The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1921-10-06
The
Wreckers
B,
FRANCIS
LYNDE
(Coniinued)
CHAPTER Xxx
p. 6. L. Comes Home

By nine O'Clock the next morning. as
soon as I'd swallowed a hurried bite
of breakfast IN the grill-room svtped
che lounge and uotted upstairs to
plant myself before the boss door. de-
termined that nobody should disturb
him until he was good and ready to
get up.
He turned out a little before twelve,
looking sort Of haggard and drawn. of
course. and having some pretty bad
burns on the side OF his neck and ON
the backs OF both hands. But he was
all there, as usual. and he laid good,
brotherly hand on my shoulder when
he saw what | was doing.
They don't make many Of them like
you. Jimmie" he said And then |:
Have you any newsi"
had little. and gave II to him.
Fred May had come tp-toeing up into
my sentry corridor about ten o'clock
90 tell me that Mr. Perkins had ar
ranged with the strikers TO have a spe-
cial 20 east with the major and Mrs.
sbeila and Collingwood's body 10
catch the Overland at Sedgwick and
told the boss this. and that the train
had been gone for an hour or more.
Also. ! gave him sealed package
that strange boy had brought up
Just a little while after May went
away. We took the elevator to the
grill-room for something 10 eat. and
at table Mr.. Norcross opened the pack.
age. II contained a bunch OF affida-
Wits. eleven OF them In all, and there
wns no letter or anything to tell where
they had come from.
He handed the papers over to me,
after he had seen what they were
sort Of frowncd across the table at me
and said: "Do you know what II
means-this surrender of those bribe
aff,dsvits, Jimmie1"
said guessed did; that Hatch
being dead. and Colling~ood, too, there
wasn't nerve enough left In the Red
Tower outrt TO keep up the fight; that
the surrender Of the afiidavits was a
kind OF plea for let-up on our
part
Wen begin 10 show them, In Just
about fifteen minutes. Jimmie" WAS
the short comment. Reach over and
get that telephone and tell Mr. Ripley
and Mr.. BIlloughby that I want them
20 meet me at my office at half-past
twelve. Any news from the striker
Nothing" I told him, while ''Cen-
traI" was getting me Mr.. Ripley's num-
ber. Pred May said II was going on
just the same; everything quiet and
nothing doing. except that the wreck
ing train had gone out TO pick up the
scraps at Timber Mountain ". Kir-
gan Is bossing II. and the strikers
manned II for him"
Nothing more was said until after
had sent the two phone messages, and
then the boss broke out In a new spot.
HAS anything been heard from Mr..
Van Britr be asked.
"Not that | know Of
Again he gave me that queer little
scowl across the table.
Jimmie. have you found out yet
why Mr.. Van Britt insisted on quit
ting the servieer
guess grinned a little, though
I tried not 10.
"Mr. Van Britt is one OF the best
friends you've got" said. He thought
you needed this strike, and he wanted
TO go out among the payroll men and
sort Of help Il slong He couldn't do
q thing like that while he was an Of
ncer of the company and drawing his
pay IKE the rest of us
Il Nigh; have known--he as good as
told me. vas the reply. made kind
OF half-absently; and then. short and
quick "How's the stock mArketf Have
you seen a paperf-
! had seen both papers at break
fast-time. but of course they had moth
ing startling IN them except a last
minute account q the wreck 81 Tin
Der mountain y, grabbed of just
before they went % press. They
couldn't have anything later from New
YORK than The day before Bat Pred
May had tipred me o1 when be came
~ q tell me about the Major Ken.
drck special The newspaper Offices .
we're putting out bulletins b that
time.
told Mr. No-cross about the bul-
letins and wAs hrash enough 20 add .
-Wsre headed for the reoeivership sH .
right guess; our stock has tumbied .
q tWenty nine. and there's a regular .
DDS dshi soing On over il 81 the ruii- 4
rpld y0s. n tie EAeAanse Wan