The Elk Mountain pilot., 1921-04-28

i'll good and deep and twisted 1t around.
There is commercial telegraph wire
IL the Hotel Bullard, where l suppose
you will put up, Mr.. Dismuke, and I'm
sure you will find it entirely at your
service. If you have anything further
to say to me l hope it will keep until
after this Office opens in the morning.
l am very busy, just now"
/ mighty nearly gasped This Dis
nuke was the new general manager.
appointed. doubtless in all good faith.
by the president and sent out to take
charge of things. And here was the
boss practically ordering him out of
the office-telling him that his room
was better than his company
The portly man got out of his chair.
putting like steam-engine.
"Well see. about thisl'' he threat
ened. you've been here three months
and you haven't done anything but
muddle things until the stock of the
company isn't worth much more than
the paper it's printed on! II i can
get clear wire to New York, you'll
have word from President Dunton to-
morrow morning telling you where you
get offl"
To this Mr. Norcross made no reply
whatever, and the heavy-footed gentle
man stumped out, saying things to
himself that wouldn't look very well
In print. When the hall door below
gave a big slam to let US know that
he was still going, the boss looked
across at me with a sour grin wrin-
king around his eyes.
'Now you know why made Gorcher
break all the rules Of the service get
ting here, Jimmie" he said. "Pos-
session Is nine points Of the law, and
In this case 1t was rather important
that Mr.. Dismuke shouldn't find the
outfit without head and these offices
of ours unoccupied." He rose, stretched
his arms over his head like a tired
boy, and reached for the golf cap he
kept to wear when he went out to
knock around in the shops and yard.
Lets go up to the hotel and see II
we can break into the cafe, Jimmie"
he finished up. Later on, we'll wire
Mr.. Chadwick; but that can wait. 1
haven't had square meal in four
days."
With everybody supposing he had
resigned and left the country. guess
there were all kinds of nine-minutes'
wonder in Portal City, and all along
the Short Line, when the word went
out that Mr.. Norcross was back on the
job and running it pretty much the
same as If nothing had happened.
After supper, on the night of his
return from the hide-out, he had sent
a long code message to Mr.. Chadwick,
and short one to President Dunton;
either, l guess Mr.. Chadwick's an
swer, at least, was the right kind, be-
cause our track renewing campaign
went into commission again with
slam. and all the reform policies took
sure-enough fresh start and began to
hump themselves, with Juneman work
ing the newspapers to a finish.
We heard nothing further from Mr..
Dismuke. the portly gentleman in the
tan spats. though he still stayed on at
the Bullard. We saw him occasional
~ at Iutdi timtS. anu TWICE uC WIS
eating at the same table with Hatch
and Henckel. That placed him all
right for us. though l guess he didn't
need much placing.
wondered little at first that Mr..
Norcross didn't take the clue that
Branderby, the Meuntaineer reporter.
had given Us and tear loose on the
gang that had trapped him. He didn't;
or didn't seem to. From the first hour
Of the first day he was up to his neck
pushing things for the new company
formed for the purpose of putting Red
Tower out Of business. and he wouldn't
take minutes time for anything else.
OF course, 1t says itself that Hatch
never made any more proposals about
selling the Red Tower plants to, the
Citizens Storage 4 Warehouse people
after the boss got back. That move
went into the discard In hurry. and
the Consolidation outfit was busy get
ting Into its fighting clothes, and try
Ing to chock the wheels of the c. 8.
4 w. with all sorts of legal obstacles.
Franchise contracts with the rail-
road were flashed up, and injunctions
were prayed for. Ripley waded In.
and what little sleep he got for week
or two. was in Pullman cars, snatched
while he was rushing around and try
ing to keep his new clients, the G. s.
4 W.. folks. out of jail for contempt
Of court. He did 1t. Little and quiet
and smooth-spoken. he could put the
legal leather into the biggest bullies
we were an interstate corporation. and
when the local courts proved crooked.
Ripley would find some way to jerk
the case out of them and put it up to,
some Federal Judge.
Around home in Portal City things
were just simmering. Between two
days, as you might say, and right
soon after Mr., Norcross got back. we