The Elk Mountain pilot., 1921-03-31

cndnce. he can appoint the man I
want appointed as general manager,
with full power to act, and ratify a
little plan I've got up my sleeve for
providing bit of working capital for
the road, or-he can turn..me down."
.And II he does turn you DOWN.
Then. by George. I'll see If can't
persuade the courts to put the prop
erty into bankruptcy and install my
man as receiveri"
FL don't envy your man his Job.
either way around: not the least little
morsel in the world" said the boss,
quietly. And then: "Who is he,
Uncle John3"
The wheat king gave = great laugh.
Don't tell me you haven't guessed
It." he chuckled. You're the man.
Graham"
But now Mr.. Norcross had some
thing to say for himself, sitting up
straight and shaking his head sort Of
sorrowfully at the big man In the
padded chair.
mo, you don't, my good old friend;
not In thousand years! You'd lose
out in the end, and I'd lose out and,
besides. I'm not quite ready to COM
init suicide" And then to me- "Jim-
mie, suppose you go and tap on the
door and tell the ladies we're pulling
into Portal City"
l hung around while the boss was
telling Mrs. Sheila and Maisie Ann
good-by, and / was In the baggage
NJ
the goOd-by minute. But / guess they
didn't quarrel any-the boss and Mrs.
Sheila. She was laughing a little to
herself as I helped her down from
the car, and when asked her where
she wanted to go, she said / might
ask one of the porters to carry the
traps, and we'd walk to the hotel,
which was only a few blocks up the
main street,
She took Maisie Ann on the other
side Of her and let two of the blocks
go by without saying anything more,
and then she gave that quiet little
laugh again and said. "Your Mr.. Nor
cross amuses me, Jimmie. He says
have no business to travel without
guardian. What do you think
about itf"
i told her hadn't any thinks COM
ing. and she seemed to take that for
Joke and laughed some more. Then
she asked me II I'd ever been in New
York, and felt sort Of small when
had to tell her that had never
been east Of Omaha in all my life.
With that. she told me not to worry;
that II I stayed with Mr.. Norcross
I'd probably get to go anywhere l
wanted to.
Something in the way she said II
made n sound like a little slam on
the boss, and Of course 1 wasn't 60
ing to stand for that.
There is one thing about It: the
boss will make good wherever he
goes" / hit back. You can, bet on
that"
II like your loyalty" she flashed out.
1T Is hne thing in day that is
much too careless Of such qualities.
And l agree with you that your Mr..
Norcr0ss Ii likely to succeed; more
than likely, If he will only learn to
combine little gentle cleverness with
the heavy hand"
II don't think You have any cause
to blacklist Mr.. Norcross." said.
Hasn't he been right good and broth
erly to both Of you this eveningr'
'Oh, didn't mean that" she said
real earnestly. But In the ststeroom
In Mr.. Chadwick's car: the ventilator
was open. you know, until Maisie Ann
got up and shut 1t. and we couldn't
very well help hearing what was said
about the kidnapping. Neither Mr..
Chadwick nor Mr.. Norcross seemed
to be able to account for it."
Can you account for it?" asked,
bluntly enough. 1 guess.
At this she smiled and said. "It
would be rather presumptuous for me
to try where Mr.. Norcross and Mr..
Chadwick failed, wouldn't 1t? But
maybe can give you just a wee little
hint. You saw the two men who went
over to the auto and smoked while
they were waiting for the other two
to come back? II am not mistaken,
have seen them many times before,
and they are very well known here in
Portal City. One of them, the smaller
one with the derby hat and the short
overcoat, was either Mr.. Rufus Hatch
or his double; and the other, the
heavy-set one, might have been Mr..
Gustave Henckel, Mr.. Hatch's partner
In the Red Tower company"
This didn't help out much. but you
can bet that made note of the two
Names
you are going back to Mr.. Chad
wick's carr she asked, when she was
telling me good-by and thanking me
for coming up to the hotel with them.
told her i was, and then she came
around to the kidnapping business
again of her own accord.
You may give Mr.. Norcross the
hint I gave you, If you wish," she
said; ''only you must be good boy.
Jimmie. and not drag me into IT."