The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1921-03-17
The
Weckers
BY
FRANCIS
LYNDE
Copyrights By ohAs seribners Soma
Continued from Page q

CONTINUED from Page y
Ann. I'm Sheila's cousin on her moth
er's side. think this is a great lark;
don't your"
II can tell better after It's over" I
said. Maybe Wen have to stay here
all night"
81 shouldn't mind" she came back
airily. II haven't been up all night
since l was little kiddIe and our
house burned down"
We reached the big water tank, and
the boss picked out one OF the square
footing tirnbers for a seat II seemed
as II he were finding II a good bit
harder to get acquainted with his half
Of the combination than | was with
mine, but after a little the young wo-
man thawed out a bit and made him
talk-to help pass away the time, |
took it-and TIE little girl and | sat
and listened. When the young woman
finally got him started the boss told
her all about himself, how he'd been
railroading ever since he left college,
and a lot Of things that I'd never even
dreamed Of. It's curious how a pref
ty woman can make a man turn him
self inside out that way. just for her
amusement.
The boss asked her II she were
warm enough. saying that II she were
not, he and | would scrape up some
sage-brush or something ana make a
fire. She replied that she didn't care
for a fire, that the night wasn't at
an c0ld-whlch II wasn't. Then she
showed that she was human, clear
down TO the tips Of her pretty fingers
"You may smoke If You want to-"
she told the boss. II sha'n't mind II
In the least"
The boss lighted his cigar Then
there was more talk, In which IL
turned out that the young woman and
her cousin were 10 have been met at
Portal City by somebody she called
Cousin BASIL but there wouldn't be
any scare, because she had written
ahead to say that possibly they might
stop over with some friends In one of
the apple towns.
Then Mr. Norcross said he wouldn't
miss anything by the drop-Out but an
appointment he had with an old
friend, and he guessed that could wait.
| listened, thinking maybe he would
mention the name Of the friend, and
after while he did. The forwarded
Portal City telegram the boss had got
ten Just before we went 10 dinner In
the dining-car was from Uncle John"
Chadwick. the Chicago wheat king,
and that left me wondering what the
mischief Mr.. Chadwick was doing
away out In the wild and woolly west
ern country where they raise more
apples than they do wheat, and more
mining stock schemes than they do
either.
We had been marooned for nearly
an hour when | struck match and
looked at my watch. Dir. Norcross
was doing his best TO Kill time for the
young woman. and he was just In the
exciting part Of railroad story, telling
about a right-of-way fight on the Mid
land. when the little girl grabbed my
arm and said "Listenl"
did, and broke in promptly. "ES-
cuse me-" / called 10 the other two,
but I think there's a train coming"
The boss cut his story short and
we all listened. II seemed that ! was
wrong. The noise we heard was more
like an auto running with the cut-out
open than = train rumbling
"what DO you make IL, JlmmleT
came from the boss end Of the tim
Der.
Motor car" I said, pointing IN the
darkness toward the east
Ny guess was RIGHT In less than
a minute We saw he lights Of Tie car.
u stopped a little way below the water
tank and about q hundred yards north
~ ths track OF maybe less and four
81 came tgmtIu- ont 81 &C. n !
had been clone on the Sob ! should
probably have called % the men as
they came fampIus over 10 the side
track But Mr.. Norcross had a dif-
fcrent think coming
-Ouf u d-ht-qulck, Jimmiei7 be
whispered. and "a another Second be
had whipped the young woman over
he big footing timber 10 q Standing
place under the tank among tie
races. and I had done the same for
The girl
What followed was as mysterious