The Ordway new era., 1921-06-03

| grams hadn't been delivereu-th"' '"s'
were probably in the pocket OF Ill!
coat right now, wherever that was.
..They were enough TO make any man
throw up his hands and quit, shouiu
say"
NO" she insisted, looking me
straight in the eyes. you are not
telling the truth now, Jimmie. lou
know Mr.. Norcross better than ali!
of us, and you know that 1t isn't the
least little bit like him to walk out
and leave everything to go to wreck
Have YOU ever known of his dong
ANYTHING like that before!
l had to admit that l hadn't; that'
on the other hand 1t was the very
thing you'd least expect him TO do
But at the same time l had TO nans
on to my sham belief that it was the
thing he had done: either that, or
tell her the truth.
.Eyery man reaches his limit, some
timer - | protested. What was MI
Norcross to do, I'd like TO know; with
Mr.. Chadwick getting scared OUT, anu
Mr.. Dunton threatening to fire MN
THE thing he wouldn't do would
be to 20 Off and leave all OF MS
friends, Mr.. Van Britt and Mr.. Hor-
mack. and all the rest, to fight 1t our
alone. You know that rs well as l
do. Jimmie Doddsi" !"
IF you won't take my theory, you
must have one of your own,' l SAID
not knowing what else to say.
Il have" she flashed back, "and
| want you to hurry and get well SO
that you can help me trace it out"
"Me?' l queried.
"Yes, you. The others are all so
stupid. even Mr.. Van Britt and Mr..
Ripley. They insist that Mr.. Norcross
went east to see and talk with MIR.
Chadwick. They have found out that
Mr. Chadwick left Chicago the day
after he sent that telegram to 20 up
into the Canadian woods to look at
some mines, or something They say
that Mr.. Norcross has followed him.
and that is why they don't hear any
thing from him"
what do you Think" l asked.
She didn't answer right away. and
in the little pause l saw sort of
frightened look come into her eyes.
But all she said was, Il want you to
hurry up and get well, Jimmie, so you
can help"
I'm well enough now, if they'll let
me get up"
Not tonight; tomorrow, maybe"
Then: Mr.. Van Britt is downstairs
with Cousin Basil. He has been very
anxious to talk with you as soon as
you were able to talk. May I send
him up?"
OF course l said yes; and pretty
soon after she went away, our one
and only millionaire came in. He
looked as he always did; just as if
he had that minute stepped out of
Turkish bath where they shave and
scrub and polish a man till he shines.
How are you. Jimmie?" he raped
out. Glad to see you on earth again.
Feeling a little more fit, tonight?"
l told him l didn't think it would
of my size to knock me out, but l was
gaining. Then he sat down and put
me on the question rack. l gave him
all had-eXcept that thing about the
undelivered kilograms and two or three
others that couldn't give him or any
body.
We're in pretty bad shape. aren't
we?" l suggested.
I'VE couldn't be In worse shape"
was the way he put it. Then he told
me little more than Maisie Ann had:
how President Dunton had wired to
stop all the betterment work on the
Short Line until the new general man.
ager could get on the ground how the
local capitalists at the head of the
new Citizens Storage & Warehouse
organization were scared plumb out of
their shoes and were afraid to make a
move; and how the newspapers all
over the state were saying that it was
just what they had expected-that the
railroad was crooked in root and
branch, and that good man couldn't
stay with it long enough to get his
breath.
Then the new general manager has
been appointed?" asked.
He nodded. "Some fellow by the
name of Dismuke. 1 don't know him,
and neither does Hornack. He is on
his way west now, they say"
Mr. Norcross hasn't shown up at
MIR. Chadwick's Chicago officesY /
ventured.
NO. The telegraph people have
been wiring everywhere and can't get
any trace of him."
"Tell them to try Galesburg. That's
where his people live"
Il know" he said; and he made a
note of the address on the back of an
envelope. Then he came at me again.
on the direct" as lawyer would
say.
you've been closer to Norcross In