Macon beacon., 1921-09-09

L. S. L. will know how you've been
pulling the wool over his eyes With
all this gun about Justice first ana
the public be pleased You're no
fool, NorcroSs You know they won't
lay 1t to DuntOn and the New Workers.
You've taken pains TO advertise it far
and wide that you are running this
railroad on your own responsibility,
and the people are going to take you
at your word
DedmOn, and the lawyer - who
hadn't spoken a single word in all the
talk-were edging toward the door.
The boss didn't make any answer TO
Hatch's wind-up except TO say SIS
that all?"
The other two We're out, now, ana
Hatch turned to stick his ugly jaw cut
at the boss, and to say, just as If ]
hadn't been there TO look on and hear
him:
mo, by Jupiter-it isn't all In the
past six months you've made Gus
Henckel and me lose a cold haIf-mil-
lion, Norcross, For less provocatiOn
than that, many man in this neck
Of woods has been sent back east IN
the baggage-car wearing wooden
overcoat. You climb down, and do II
while you can stay alive !"
For some time after the three men
went away the boss sat staring at the
slip Of paper on the desk slide. Al
last he got up, sort Of tiredlike,
| thought. and said to me: Jim
mie, you 20 down and see II you can
find q taxi, and we'll drive out 10
Major Hendricks. promised him
I'd go ont 20 the house, you remep-
ber."
When our taxi stopped at the ma
jor's gate. somebody was coming out
Just as were getting ready to go In.
The man had the visor OF his big fat
golf cap pulled down we'll over his
eyes, but knew him just the same
1t was COllingw0od
This looked like more trouble. What
was the presidents nephew doing
here? wondered about that, and
also, II the boss had recognized Col
lingwood. If he had, he made no
sign and moment later had pushed
the bell-push and Msisie Ann was
onpninp the door for MS
"Both OF your oh, how nice r' she
said, with smile for the boss and .
queer little grimace for me. Come
In. This is our evening for callers.
Cousin Basil is out, but he'll be back
pretty soon. and he left word for you
10 wnlt If you got here before he did"
That message WIS for the boss, and
| Jagged behind In the dimly lighted
hall while she was showing him into
the back parlor. had dropped down
on the hall settee, In the end of II
next to the C0nt-rack, and when Mrs.
Sheila came downstairs and went
through the hall. she didn't see me.
A second later | heard the boss jump
up and say, AT last! 1t seems as
if you had been gone year rather
than fortnight" and then Maisie
/ Ann came lodging out and ,pIun&ed
herself down on the settee beside me.
You needn't tell me that we had no
right to sit there listening; l know
mo nh I'm hn nfH hnV
| was just shirky enough to shift the
responsibility 10 Maisie Ann. She
DIDN'T make any move to duck. 80
! didn't.
"You came out TO see Cousin Basll?'
Mrs Sheila was saying to the boss.
And then; HE had telephone call
from the Bullard. and he asked nfe TO
tell you to walt" After that, | guess
she sat down TO help him walt, FOR
pretty soon we heard her say: Cousin
Basil has told me a little about the
new trouble: have you been having
another bad quarter Of an hOur?"
THE worst Of the lot" the boss said
grnvely, and from that he went Oh
TO tell her about the Hatch visit and
what had come of It; how the graft
ers had a 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.
1t was while he was talking about
this that Malsie 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 thought she had
come to her right senses, at last. and
was making the shift to break off the
eavesdroppng. That being the case
| 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 realized whnt she was do
ing she had pulled me down on the
floor beside her, right In front Of that
| crack.
"If you move or make Il noise, IN
scream and they'll come In here and
find us hoth!' she hissed In my ear !.
and because | didn't know what else
TO do with such kIddIsh little terma-
CANT, ! sat still. II was dastardly
! know; hut what was to dor
When the boss finished telling her
about the Hatch talk, Mrs. Sheila
said: "You mean that Nj Dunton
and his associates sent soMebody out
here to influence the electlon?"
"les; that is II. precisely But how
did you know?"
CrO BE CONTINUEnA