Middletown transcript., 1922-08-26

|
sumed the care Of 1t. He was nearly
always to be found there in Wilton's
absence. Sometimes, however. he
would betake himself back to the port
age, and he was free of the camp.
where he ran errands and messages for
the engineers, and was the butt of mild
practical jokes.
| Wilton came to the conclusion, how
ever, that the Muskegon's mind was as
acute us any mans, and that his appar-
ent simplicity was nothing but the out
ward aspect Of his nfirmity.
| When Jules had cooked Wilton's sup
| per that evening he came into the office
In state Of excitement. The man had
loved the work. He was often to be
seen on the trestle, clngng for dear
life to a plank rs the trucks rumbled
past within an inch of his head. When
he saw the wreck of the embankment
that morning, the foreman said that he
had burst into tears. Now he was evil
IDENTIFY trying to describe something to
Wilton in pantomime but Wilton could
not follow his meaning.
Suddenly he seized pencil from the
desk and, STOPPING, began to draw a
picture of the trestle upon the wall
with remarkable skill.
Wilton's interest was at once
aroused. "Yes," he said, noddng to
Jules. "What about it?"
1t was his habit to talk, although the
deaf-mute could not hear his voice.
Jules had an instructive faculty of un-
derstanding. He looked at Wilton and
nodded back.
He next drew four uprights-the
long, heavy trunks of considerable
girth that were driven into the ground
TO support the trestling Then he made
n smudgy line across each. Then he
drew hatchet. He looked up at Will
ton in pathetic eagerness, and nodded
again.
You mean that some one tampered
with the trestling?" shouted Wilton.
Jules, who had watched his lips.
nodded eagerly. But, MS he always nod.
ded when he was spoken to, little
meaning could be attached to that.
Wilton wondered If that was what
he did mean. If the uprights had been
tampered with before they were set in
to the ground, by ax-cuts or otherwise,
the weight of the ballast would un-
doubtedly have broken them. The
break would not have been Immediate
ly apparent, but the trestling would In
such case be practically imposed upon
the surface of the swamp, without sup
port. The ballast would have spread
over the muskeg, causing the entire
structure to subside.
"Who did it?" asked Wilton, speak
ing slowly and carefully.
Jules. who was still watching him.
suddenly turned and, with lightning
movements, drew a caricature of Lee
Chambers on the woodwork of the
wall.
Wilton looked at it and drew in his
breath. Then he nodded. Jules nod
ded in return, smiled, and left the
room. Wilton reflected deeply.
If Chambers was spy of Bowyer's
why had he shown him the bedrock at
all? On the other hand, assuming that
Wilton must eventually discover il
himself, Bowyer might have sent
Chambers to make virtue of a neces
sity and to secure position at the
camp, where he could be of service tc
him.
InSany case, Wilton could afford tc
take no further chances with him. /,
would serve no purpose to accuse hin
of having tampered with the trestllng
He would give him post somewhere
where he could do no HARM and thus
get rid of him.
Fighting down the burning rage il
his heart, he went down the road to
ward the shack which the engineer oc
cupied. This was a reconstructed
: shed. There was only one room in it
but Chambers had askeC. to have thi.
rather than share the quarters of tn.
other engineers.
The men were back in the bunk
houses, but the door of the shed wa.
might be in the camp, he made hi
; way toward the other quarters. Blu
presently he heard some one calln,
him and, turning, saw Andersen run
ming after him.
Were your looking for Mr.. Cham
bers, sir?" asked the foreman.
Eyes. Where is he?"
"Why, he went back 10 Clayton thi
noon, Mr.. Carruthers! He said he wa
: going in for you"
Wilton's suspicious suddenly flame,
up. 1.-THE key" he shouted, pullin,
3 at the paddock.
II guess he took it with him." sal,
Andersen.
"Have the staples pulled out a
: once!"
| Wilton waited, fuming, until Ander
sen reappeared with the tool. The fore
man wrenched out the staples and VIII
: ton burst open the door. AS he hat
expected, the shack was completed
/, empty of all Chambers belongings.
The two men looked at each other
E Slow understanding came into Ander
sens face.
"He was a bad yun," said the Swede
: II guessed you knew your business
r Mr.. Carruthers, when you took on Tor
a Bowyer's right,hand man. 1t WASH
t for me to say nothing"
! "Keep your mouth shut still, Ander
e sen," said Wilton, slapping him on tn
shoulder. "Well just start workin
J, again. And keep your eyes open. Som
e time we'll get him, and I'll telephon
9 Inspector Quain to pick him up if eve
e he sees him in Clayton"
a CHAPTER TX