The Bienville Democrat. [volume] (Arcadia, Bienville Parish, La.) 1912-1980, 1921-05-12

I'VE Must Stand by Him and Defend
Him."
all had-except that thing about the
undelivered kilograms and two or three
others that l couldn't give him or any
body.
"We're in pretty bad shape. aren't !
WEI" l suggested.
I'VE couldn't be in worse shape"
was the way he put it. Then ne told
me q little more than Maisie Ann had;
how President Dunton had wired to
stop ali the betterment work on the
Short Line until the new general man.
ager could get on the ground; how the
local capitalists at the head Of the
new Citizens Storage & Warehouse
organization were scared plumb out OF
their shoes and were afraid to make a
move; and how the newspapers all
over the state were saying that it was
just what they had expected-that the
railroad was crooked In root and
branch. and that a good man couldn't
stay with it long enough to get his
breath.
"Then the new general manager has
been appointed" l asked.
He nodded "Some fellow by the
name of Dismuke. don't know him,
and neither does Hornack. He Is on
his way west now, they say"
"Mr. Norcross hasn't shown up at
Mr., Chadwick's Chicago Offices? l
ventured.
mo. The telegraph people have
been wiring everywhere and can't get
any trace Of him."
"Tell them to try Galesburg. That's
where his people live"
II know he said; and he made a
note of the address on the back of an
envelope. Then he came at me again,
on the direct" as lawyer would
say.
you've been closer to Norcross in
an intimate way than any Of US, jim
ME: haven't you seen or heard some
thing that would help to turn little
more light on this damnable blow-up"
I hadn't-Outside Of the one thing
I couldn't talk abOut-and told him
so, and at this he let me see little
more of what was going on in bis
own mind.
you're one Of US, in way, jim
mic, and I can talk freely to you
Mrs. Macrae insists that there has
been foul play Of some sort. You say
you weren't present when Hatch called
on Norcross at the office that night?
"No; I came in just after Hatch
went away"
!. did Norcross say anything to make
s you think there had been a tight?"
: HE told me that Hatch was abusive
and had made threats-in a bushes!
way"
! I'm business way? What do yo'
mean by that?"
! / quoted the boss own words, a
nearly as / could recall them.
| $50 Hatch did make threat, then
Can you add anything more"
II l could, but I didn't want to. MI
| Van Britt didn't know anything abou
the Sand Creek siding hold-up, or
4 supposed he didn't, and l didn't wan
a to be the first one to tell him. Besides
"A the whole business was beside tn
"A mark. Maisie Ann knew, and knew
= that the boss, strong and unbreakabl
4 as he was in other ways, had simpl
\ thrown up his hands and quit becaus
n somebody had told him that Mr.
u Sheila had a husband living. SO
Il just said:
I Nothing that would help out" an
! after he had talked a little viii
longer our only millionaire went dow
stairs again.
N It's SO funny how things chang
VA around for a person just by givlr
x them time to sort Of shake down I'M
' place and fit themselves togethe
After a while the chin edge Of Il
wedge that Mrs. Sheila had been tr
=. ing to drive into me began to tai
= hold. Just a little, in spite Of what
at knew-or thought knew. Was
AZ barely possible, after all, that the
m had been foul play Of some sort!
st In the first place, something hi
~ been done to me by somebody: 1t "
NJ a sure thing that l hadn't crippled al
~. halfkilled myself all by my loneson
y Then they had said that the be
stayed up with Mr.. Ripley that mig
nj until after ten o'clock, and had tn
Of gone up to go to bed. That being t
90 case. how could anybody have got
to him between that time and the LEI