Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1921-06-10
The WreckerS
Blu FRANCIS LYNDE
Copyright By Charles Scribners Sons.


on the hall settee, In the end Of It
next to the coat.rack, and when Mrs.
Sheila came downstairs and went
through the hall, she didn't see me.
4 second laterI heard the boss Jump
up and say, "At 1astl It seems al
II you had been gone year rather
than a fortnight" and then Maisie
Ann came lodging out and plunked
herself down ON the settee beside me.
You needn't tell me that we had no
right to sit there listening; know
1t we'll enough. On the other hand.
I was just shlrky enough to shift the
responsibility 70 Maisie Ann. She
didn't make any move to duck. so
I didn't.
"You came out to see Cousin Basilf'
Mrs. Shella was saying to the boss.
And then: HE had telephone call
from the Bullsrd. and he asked me to
tell you to wait" After that. l guess
she sat down to help him wait, for
pretty soon we heard her say: "Cousin
Basil has told me q little about the
new trouble: have you been having
another bad quarter Of an hourr"
'sThe worst Of the lot" the boss said
gravely. and from that he went on
to tell her about the Hatch visit and
what had come OF It: how the graft
ers had q new claw hold on him. now,
made possible by an unwarranted piece
Of meddling on the part Of the New
York people In the political game.
It was while he was talking about
this that Maisie Ann grabbed me by
the wrist and dragged me bodily into
the darkened front parlor. the door to
which was Just on the other side Of
the coat rack. I thought she he'd
come to her right senses. at last. and
was making the shift to break of the
eavesdropping. That being the case,
I was simply Mortified when found
that she was merely fixing 1t SO that
we could both see and hear. The slid
ing doors between the two parlors
were cracked open about an inch, and
before I realized what she was do
ing she had pulled me down on the
floor beside her. right In front Of that
crack.
1T you move or make a noise. I'll
scream and they'll come In here and
flnd Us both I" she Missed In my ear;
and because I didn't know what else
to do with such kiddish little terma-
CANT, sat still. It was dastardly, l
know: but what was I to dot
When the boss finished telling her
about the Hatch talk. Mrs. Sheila
said: "You mean that Mr.. Dunton
and his associates sent somebody out
here to influence the electionf'
Eyes; that Is It. precisely. But how
did you knowf"
"You made the inference perfectly
plain" she countered. II have q rea-
soning mind, Graham; haven't you
discovered It before thisr'
The boss nodded soberly. ~ have
discovered a good mAny things about
you during the past six months: one
Of them Is that there was never an
ether woman like you since the world
began"
Knowing. as l did. that she had q
husband alive and kicking around
somewhere. 1t seemed as II just
couldn't stay there and listen to what
q break Of that kind on the boss part
was likely to lead up to. But Maisie
Ann gripped my wrist until she hurt.
"You must listenr. she whlspered
aercely.. Y0u'fe taking care q HIN.
and you've got to know!"
As on many other earlier occasions,
Mrs. Sheila slid away from the senti-
mental side of things just as easy as
turning your hand over.
added difficulty defeat you now" she
remarked calmly, going back to the
business field. "You are really max
ing a miraculous success. l have just
spent two weeks In the capital. as
you know, and everybody Ia talking
about you. They say you are In a
fair way to solve the big problem-the
problem Of bringing the railroads and
the people together In a peaceable and
profitable partnership-which is as It
should be-"
"It can be done: and I could do It
right here on the Pioneer Short Line
II I didn't have to fight so many dill
ferent kinds Of devils at the same
time." said the boss. scowling down at
the DIRE In the CRATE. And then with
. quick jerk Of his head to face her:
"You sent the major q wire from the
capital last night. telling him to per-
suade me not to 60 to StrathcOna.
Why did you do It? And how did you
know I was thinking Of going7"
For the first time In the whole six
months saw Mrs. Sheila get a little
clustered, though she didn't show 1t
much. only a little more color in her
cheeks. - ---
"S0me day. perhaps. I may tell you.
but can't now" she said sort Of bur-
riedly. And then: "You mustn't ask
me-"
but you did send the wirer
EYES,"
"And you also sent another to Upton
Van Britt?"
II did"
The boss smiled. 'aThat second mes
sage was an after.thought. You were