintendent any more than
monkey. needs two tails"
"What are you driving at?" was
the curt demand.
swell, suppose we say retrenchment,
for one thing. AS l size it up, you
might just as well be saving my salary
1t would buy good many new cross
ties in the course of a year."
'"That's all bunk, and you know it."
snapped the boss. 1.-The organization
as it stands hasn't single stick of
dead wood in 1t. You know very well
that a railroad the size of the Short
Line can't run without an individual
head of the operating department"
Mr.. Van Britt laughed little at
that.
"If you should get some one of these
new efficiency experts out here he
would probably tell you that you could
cut your staff right in two in the
middle"
could see that the boss was get
ting mighty nearly impatient.
''You are merely turning handsprings
around the edges of the thing you have
come to say, Upton" he barked out.
Come to the point, can't you? What
have you got up your sleeveY"
'Nothing that could make you
understand in a month of Sundays
I'm sore on my job and 1. want to
quit"
Nonsense! You don't mean thatY'
''Yes, l do. I'm tired of wearing
the brass collar of soulless corpora
ton. What's the use, anyway? found
a bunch Of dividend checks from my
bank at home in the mail to-day, and
what good does the money do me?
l can't spend 1t out here; can't even
tip the servants at the hotel without
everlastingly demoralizing them. I'm
like the little boy who wanted to go
out in the garden and eat worms"
The boss was frowning thoughtfully.
you're not giving me show, Up
ton," he protested. Cant you blow
the froth of and let me see what's
In the bottom of the steinY"
"Pledge you my word, it's all froth.
Graham. want to climb up on the
mesa behind the shops and take a
good deep breath Of free air and shake
my fist at your blamed old cow-track
Of railroad and tell It to go to the
devil. You shouldn't deny me a little
pleasure like that"
II was getting under the boss skin
at last. IT can't believe that you
really want to resign" he broke out,
sort OF hopelessly. TITS simply pre-
posterous
"Pull 1t down out of the future and
put It in the present, and you've got
IT," said Mr.. Van Britt. u have re-
isisned. wrote 1t out on a piece of
paper and dropped 1t into your mail
box as came through the outer office.
It's signed, sealed. and delivered. You'll
give me testimonial, or something Of
that sort, TO Whom It May Concern
won't your I've been obedient and
faithful and honest and efficient, and
all that, haven't II"
"Td like to know where you got your
liquor. Upton. That lie the most char
table construction I can put upon all
this. Why, man alive you're quitting
me In the thick Of the toughest fight
the grafters have put upw
"Yes, know but q mans got only
one life to live. and I've always had
a sneaking sympathy for the high pri-
vate In the front rank who didn't want
to stand up and get himself shot full
o. holes. I'm running, and II you
should ask me why. I'd tell you what
the retreating soldier told Stonewall
Jackson; he said he was running only
because he couldn't fly" Once more
the boss grew silently thoughtful. Out
Of the digging mental inquiry he
brought this:
"Has this sudden notion of yours