Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1921-07-01
lie
WreckerS
Continued from Page ST..
CHAPTER Xxx
p. S. L. Comes Home

p. S. L. Comes Home
BY nine o'clock the next morning as
soon as I'd swallowed hurried bite
of breakfast in the grill-rOom swiped
camp-stOOl and magazine out of
the lounge and trotted 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 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 q 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 news?'
had, little, and gave 1t to him.
Fred May had come dp-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-
sycial 60 east with the major and Mrs.
Sheila and Collingwood's body to
catch the Overland at Sedgwick; and
told the boss this, and that the train
nad been gone an hour or more.
Also, gave him a sealed package
that a 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
package. 1t contained a bunch of af.
fidavits, II 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 sen what they were
said guessed I did: mat Hate.
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 aiildavits was q
kind Of plea for q 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 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 mum.
Ter. Fred May said 1t was going on
jun 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 1t, and the strikers
manned 1t for him."
Nothing more was said until after I
had sent the two phone messages, and
then the boss broke ont In new spot.
"Has anything been heard from Mr..
Van Britt" he asked
mot that know of.
Again he gave me that queer little
ocowl across the table.
Jimmie. have you found out yet
why Mr.. Van Britt insisted on quit
ting the Bervicer
guess I grinned Z little, though
tried not to.
~Nr. Van Britt u one of the best
friends you've got" I said. HE thought
you needed this strike, and he wanted
10 20 out among the payroll men and
sort Of help II along. He couldn't do
. thing IKE that while be was an Of.
ncer Of the company and drawing his
pay like the rest Of us."
Il might have known-hs % good -
toad me-" was the reply, made kind
Of half-abssntly; and then. short and
quick: "How's the stock mfketf Have
you seen a paperr
had seen both papers, at break
3ast-time. but Of course they had moth
ing startling In them except . last.
minute account Of the wreck at Qim.
~ mountain ~" grabbed OF Just
tvlloTe they went to press. They
couldn't have anything later from New
York than the day before. But Fred
May had tipped me OF when he came
up to tell me about the Major Ken
drick special. The newspaper ofices
were putting out bulletins by that
time.
told Mr.. Norcross about the bull
letins and was brash enough to add:
"We're headed for the receivership all
right guess; our stock has tumbled
to twenty.nine. land there's a regular
dog-6ght going on over 1t at the rail.
road post In the Exchange. Wall
Streets afire and burning up, 80 they
say"
The chief hadn't eaten enough to
keep cat elive hut at that he pushed
his Il ,ac d reached for his
ha