Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1921-05-20

had been smashed decisively at the
polls. and on the following morning
the Mountaineer announced the cleo
ton of Governor Burrell. with a safe
working majority In both houses Of
the legislature for the Independents.
1t was on the third day after the
election, rather late In the afternoon,
that the boss had a call from min
ing promoter named Dawes represent
ing bunch of mine owners at Strath-
coma who were having trouble with
smelter. The smelter. one OF the few
Hatch monOpolies which hadn't been
shaken loose as vet. was located In
the gulch six miles below StrathcOna.
and II was served exclusively by its
own industrial railroad, which II was
using as q lever to pry an excessive
hauling charge out Of the mine own
ers. Wouldn't Mr. Norcross try TO do
something about It?
The boss said he'd do anything he
could, and asked what the mine own
ers wanted. Dawes said they wanted
help; that they were going to hold
mass meeting In StrathcOna the fol-
lowing morning at nine o'clock. Would
II. or wouldn't II. be possible for Mr..
Norcross to be present at that meet
ing?
OF course, the boss said he'd 90.
Dawes went away, and before we
broke off to so to dinner at the rail-
road club, l was given memorandum
order for special.
AT the club / found that Mr.. Nor
cross had an invited guest-Major
Kendrick. For a week or two Mrs.
Sheila had been visiting at the state
capital, and the majors wife and
Maisie Ann were with her. So the
good old major was sort of unattached,
and glad enough, l took it, to be a
guest at anybody's table.
For a while the table talk-in which,
of course, Jimmie Dodds hadn't any
part whatever-circled around the late
landslide election, and what Governor
Burrelrs party would do, now that it
had the say-so. But by and by 1t
got around to the railroad situation.
you're putting up a mighty good
fight, Graham, my son, but 1t isn't
over yet-not by jugful, suh"-this
isn't just the way the major said 1t,
but it's as near as / can come to his
soft Southern drawl with the smoth-
cred "r's." "I've known Misteh Rufus
Hatch for good many yeahs, and he
has the perseverance of the ve'y devil.
With all that has been done, you must
neveh forget. for single hOu'uh, that
youh admirable reform structchuh
stands, as yet. upon the life of single
man. Don't lose sight of that Gra-
ham,"
The boss looked up kind of curl
ously.
You and Sheila seem to think that
point needs emphasizing more than
any other" he commented.
The majors fine old eyes twinkled
gravely.
You are mighty safe in payin' strict
attention to whatever the little gyer
tells you. Graham, my boy" he as
serted. "She has a way of gettin at
the heart of things that puts us meah
men to shame-she has, for q fact
subj"
"She has been very helpful to me-"
the boss put in, with his eyes in his
plate. "In fact, ! may say that she
has herself suggested a good many of
the moves in the railroad game. It's
marvellous. and l can't understand
how she can do it,"
They went on for a while, singing
Mrs. Sheila's praises over in good
many different ways, and ! thought,
wherever she might happen to be just
then, her pretty little ears ought to
be burning good and hard. To hear
them talk you would have thought she
was another Portia-person, and then
some.
The dinner wore itself out after a
while, and when the waiter brought
the cigars, the boss was looking at his
watch.
I'm sorry can't stay and smoke
with you. major" he said, pushing his
chair back. But the business grind
ntNtI iclS up. oph6Cu W 81 ="
Strathcona tonight"
1 don't know what the major was
going to say to this abrupt break
away: the after-dinner social cigar
was sort of religious ceremony with
him. But whatever he was going 10
say, he didn't say 1t, for at that mo-
ment a telegraph boy came in and
handed him a message. He put on
his other glasses and read the tele-
gram. with his big gOatee looking more
than ever like a dagger and the fierce
white mustaches twitching At the
end of things he folded the message
and put It into his pocket, saying, sort
Of soberly:
Graham, there are times when
Sheila's intuhferences are mighty
neah uncanny; they are, for a fact,
sub. This wire Is from her. What do
you suppose II says?"
OF course, the boss said he couldn't
suppose anything about it, and the
major went on.
"She tells me, In Just seven words,
not to let you go to Strathcona tonight.
Now what do you make OF that? How