The spectator., 1921-07-05
The Weckers By
 FRANCIS LYNDE
Copyright by Chss serieners sons CHAPTER %VII-Continued.

something. HOW laf uo you want your train to runf''
 "Oh. I don't know: anywhere the notion prods mc-say to the west end and back, with as many stops aS see fiji to make. and perhaps Il run over the branches"
 I saw the boss make a few figures on n pad under his hand.
 Tt would cost anybody else. rough ly, something like five hundred dol lars. On account of your little joke it's going to cos; you a cold thou- sand"
 Mir, Van Britt took out his check book and fountain pen and solemn ly made out the check.
 Here you are" he said. fippins The check over to the boss desk. Now shell out that receipt. so that I'll have it to show if anybody wants lo know how much you've gouged me. Since you're making the accommodation cost me dollar a minute how long have I got ,o waltz
 Mr. Norcro~S said something that sounded like "d-t." Scribhlcd Il mem orandum of the thauSand-doiiar pay ucnt cN sheet af the serateh=pad and handed il over saying The ors der Go~ tEr ear includes my cook and portcr. and something h eat: we'll throw these in with the traHsporta- ton sad if the ear is ditehed and yon sue for damages. we'll file cross bill for hotel accommodations Now go away and work off your little at- tack of lunacy. I'm busy"
 The C. <. X W. strike-as our wires told uS--wcnt into effect promptly on the stroke of rcan. and train from the west. arriving laie in the alter Gonr. brought Ripley.
 "The conditions all along the line are elmost revolutionary" WAS Rip ieys sdrmus.up of the situation. AGerc.al'y speaking, the public k not ho.1.Eg Us responsible aS yet though of course mere are eroakers who are saving that it iS entirely railroad move. and predicting that We won't do anything to interfere with the new graft
 'Cau;rell says the public sentiment is altogether on the side of the C. \. .& W. strikers" the boss put in.
 "It is: angriy SO There is hot tnik of n boycott to he extended to everything sold or handled by the Hatch syndicate. l hope there won't be any effort made to introduce strike breakers. In the present state ot af- fairs that would mean arson and riot ing and bloody murder.
 "I wired you because l wanted to consult you once more about those ground leases, Ripley. Do you still think you can made them hold?'
 If Hatch breaks the conditions. we'll give him the fight of his life was the confident rejoinder.
 But that will mean q long contest in the courts The Supreme court is full year behind its docket, and the delay will inevitably multiply your few 'croakers' by many thousands But that isn't the worst of ii. Hatch has better hold on Us than the laws delay" And to this third member of his stan Mir. NovcroSs told the story of the political trap into which Col lingwood and the New York stock iohbers had betrayed the railroad man agement,
 Ripley comment was little like Hornack's; less profaue, perhaps, but also less hopeful.
 Good Lord" he eiacuated. So that is what Hatch has had up hlS sleeve? I don't know how you feel about il, but I should say that it Is all over but the shouting. If the Dup ton crowd had been deliberately try ing 10 wreck the property they couldn't have gone about it in any surer way.
 That is the way it looked to me Ripley, at first but I've had chance to sleep on it--as you haven't The gun that can't be spiked in some way has never yet been built l have the names of the eleven men who were bribed. Hatch was daring enough 10 give them to me. Holding the atii- davits which they were foolish enough to give him, Hatch can make them swear to anything he pleaseS. But II I could get those attidavts I'd go to these men separately and make each one tell me how much he had been paid by Bullock for his vote.
 Well what thenf"
 Then l should make every mothers son of them come across with the fuii amount Of the brihe. on pain Of an exposure which the dlrtiest politician in this state couldn't afford to face. That would settle it, Hatch couldn't work the same game second time.
 We were closing our desks to go to dinner when Fred May came in to say that a delegation of the payroll men was outside and wanting to have word with the Big Boss" Mir. Nor cross stopped with his desk curtain half drawn down.
 What is it. Fredr' he asked.
 sI don't know" said the Pitts