Calumet K""

clock Charlie Bannon wal

er of the Ledyard Sa

& Company. Come up to see why you

retorted Dennis. "We

to say in a letter. I wanted to fin

y the siding, taking up hal

r for you," he said, "and you're a good fello

nis. "I'd have said the same thing

into the yard. "There

from two to ten inches wide, intended to be spiked together flatwise for the walls of the bins, but its bulk was impressive. Bannon measured i

dy then. You can

eem to be hauling very much. I noticed that last night

o weeks. I've kicked for cars, and the old man-that's Sloa

's S

Bank and the trolley line and the Ledyard Salt and

find him? I

across the river. Just ask anybo

arly as this?" asked Ban

f he's i

" he said. "Glad to have met you. Good morning;" and, tu

s briefly as on the former occasion, add

. "We can't make the G.&M. give us cars. I've told Dennis to

n't w

that we'll do all we can." As if the cadence of his last sentence were not sufficiently recogni

pay a big delay forfeit. There's a reason why our job's got to be done on time. I want to

kes you

ies within twenty miles of here this minut

blotter with his pencil. Bannon saw that there was no long

ut G.&M. these days. For a long time they were at me to take a big block of treasury stock, but the road seemed to me in bad shape, so I wouldn't go in. Lately they've reorganized-have got a lot of n

you if you asked? I mean if

out of them than you coul

p myself. Where can I find

e at Blake City. That's

ime by talking o

his I couldn't express myself properly u

ll up the division superintendent and tell him yo

I'd find him with his li

ces on his being ther

-fort

fifteen minutes

h a car. I'll drive you down. I've got t

suites of mahogany veneer, with ground glass doors lettered in gold leaf. For the present, as from the beginning, they occupied an upper floor of a freight warehouse. Bannon came in about eleven o'clock, looked briefly about, and seeing that one corner was parti

employees, never with the customers, and his professional manner is not likely to be distinguished b

pace on the desk, and then drummed on it with his fingers, but he did not l

g I can for you. You can smoke ten cent cigars on me from

"we can fix things all comfortable i

his head. "There's wher

en't g

that's what they told me at Ledyard. I didn't come up here t

's just the size of it. I hope we'll be able to fi

went on talking vaguely about the immense rush of traffic. Finall

find out. I think you're mis

t than I do. You doubtless understand your business, but this is my

can tell you. There's a big string of empties

anner was more what one would expect from a division superintendent. "You don't know anything about i

manager. He ought to kn

n't bother about it. I'm sorry I can'

ime to fool away. I'd like to have you find out if the Ledyard Salt an

, rising. At the door he turned back

hance it. "Yesterda

ew minutes later the telegraph operator came in and told him that the cars at Victory

g out into the yards, began tapping idly with his pencil on the glass. The office door was op

superintendent. His good humor was returni

anager once more and ask him if he ca

. He nodded to the operator. "For the L

said; "haven't had any sleep in three weeks. Lost thirty-two pounds. If you

telegraph receiver had begun givin

hope-to-have-car

on, expecting him to finish his s

tions.-Do-not-give-Le

he superintendent thought he was turn

?" he asked. "I'l

it, but Bannon was there before him

ut it?" snapped t

I think I'll s

e the operator's table. From the doorway the superintendent saw him biting his pencil

-any-grain-elevator-

t collect," he said. With that he strode away, over the hand rail, this time,

o be for yo

rintende

City. Tell manager it ta

us

DE & C

t was not time wasted, for as he paced the smoky waiting room, he arrived a

why had Page & Company suddenly ordered a million bushel annex? Why had they suddenly become anxious that the elevator should be ready to receive grain before January first, unless they wished to deliver a vast amount of December wheat? Before Bannon's train came in he understood it all. A

ainly, if the Calumet K should be delayed long enough, it might prevent Page & Company from carrying out the

f wheat-laden freight cars were already lumbering eastward along the railroad lines of the North. He had a touch of imagination, and something of the enormous momentum of that Northern wheat too

d telegraph office and asked for a map. He studied

t it elsewhere inside of three weeks. Find out if Page will O.K. any bill of extras I send in for bringing it down. I

ead waiter to give him something to eat, although it was long after the dinner

down. Page pa

OW

ot

es leaves Milwaukee t

E &