Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 March 1919 — The Ten-Thirty Call [ARTICLE]

The Ten-Thirty Call

By PERCY WILSON

(Copyright.) Snapper was looking over the yardmaster's shoulder when the operator handed the latter the prder for an extrty As was not unusual with him on Very slight provocation, the yardmaster Immediately ’went off the “Where's -that --rail-hoy?" he demanded. “What's become of that red-head? Where Is— i*h!" as he turned his head and came afoul of Snapper’s smirking countenance,“here you are!” “Yes, hehe I are!” mocked Snapper. "Go on, go on —say what you were going to. Don't mind me! Where did you expect to find me —in your laps The call-boy was aggrieved -vvtmf*B tho earliest you cau call this extra for?” was the brisk query. Ten-thirty r •

With nu exasperating affection of Indifference, Snapper let his eye wander to Jhe-dock, gaped a minute over the crew-board, and gradually came ground to the book. "I reckon.' he answered. Then, with sudden interest: “Who's to shovel smoke?” '*Oh. you take notice, do you? Now. that’s what I want to impress on you: Listen.” . " : ..' y-- .- - "‘Laying a hand to his ear,’" quoted Snapper from a favorite author, and'sulting action to tlie speech, “ ‘he gave close heed to the fiendish disclosure.' G.» on.” The yard master was too accustomed to these burlesques to honor them with an jo attention. "Go for Burnaide,” he directed. “lie was let off." “I know that. Pay attention. He was to he off until midnight, unless we should need him in some emergency this morning; and tins is the emergency. He promised to stay at home till nine o’elock, and not to leave town before ten." He glanced at the dock. "It’s only eight-Ufty-eight now. You ought to find him easily,” winking to the operator. “Sure!” returned Snapper. “If only I hadn’t bent one of ine wings! What was it the coal-heaver wanted off for, anyway?” “To rob a bank, maybe. Don't bother me; but go get him.” “Put his name down,” said Snapper In disgust. “I'll get him.” The yardmaster entered the name and handed the call-book t over. “Now. l»ustle r ”hed l reeled.

Snapper thrust the book to hit pocket and struck an attitude. “Beware, James Burnside!” he declaimed. “Your doom is knelled, and the aveu- -> : • The avenger was the yardmnster, and Snapper got -through the doorway Just in time to escape his foot. “Hang that kid!” laughed the yardmaster. “He gets on my nerves, with his spouting and fool antics. But he’s • good caller,” he observed to the operator; “and, mind my word, he'll come back here with Burnside’s signature In his book. Heaven" knows where he’ll find him, though, for Jim’s tricky, and he’ll dodge if he can. He did beg hard to-be off.” *Wi In spite of his unhesitating assertion, the call-boy had very grave doubts about getting Burnside. The promise to remain at his boarding place for a call tilt nine o’clock, made it unlikely that fie would be there one minute later, while the additional hour did not give much time for Adding him in a town of fifteen thousand people. What Snapper most desired to know was, where was he intending to go at ten? He had a suspicion that it had something to do with ,KittyCam igan. Being too wise, however, to attempt to get this from the young lady herself. as soon as. he had called those two of the crew who lived most convenient, he moved directly on the engineer. whom, in the usual order of convenience for himself, be would otherwise have called last of all. His information came without his ask- > ing for it “Who’s to fire for me this trip?” the engineet inquired as he took the book.

“Can’t you see?'” said Snapper,, laying a finger on the name. “Ho!” laughed the engineer, “you’ll not get Burnside. He's going out to Maple Parj* on the ten o’clock car with his girl and her folks to a basket picnic. He’s * keeping an eye peeled for you.” To lie In wait and take him from his inamorata as they were starting for the car would have suited the callboy’s dramatic longings most, but it was not an impossibility that the fireman had already forestalled this by an arrangement to meet thC r ”party somewhere along the line. In this uncertainty the immediate thing to be done was.to get on his quarry’s, trail. Snapper gritted his teeth and struck across the meadow. At the farther side of the run he stopped and, on a sudden thought, got down and examined both ends of the short plank that spanned it. Without doing anything more, however, he got up again and went on, and soon entered the Carnigan’s rqar gate. He had kept his eye sharply, on the kitchen window, and flattered'himself that lie had stolen up unnoticed; yet, when lie stopped at the kitchen door. Miss Carnigan seemed not surprised to see km. ■ Jhere was something suspicious in

