Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1922-01-05

Common so fast that the New yora
ers would catch ON and run the prtc,
up.
They didn't catch on-not until ssre,
1t was too late and the minute MI
Chadwick wired us from Chicaxo tina,
we were safe. the strike went OF. AZ
you might say. between two minutes
and Mr.. N~orcross called a meeting Of
stockholders, the same 10 be held
bless your hearts-in Portal City, the
thriving metropolis of the region In
which. counting Mr.. Chadwick ia as
one OF US. a good. solid voting ma jor-
fty of the stock was now held. The
Mountaineer printed the call. and II
spoke OF the railroad as @our railroad
company"i
The meeting was held In due time,
and Mr.. Chadwick was there to pre-
side. He made a cracking good. chair
man. and the way he dilated on the
fact that now the country-and the
empl0yees-had a railroad OF their
own. and that the whole nation would
be looking 10 see how we would de-
monstrate the problem we had taken
over. actually brought cheers-think
OF It; cheers In a railroad stockhold-
ers' meetingi
Following Mfr. Chadwick's talk there
was the usual routine business; re-
ports were read and II was shown that
the Short Line. Notwithstanding all the
steallngs and mismanagements. was
still a good going proposition at the
price at which IL had beer bought in.
A new board of directors was chosen.
and as soon as the new board got to-
gether, MFR. Norcross went back to his
Office In the headquarters, not as gem
eral manager. this time-not on your
life but as the newly elected presi-
lent OF Pioneer Short Line. And by
the same token. the first official cir
cular that came out-a copy of which
| sent. tied up with a blue ribbon, to
Maisie Ann-read like this:
To all Employees:
Dodds is appointed assistant to the
president with headquarters in Portal
City.
90. Norcross, President"
That's all all but a little talk be-
tween the boss and Mr.. Upton Van
Britt that took place In our office on
the day after Mr.. Van Britt, still kick
ing about the hard work that the boss
was always piling upon him, had been
appointed general manager.
you've made the rifle, Graham
Just as I said you would" said our
own and only millionaire. after he had
got through abusing the fates that
wouldn't let him go back east and play
with HIS coupon shears and his yachts
and polo ponies. You're going to
be the biggest man this side of the
mountains. some day and the day isn't
so very far off. either"
1t was just here that the boss got
out OF his chair and walked to the
end OF the room. When he came
back IL was 10 say.
"You think | have won out. Up
ton. and so Toes everybody else. I !
suppose 1t looks that way to the man |
In the street. But / haven't, you know. )
have lost the one thing for which
would gladly give all the business Il
success ! have ever made or hope to y
y
Mr.. Van Britts smile was more than v
half a grin. u
at isn't lost. Graham It's only gone
Can't you wait a decent lit n
le wShile?" Z
IF \ should wait all my life # b
wouldn't be long enough. Upton" was
he reply. what you said to me
hat time when we first spoke OF Col y
ingwood-was true. You said she A
owed the other man-snd so she did" In
This time Mr.. Van Britt's smile was OF
whole grin. rt
ST said it.and I'll say ii again. She T
Idn't realize II or admit 1t, even to q
erself, you know . she's too good and
l~ean-hearted for anything like that.
,ut l could see Ii plainly enough. and
o could everybody else except the nc
people most nearly concerned. or
idn't mean Howie CollIngwood: you b.
Iere the .ether man., Graham" Is
At this the boss whirled short mr.
round and tramped to the other end n
{ the room again, standing for quite
little while with one foot on the r.
wv window-sill and making out like RI
e was looking down at the traffic IN
lattering along In Nevada avenue.
ut TIL bet a quarter he never saw
single wheel OF Ii. When he came 10
ack our way his eyes were shining =
nd he put his hand on Mr.. Van Britt.s
boulder.
ut ought to have been you, Uppy,"
e said, dropping bach to the old coll
nickname. ouir by long odds
better man@W hen-when do you -
link / might venture to take a little
IN across to New York"
At that, Mr.. Van Britt laughed out