The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1921-07-22


and all that. He had the nerve to
tell me less than an hour ago that
he'd burn me alive if I didn't toe the
mark"
what does he want you to doT
'He wants me to stick around here
so that he can use me against you.
He knows how you're mixed up with
Sheila and that you can't turn wheel
without making it look as if you were
going after me on your own personal
account"
There was silence for little time.
1t was an awful muddle, with bloody
murder sticking out of it on every side.
"If you have come here with the
idea that 1 can force Hatch's hand, you
are very much misled," said the boss
at the close of the electric pause. And
then: "Has he made it appear to you
that he was merely trying to help you
avenge your own fancied wrongs?"
"He said I ought to get you; that
any man who would make love to a
married woman ought to be got"
My chief was looking past the der
elicit and out through the darkened
window.
"You don't know me, Mr.. Colling-
wood, but you do know your wife;
and you know that she is as far
above suspicion as the angels in
heaven. Let that part of it go. Hatch
was merely using you for his own
ends. If he could persuade you to
kill me off out of the way, it would
be merely that much gained in the
business fight. You haven't done it
thus far, and now he is using your
check-cashing excursion as a club with
which he proposes to brain the entire
railroad management, your uncle in
cluded, if we interfere with his plans"
ColIingwood scowled up at the cell
ing, shifting the dead cigar from one
corner of his mouth to the other
$50 that's the way of it, is it?' he
commented. HE was working for his
own pocket all the time, and Uncle
Breck stands pat and slips him the
ace he was needing to make his hand
winner. Between you and me, Nor
cross, believe this id piker needs
killing a few times, himself"
The boss sat back in his swing chair
and could just imagine that he was
trying to get some sort of proper angle
on this young fellow who, in addition
to his other scoundrelisms, big and
little, had wrecked the life of Sheila
Macrae. I knew what he was think
ing. He had a theory that no man
that was ever born was either all
angel or all devil, and he was hunting
for the redeeming streak in this one.
When you looked right hard at the
haggard face you could see something
sort of half-appealing in it; something
to make you think that perhaps. away
back yonder before the spelling be-
gan, there used to be a man; never
strong man, guess, but one that might
have been generous and free-hearted,
maybe. I.got fieeting little glimpse
of that back-number man when he
turned suddenly and said:
zone night a few weeks ago when
was full up, Hatch got hold of me
and told me you were out at the Ken
drick place with Sheila. He made me
believe that I ought to go out there
and kill you, and 1 started to do it.
Do you know why I didn't do it?'
mo" said the chief, mighty quietly.
swell, I'll tell you. One night last
spring up at the Billiard you slammed
me one in the face and dragged me off
to my room to keep me from making
a bigger ass of myself than I'd al
ready made. l haven't forgotten that.
In all these crooked years, nobody else
| has even taken the trouble to chuck
me decently out of sight and give me
chance to brace. Drunk as I was,
I remembered it that night when 1
| was climbing up to window in the
majors house and trying to get shot
| at you"
Mr. Norcross shook his head, more
than half alphabetically, thought.
LET that part Of it go and tell me
about this other trouble" he said.
"How badly are you tangled up in
| this political buSineSS!
"Fve given it to you straight on the
bribing proposition. Uncle Brock used
me as a money carrier because-well,
maybe it was because he couldn't
trust Bullock. didn't know definitely
what Bullock was doing with the
checks cashed for him, though sup
posed, of course, it was something that
wouldn't stand daylight. 1t was only
side issue with me. was coming
out here anyway. knew Sheila had
made up her mind-God knows she's
had cause enough; but had crazy
notion that I'd like to be on the same
side of the earth with her again for
just a little while, Then this" he
trailed off in babble of maledictions
poured out upon the man who had
trapped him and used him.
The boss Strengthened himself in his
chair but he still was speaking gently
| when he said: