Show r o Spotting the theo Spotter 4 I. I i Br By AD SCHUSTER 9 o c o e. 4 0 0 0 THE lIE job of ot spotter on oil n railroad oad t was not to the liking g g of ot Ed Wylie who Rho despite his ambitions to be a detective detective de de- felt elt that this was more like spying lg l It It was vas comfortable though to ride on the cushions from one end of this railroad to the other to be he hecKy I served ed in style and at the compan company's s sf f eP expense x ense in the the diner and seemingly to have hn nothing whatever el to do At Pun ter II e. e a division point the I train made wade aa 3 song Jong ong stop op and JN Ed noticed no- no casually it was as taking on a anew n new w r re reThe The stout gla haired gray con conductor uc- uc tor with whom the young inan had bad r become friendly lien ly had discarded his blue coat for a gray one nOt and with his his head topped in an nn almost Juvenile felt hat was WIS walking awn away from the platform and toward to the street Ed leaned forward when he he- saw the conductor step Into a lar large e limousine ft slue sine and gasped when lie he saw that the ithe woman who waited in tn the car was Tras dressed In finery i I I 1 guess suesa the spotter decided this Is Jis where I 1 get off If It any conductor r on n t tills jerkwater line can afford acar Ri n R i- i car and a 3 wife like that he must be bee betaking e taking more than tickets from flom the thc to F J And he seemed i passengers a n good i so sort too too- l I 4 1 limousine pulled away thet the t I transformed conductor waving mag mag- at friends on the walk Up t the street it went for no more than r three blocks blocks to turn turn Into a massive Iron gate Ed followed determined tk to see what sort of establishment was maintained by this man who on the ther r r I train had seemed so hU humble The hot house hom-e ce was In keeping with the car Cat carthe the wife an and the Iron hon gates rates It suggested wealth In In every stone and window In his book bool Ed Ud had the e railroad railroad rail ran road salary list which it was impossible Impossible sible to reconcile the pay of the conductor con coa conductor t ductor with the manner mannel of his life Wondering what to do do the lad stood stating staring at the thc re residence and ind then the conductor came outI out I heard there was a spotter on the line linc he said aid without any riny appearance ap fill of disturbance an and wasn't surprised when I saw W you ou hanging around outside Your ticket yon know Inow read straight through Now came ome across tell me mc what you jou ou think 11 and HI what you are arc going to report leport St St. Thing Thine were not going goin as ns he lie ha had expected ex but Ed brayed cil It out lie I- I i- i pointed to to the house mentioned the car car and shrugged his shoulders er as ns it if iJ to say the conclusion conclusion was obvious lk L Come Coat a In young oung fellow and md sit down the conductor spoke easily r I I want to spin you yon a n little yarn to show sho you jou that appearances do donot not al always at- at 1 t wJ ways y s 's count I In Iu u the lire library of the home the con conductor expanded When you were a bo boy he said I did you go down to the tracks to se see seethe the trains go b by Did you rou know Inow them ly llY numbers the passengers mill aril the freights and did ll you know the names of the thc engineers con conductors and the firemen 11 nm L Ed nodded Then you ou und understand r. r A train to me hie has always been some some- thin tiling thing mystical It has hns spelled cn S ture lure nail ami romance and mill tt trains ahti y that passed my y father fathers 1 house when n 1 I ryas a Kid pave gave me ambition and nuel t 1 sent gel me to school I knew that t a rt i 01 must m b be sma smart lot 1 the he smartest smart rr f est cst n tn in the world und mid so I s studied I felt that he ire hea t a was a bravo mud and noble t ti and md so I behaved behare I would be lie a n conductor conor con- con ductor or an nn engineer who w would uld get cr his train through OIl on time who trim wn would be trusted above nho all nil others That's i what I worked corked for and I have e l I wen en cn r. r 0 with this thin road since I left school schoot lie He paused looking for loran Ull an understand understand- in I I i i But Ed asked how could y yo O u afford There Is no law Jaw against conductor marrying rich girls Mamie Dianne my wi wifE fe e feels much the lire same about railroad 3 and we he became acquainted on ti tin ie train After we were married sit sli wanted me mc to quit but I coul couldn't nt I b hi happy away from the old Job and md y yui YOI m couldn't either now could you JOU r The big hh conductor was standing a nm nd his hand han was outstretched L Ed d ashamed stammered an apology Ill go now non nonI I dont don't like this jo Job b nn anyway wa The conductor waved to him troT fro n the porch and find then entered the Iron house honsE se where an anxious wife was walling waiting I uI guess he said mid Ill have hae to quit Some day they will send out a n rt real reil 1 smart spotter and the game dame ame will L be Lt e up I Jo t- t |