The Elk Mountain pilot., 1921-04-21

Whs pTcsSink uilu ~ get Durv vi tlie
bargain and sale proposition; was ap-
parently as anxious now to sell and
withdraw as he had at first been to
fight everything In sight.
By the morning came on the scene
the man Grimmer had, as they say.
just about done his do. He was only
a sort of j0urneyman detective. and
had run out Of clues. When he came
in and talked to Mr.. Van Britt and
Mr.. Ripley, could see that he fully
believed In the drop-out theory. and
even the lawyer and Mr. Van Britt
had to admit that the facts were with
him. The boss had written a letter
saying definitely that he was quitting;
he had paid his hotel bill. and his
grips were gone; and two days later
President Dunton had appointed
new general manager, which was proof
positive, you'd say. that the boss had
resigned and had so notified the New
York Office
When the noon hour came along,
Fred May took me out to luncheon.
and we went to the Bullard cafe. It
was pretty rich for our blood at two
dollars per. but l guess Fred thought
his job was gone. anyway. and felt
reckless. Over the good things at our
corner table we did a little threshing
on our own account-and got a lot
more chan and no grain.
Fred didn't want to agree with
Grimmer and the facts. but there
didn't seem to he any help for 1t. And
as for rre. had other things in mind
all the time-the big scary fear that
somebody had got to the boss after
he had left Ripley on the night of
stockings, and had just dashed him In
the face with the story of Mrs. Sheila's
sham widowhood.
BY and by we got around to my
burned hand, and Fred told me Grim
mer had at least succeeded in clearing
up whatever mystery there was about
that. The wall switch for the electric
light in the lower hall at the head
quarters was right beside the outer
door jamb-as knew. It had burned
out in some way, and that was why
there was no light on when l went
downstairs. And in burning out ii
had short-circuited itself with the
brass lock OF the door; Fred didn't
know just how. hut Grimmer had ex-
planned 1t. l asked him If Grimmer
had explained how ITO volt light cur
rent could cook me like fried potato.
and he said he hadn't.
The afternoon at the office was a
sort of cut-and-come-again repeat of
the morning, with lots of people mill
ing around and things going crooked
and crOss-ways, as they were bound
to with the boss gone and a new boss
coming. Nobody had any heart for
anything, and along late in the after
noon when word came of freight
wreck at Cross Greek Gulch, Mr.. Van
Britt threw up both hands and yipped
and swore like pirate. 1t just showed
what raw edge the headquarters
nerves were taking on.
Though it wasn't his business, Mr..
Ven Britt went out with the wreck
ing train. and Fred May and / had it
all to ourselves for the remaining hour
or so up to closing time. Just before
five, Mr.. Cantrell, the editor of the
Mountaineer. dropped in. He looked
bit disappointed when he found
only us two. Fred turned him over
to me. and he came on in to the priv
ate office when 1 asked him to. and
smoked one Of the boss good cigars
out of a box. that / found In the big
desk.
liked Cantrell. He was just the
sort of man you expect an editor to
be; tall and thin and kind of mild
that made you feel as II he were
! thinking along about mile ahead Of
you when you were striking the best
think-gait you ever knew Of
''No word yet from Mr.. Norcross,
supposeT he said.
] told him there wasn't.
Its very singular to me. and to
all of us, as it Is to you," i threw in.
The editor smoked on. for a full
minute without saying anything more,
and he seemed to be staring absently
at steamship picture on the wall.
When he got good and ready, he be-
gan again.
You don't need any common plain
clothes man on this job. Jimmie; you
need the best there is: real. dyed
in-the-w0Ol Sherlock Holmes, II there
ever were such a miracle"
"You think 1t is a case for a de-
tective7"
II do" he replied, looking straight
at me with his mild blue eyes. IF
1 were one of Mr.. NorcrOss' close
friends / should get the best help that
could be found and not lose single
minute about it."
Since there was nobody around
who was any closer to the boss than
1 was, l jumped into the hole pretty
quick.
"Can you tell us anything that will
help. Mr.. Cantreli?" / asked.
mot specifically; I wish 1 could.
But 1 can say this: / know Mr.. Rufus
Hatch and his associates up one side