New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1921-06-03

the stair going down.
HE didn't say anything to you, did
hep he asked.
Not a word"
81 had to pull that Sand Creek bust
ness on him, and I'm rather sorry"
he went on. HE and his people are
going to fight the new company to a
tell me so-and to add that ! might
as well resign first as last, because,
in the end, he'd get my goat. When
laughed at him he got abusive. He's
an ugly beggar, Jimmie"
That's what everybody says OF
him."
IT'S true. He and his crowd have
plenty of mOney-stOlen money. a
good deal Of it-and they stand In
with every political boss and gangster
In the state. There is only one way to
handle such a man. and that is with
out gloves. ! told him we had the
goods on him in the matter of Mr..
Chadwick's kidnapping adventure, AT
first he said | couldn't prove it. Then
he broke out cursing and let your
name slip. | hadn't mentioned you at
all, and so he gave himself away. He
knows who you are, and he remem
bered that you had overheard his talk
with Henckel in the hotel lobby"
| heard what he was saying, but |
didn't really sense it because my head
Al n ran, iap, full of n thinu fhpf WAS
so pitiful that it had kept me swal-
lowing hard all the way back from
Major Hendricks. 1t was this way.
When | had jlGgled the bell out at the
house II was Maisie Ann who let me
in and took the box of flowers and the
boss note. We sat in the dimly lighted
hall and talked for a few minutes.
One thing she told me was that Mrs,
Sheila had company and the name of
it was Mr., Van Britt. That wasn't
strictly news because ! had known
that Mr.. Van Britt was dividing time
pretty evenly with the boss in the
Major Kcndrick house visits. That
wasn't anything to be scared up about.
But my chunky little girl didn't stop
at that.
II think we can let Mr.. Van Britt
take care of himself" she said. "He
has known Cousin Sheila for a long
time, and | guess they are only JUST
good friends. But there is something
you ought to know, Jimmie-for Mr..
Norcross' sake. He has been sending
lots of flowers and things, and Cousin
Sheila has been taking them because
well, | guess it's just because she
doesn't know how not to take them"
go on" | said, but my mouth had
suddenly grown dry.
"Such things-howers, you know
don't mean anything In New York,
where we've been living. Men send
them to their women friends just as
they pass their clgar-cases around
among their men friends. But I'm
afraid it's different with Mr.. Nor
cross"
ut Is different" ! said.
Then she told me the thing that
made me swell up and want to burst.
at mustn't be different, Jimmie.
Cousin Shella's married, you know"
81 know she has been married" I
corrected; and then she gave me the
%sure-enough knockout.
"She is married now. and her hus-
band is still living"
For a little while ! couldn't do my
thing but cape like a chicken with
the pip. 1t was simply fierce! | knew.
as well ms knew anything, that the
boss was gone on Mrs. Sheila; that
he had fallen In love, first with the
back Of her neck and then with her
pretty face and then with all of her;
and that the one big reason why he
had let Mr.. Chadwick persuade him
to stay In Portal City was the fact
that he had waited to be near her and
to show her how he could make a per-
fectly good spoon out OF the spoiled
horn of the Pioneer Short Line.
When | began to get my grip back
n little ] was right warm under the
collar.
"She oughth't to be going around
telling people she Is q widow" ]
blurted out.
"She doesn't" was the calm reply.
They've separated. you know-years
ago-and Cousin Shella has taken her
mothers maiden name, Macrae. II
we were going TO live here always Il
would be different. But we are only
visiting Cousin Basil, or I suppose we
are, though we've been here now for
nearly a year"
There wasn't much more 10 be said,
and pretty socn ! had staggered of
with my load and gone back to the
Office. And this was why ] couldn't
get very deep into the Hatch business
with Mr.. Norcross when he told me
what he had been obliged to do about
the Sand Creek hold-up.
IL he had been like other men II
have been so hard. But ]
had a feeling that he had gone into
love business just as he did into
everything-neck or Notwithstanding
his bridges behind him. and having no
notion Of eve turning back. The boss
had never been beaten. What was Il
going to do to him when he learned
the truth about Mrs. Sheila?
On top Of this came the still harder
knock when I saw that 1t was up to
Inc to tell him. ] remembered all the
I'D " heard about how the
most cOld-blooded urgeon that ever
wouldn't trust himself TO stick a
into a member of his own fam
ily. and l knew NOW just how the
surgeon felt about ID.