Cavalier County farmers press. (Langdon, N.D.) 1920-1921, 1921-04-07


pay ar you getting here?"
1t was on the tip of my tongue to
cuss him out right there and then
and tell him it was none of his bust
ness. But the second thought (Which
isn't always as good as it's said to
be) whispered to me to lead him on
and see how far he would go. So I
told him the figures If my pay check.
I'm needing another shorthand
man, and 1 can afford to pay a good
bit more than that" he growled.
'They tell mt you are we'll up at the
offer?"
l let him have it straight then. "Not
from YOU" I said.
"And why not from me?"
Here was where I made my first
bad break. All Of a sudden 1 got so
angry at the thought that he was ac-
tually trying to buy me that I couldn't
see anything but red, and I blurted
out, Because I don't hire out to work
for any strong-arm outfit-not if 1
know it,!
For a little while he sat blinking
at me from under his bushy eyebrows,
and his hard mouth was drawn into
a straight line with a mean little
wrinkle coming and going at the cor
ners of it.
When he got ready to speak again
he said, You're only a boy. You want
to get on in the world, don't you?
I'm offering you a good chance: the
best you ever had. You don't owe
Norcross anything more than your
job, do you"
Maybe not"
"That's better. Put on your hat
and come along with me. l want to
show you what I can do for you in a
better field than r%ailroading ever was,
or ever will be. It'll pay you" and
he named a figure that very nearly
made me fall dead out of my chair.
OF course, it was all plain enough.
The boss had him on the hip with that
kidnapping business, with me for a
witness. And he was trying to fix the
| witness.
II guess we needn't beat about the
bushes any longer, Mr.. Hatch" I said,
bracing up to him. II haven't told
the sheriff, or anybody but Mr.. Nor.
cross, what 1 know about a certain
little train hold-up that happened a
few weeks ago down at Sand Greek
siding; but that isn't saying that I'm
not going to-"
If I had had the sense of a field
mouse, I might have known that
was no match for such a man but
I lacked the sense-lacked it good and
hard.
you're like your boss" he said
shortly. you'd go a long distance out
of your way to make an enemy wher
there is no need of it. That hold-uI
business was a joe, from start tt
finish. I don't know how you and Nor
cross came to get in N it; the joke
was meant to be on John Chadwick
The night before, at a little dinner w,
were giving him at the railroad club
he said there never was q railroad
hold-up that couldn't have been stood
off. A few of us got together after
ward and put up a job on him; sen
him over to Strathcona and arranged
to have him held up on the way back
"Mr. Chadwick didn't take it as 9
j0ke!" 1 retorted.
II know he didn't; and that's VIII,
we're all anxious now to dig a hole
and bury the thing decently. Perhaps
we had all been taking a drop too
much at the club dinner that night.
At that 1 swelled up man-size ant
kicked the whole kettle Of fat int
the fire.
"Of course, it was a joker l rip
ped out. "And your coming here to
night to try to hire me away from Mr.
NCrcr,Hs is another. The woods arr
full of good shorthand men. Mr.. Hatch
but for the present I think | shall
stay right where / anywhere a cour
subpoena can find me when Tn
wanted"
"That's all nonsense, and you know
tiff you're not too much Of a kid t.
know anything" he snapped, shooting
out his heavy jaw at me. q merel.
wanted to give you a chance to ge
rid of the railroad collar, if you fel
like it. / like a fighting nan ant
you've got nerve. Take u night ant
sleep on it. Maybe you'll think diff
ferently in the morning"
Here was another chance for me II
get off with a whole skin, but by thi:
time | was completely lost to an.
sober weighing and measuring of til,
possible consequences. Leaning acros!
the desk end. / gave him a final shot
just as he was getting up to go.
Listen, Mr.. Hatch" / said. "Yo,
haven't fooled me for a single minute
Your guess is right; I heard ever.
word that passed between you ant
Mr.. Henckel that Monday morning ii
the Billiard lobby. As / say, I haven
told anybody yet but Mr.. Norcross
but if you go to making trouble foI
him and the railroad company, I'll E,
into court and to what I know y
He was halfway II Of the doc