FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75  
76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   >>   >|  
it. When it died there was a considerable deficit, together with a failure on the part of the executive committee to account for a pretty liberal cash balance." "I've heard that much," said the trainmaster. "Then we'll bring it down to date," Lidgerwood resumed. "It appears that there are twenty-five or thirty of the losers still in the employ of this company, and they have sent a committee to me to ask for an investigation, basing the demand on the assertion that they were coerced into giving up their money to the building and loan people." "I've heard that, too," McCloskey admitted. "The story goes that the house-building scheme was promoted by the old Red Butte Western bosses, and if a man didn't take stock he got himself disliked. If he did take it, the premiums were held out on the pay-rolls. It smells like a good, old-fashioned graft, with the lid nailed on." "There wouldn't seem to be any reasonable doubt about the graft," said the superintendent. "But my duty is clear. Of course, the Pacific Southwestern Company isn't responsible for the side-issue schemes of the old Red Butte Western officials. But I want to do strict justice. These men charge the officials of the building and loan company with open dishonesty. There was a balance of several thousand dollars in the treasury when the explosion came, and it disappeared." "Well?" said the trainmaster. "The losers contend that somebody ought to make good to them. They also call attention to the fact that the building and loan treasurer, who was never able satisfactorily to explain the disappearance of the cash balance, is still on the railroad company's pay-rolls." McCloskey sat up and tilted the derby to the back of his head. "Gridley?" he asked. "No; for some reasons I wish it were Gridley. He is able to fight his own battles. It comes nearer home, Mac. The treasurer was Hallock." McCloskey rose noiselessly, tiptoed to the door of communication with the outer office, and opened it with a quick jerk. There was no one there. "I thought I heard something," he said. "Didn't you think you did?" Lidgerwood shook his head. "Hallock has gone over to the storekeeper's office to check up the time-rolls. He won't be back to-day." McCloskey closed the door and returned to his chair. "If I say what I think, you'll be asking me for proofs, Mr. Lidgerwood, and I have none. Besides, I'm a prejudiced witness. I don't like Hallock." Quite unconsc
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75  
76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

building

 

McCloskey

 

company

 

Lidgerwood

 

Hallock

 

balance

 

committee

 

office

 
Gridley
 

Western


treasurer

 

trainmaster

 

officials

 
losers
 

disappeared

 
contend
 
dollars
 
thousand
 

treasury

 
witness

explosion

 

unconsc

 

attention

 

railroad

 

disappearance

 

satisfactorily

 

explain

 

tilted

 

battles

 
thought

opened
 
closed
 
returned
 

storekeeper

 

Besides

 

reasons

 
prejudiced
 
nearer
 
tiptoed
 

proofs


communication
 

noiselessly

 

reasonable

 

investigation

 

basing

 

demand

 

assertion

 

thirty

 

employ

 

coerced