Ihi s. T<> bis inquiry, she replied ihßt Mr. Burnside had beer*, there that morning, hut tuid gone Into town. Was he wanted? Oh. no. lie wasn’t wanted. Snapper had merely noted that he- hud been looking* poorly of, late, and stopped to inquire about his health. He sprinted to the corner just In time to see the fireman turn to the right a “block ahead. On an easy trot the call-boy followed after. Overtaking a hrnkeiuan, Snapper asked If he had seen Burnside. “BurnsideV said the man. “Yep; jnst passed here with throttle wide open and both pops up. Hit tlie curve and shot up that first alley”—pointing—“and he was going some. Why, I'll bet lie was halfway up the side of that*'ionise when he made the turn. • and I reckon you'll find his footmarks on the wall. “He called to me to fell you to hurry up, kid,” he said with a grin; “and you want to move lively, or he’ll lose you.” Snapper knew this was all gammon. He glanced at his watch. It was almost nine-thirty.

“I'll look for those footmarks some other time,” he remarked dryly ; “Pm in a burry now,” and he started off afresh at a jog trot in the direction thnr had been Indicated. “There's that long-legged kid again!” ejaculated Burnside. “If he comes back here to the kitchen, I’ll slip out the front door and join you on the car somewhere. If he conies to the front, keep him till I can get to the other side of the run ; and Wter he's gone, I’ll come around by the street.” Snapper's schedule took him to the front door. Tliere wgs no answer to his first ring, so he again; and shortly .Miss Garnigun answered.’ “Oh! its’ you, is it?” was her tart greeting. “What .do you want now? It's a pity you couldn’t have come ground to the kitchen door.” “That’s the fault of me tender “heart, -Kitty,” returned the unabashed Snapper. “I want Jimmy Burnside, and I couldn't bear to break it to him suddenly. You tell him.” “Didn't I tell you * IR ,ia<l here?” “Aw. quit It, Kitty! Ain't he going on the picnic with you? Sure!” “Welf,” was the admission, “he came be'ck after you left, but he’s gone again. You might find him at his boarding house.” Snapper struggled to keep a straight face.

“I’ve been there once," he returned; “and. the hook of rules says”—he held ills call book close to his nose and thumbed over some blank pages—“it says, here: ‘Rule liX> —In all cases of doubt or uncertainty, see for yourself.’ I’ve got to do it, Kitty," and lie :;::: “Oh, very well!” retorted the young lady, and followed through to where her mother and a younger sister were finishing the packing of the picnic baskets Tn the kitchen. “Now! are you satisfied?" „ Snapper.made no reply. Something of more immediate interest absorbed all his faculties, for his eyes had lights ed on the top layer in one of the baskets. “Are those some of ‘ your own pies, Mrs. Caruigan?” he inquired in awed tones. "“Sure!” was the answer. “Whose would they be?” . “But, some that you baked yourself?” he persisted with an air of •strong disbelief. “Of eoorse!” “Mrs. Carnigan”—he wanted a calm, judicial • answer to this quest —“are your pies as good as they used to be?” “Well. I never!” cried Mrs. Cnrnigan, flinging up her hands. "If you ain’t the blarneyer!”

Snapper was not a beauty. He was still growing; his Joints were too Iqose* his feet too big. his clothes too sn;aß; yet when he opened his mouth jto take in the piece of pie that was immediately cut for him. expanding until his freckles ran together and his whole countenance resembled nothing so much as a wedge disappearing through a large, rusty washer, he became for . the moment a sight that gave true joy to Mrs. Oamigan’s domestic heart. “That certainly w-as good,” he murmured in heartfelt commendation as he swallowedjthe last of it. Then he met Miss Carnigan’s anxious eye and gave a sudden impish start. “Gee. Kitty 1” he exclaimed. "Someone’s fell in the creek." Stopping at the creek merely long pull the plank out of the water and sef It roughly In place, he hastened to the boarding house and weht softly up to the firemen’s room. He snickered to himself at hearing Burnside muttering objurgations inside and thrashing wet clothes about. In this dilemma the pie furnished Idm a hint. for. as it sought a cozy corner of his anatomy In which to dispose Itself comfortably, it gave him a gentle internal tweak. In an Instant he had doubled up as though taken with a violent cramp and. failing against the door with a horrible groan, seized the knob. The door was locked, but as be sank on down to the floor he kept up a piteous moaning. In another moment the door opened and he fell half inside. “You —■" began the fireman, then lost speech. “Aw! sign the book,” said Snapper, thrusting it at him. “And be quick about It. too.” he added Sternly. “I can’t be fooling alt my time on you.” Burnside mechanically signed. “I hated to wet yon up, Jimmy," . said Snapper as ha took back the book, “but —” He slammed the door and"Tac§d down the stairs from the Irate fireman.