The Ordway new era., 1921-08-19
CHAPTER Xxx
p. S. Il. Comes Home

of breakfast in the grlll-room l swipea
camp-stool and Il magazine out Vi
the lounge and trotted upstairs 10
plant myself before the boss aoor. de-
termined that nobody should disturb
him until he was good and ready 10
get up.
He turned out n little before twelve,
looking sort of haggard and drawn Oh
course, and having some pretty oHu
burns on the side of his neck ana 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 ike
you, Jimmie" he said. And then:
Have you any news?'
had, little, and | gave 1t to him.
Fred May had come up-toeing up into
my sentry corridor about ten O'Clock
to tell me that Mr.. Perkins had ar
ranged with the strikers TO have spe-
cial go east with the major and Mrs.
Sheila and Collingwood's body to
catch the Overland at Sedgwick; and l
lblNl lit bbSS inns anu AiiAN N''N ''''",
had been gone for an hour or more.
Also. l gave him sealed package
that strange boy had brought up
just little while after May went
away. We took the elevator to the
grill-room for something to eat, and
at table Mr.. Norcross opened the pack
age. 1t contained bunch of affida-
Wits. eleven of them In all, and there
was 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 frowned across the table at me
and said: DO you know what it
means-thls surrender of those bribe
affidavits. Jimmie?"
said guessed did; that Hatch
being dead, and Collingwood. too, there
wasn't nerve enough left In the Red
Tower outfit to keep up the fight; that
the surrender of the affidavits was
kind of plea for let-up on our
part.
Wen begin to 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 l want them
to meet me at my Office at half-past
twelve. Any news from the striker"
Nothing" l told him, while "Cen-
trail was getting me Mr. Ripley's num-
ber. Fred May said 1t 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 " Klr-
gan is bossing it, and the strikers
manned 1t 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 Britt?" he asked.
Not that l know Of"
Again he gave me that queer little
scowl across the table.
Jimmie. have you found out vet
why Mr.. Van Britt insisted on quit
ting the service?"
i guess l grinned little. though
lIleu 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 1t along. He couldn't do
thing like that while he was an Of
fcer of the company and drawing his
pay like the rest of u.s."
Il might have known-he as good as
told me-" was the reply, made kind
OF half-absently; and then, short and
quick: "How's the stock market? Have
you seen paper?"
had seen both papers, at break
fast-time, but of course they had moth
ing startling in them except last
minute account of the wreck at Tim.
Der mountain ~" grabbed off lust
before they went to press. They
couldn't have anything later from New
York than the day before. But Fred
May had tipped me off when he came
up to tell me about the Major Ken
drick special. The newspaper offices
were putting out bulletins by that
time.
told Mr.. Norcross about the bul.
ietins and was brash enough to add
We're headed for the recelyersbip NIL
right, 1 guess; our stock has tumbled
TO twenty-nine, and there's regular
dog-hght going on over 1t at the rail
road post in the Exchange. Wal
Streets afire and burning up, so the,
say"
The chief hadn't eaten enough tt
keep cat alive, but at that he pushed
his chair back and reached for hi,
hat.
Come on Jimmie" he snapped
We've got to get busy And ther,
Isn't going to be any receivership."
We reached the railroad headouar
ters-which were as dead and quiet NJ
a graveyard-a little before Mr.. Rim
lev and RilIotIphhv Uot <1o,,. n