The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-01-13
The Wreckers
Francis Lynde
CONTINUED From Yesterday
CHAPTER XVI.
In the Coal Nard
SCspyrsss,, rsse. hy Charles scs,s-
nrr's Sonsl


l knew. Just as wen as could be-
without being able 20 prove it
that we were Swallowed on the trip
M from the railroad building 20 the
hotel. and Il made me nervous.
There could be only one reason now
for any such dogging OF the boss,
The grafters WIRE not trying TO ind
out what he was doing. they didn't
need to, because he was advertising
his doiigs--or Juneman was-in the
newspapers. What they were trying
to do was Go catch him eff his
guard and do him up-thls time 10
stay done up.
10 was safe 20 assume that they
wouldn't tumble the bah second
time. Mr.. Ripley had stood the
thing fairly on is feet when he said
that our campaign was purely a
one. man proposition. 10 far as u
had vet gone. People who had met
tho boss and had done business with
him liked hun. but the old-tlmc
prejudice against the railroad wus
80 widespread and SO bitter that Il
couldn't 30 overcome all NJ onc-
Juneman. our publicity man. was
doing his beat. but as yet we had
no party following In the state at
large which would stand by Us and
see that we got justice.
l was chewing these things over
while we sat at dinner In tho Bull
lard cafe. and l guess Mr.. Sorcruss
was, too. for he didn't say much
II isn't altogether comfortable 90 be
marked man IN a more or less
unfriendly country. and shouldn't
wonder II the boss. big and master.
ful as he was. felt tho pressure OF
Il. don't know whether he knew
anything about the shhdowing bust
ness speak Of or not. but he might
have. We hadn't more than given
our dinner order when one OF
Hatch's clerks. cock-eyed chap
named Kcsticr. came In and took a
table Just far enough from ours 20
be out OF the way. and near enough
to listen In II We said anything.
When we finished. Kestler was
Just getting his service OF ice
cream: but I noticed that he left u
untouched and got up and followed
US 10 the lobby. ~ made me hot
enough 10 want to turn on him and
knock hts crooked eve out but OF
course. that wouldn't have done any
good
After Mr.. Norercss had bought
some cigars at the stand he said he
guessed he'd run out to Major Ken
bricks for little while. and with
tina; he went on up TO his rooms
Tho the MAYOR was the one he
named. knew he meant that he
was going 10 SO Mrs. SheiiA re
mefnh>rcd' what he had said TO Rip
ley about a woman's giving him
germ ideas and such things. and
guess II was really so. Every time
he spent an evening at the majors
he'd com. back with lot Of new
notions for popularixing the Short
Line
When be sxid efsat. about Eoinr
out 20 the majors. KeEtIer was near
enough TO overhear II. and 30 he
waited. iounging in the lobby and
pretending 70 read a paper. About
half past seven the boss came down
and asked me 70 cal a tart for him.
did II. and KesiIcr loafcd around
Just long enough 90 see Gin start
off. Then be M out. himself. and
something In the way he did II
made me take out after him.
expected to zee him turn up
town to the second cross street
where the Red Tower had It's gen
eral offices on the fourth floor of
the Empire building But insieas.
he turned the other way and the
first thing l knew 10 trailing
him thru the railroad yarI and on
down past the freigh, house toward
tho big. fenccdin. Red Tower coal
yards.
At the coal yard he let himself IN
thru a wicket in the wagon gafes
and noticed that he used a key
and locked the wicke, after he got
inside. put my eye tn a crack
In The high stockadr fence and raw
that the little shack office that was
used for a scalehouss WAS lighted
up. ay burnt hand was healing
tolerahly wen BY this time and I
could use IL little. Their. was n
slack pile just outside Of thu big
gate. and By climbing to the top OF
It I got over the fence and crept
/ up to the scale house
A small window in one end Of
the shack. opened about two inches
at the bottom. answered well enough
for n peep-hoie. Three men were IN
the little box OF a piace-three BE-
sides Kestier. Hatch. his barrel.
bodied partner. Henckei. and one
other. The third man looked like a
glorified barkeep'. He was Of the
type / have heard called black
1rish.- fat, sleek, and weiLfed. with
little pln-point black eyes half bur.
led I'm the flesh of his round face
and the padded INV and double chin
shaved TO the blue. The night was
warm and he had his hat off Thru
the crack In the window could
smell the pomatum with which his
hair was plastcred into barkeep'
waves to match the tightly curied
DldGh UuHidEDSh
knew this third man wen enough.
by sight; everybody In Portal City
knew him-decont people only too
well when ii came 10 an election
tussle He was the redoubtable Pete
clanahan. dive-keeper. and political
boss.
Kestler was talking when I glued
eye and ear TO the window crack:
was telling the thre- now he had
Swallowed Mr.. Norcross from the
railroad headquarters 10 the Bul
lard. and how he stayed around
until he had seen the boss take
taxi for Major Hendricks This
seemed 70 be all that was wanted
Of him. for when he was thru
Hatch told him he might go home
ffar the f.ock-ayed rterk uyaa o.ppa