| Show the limited mail by bv ELMER E VANCE A love story of steel rails sa s1 SYNOPSIS jim FoNI ei the mail clerk has in deuced bob wilson wilon the kunf noung tramp to seek eck a railroad job and settle down with luni him in cratem cit the two are on the way anay to the ard when they meet potts a feinier companion of cobs bob potts is accused of a theft of spike another hobo is 16 guilta jim and bob ei depose oe spike and he is taken into cu cuton tod the guilty vagabond is being led axa awa ahen suddenly he bibs jibs i abs tbs the spike at tl ching to one enst arist straight at bob wilsons Wil sons throat TV IV continued the attack came too suddenly and too unexpectedly for adv of the onlookers to interfere bobs own was all tint saved him he caught the terrible arm when its raz orl ke tip was co close that it pricked 1 a deop of blood from his throat A an instant later spike went flat and cold from a smi smashing shing right fist which bolts morran had unleashed almo almot t simultaneously simultaneous lv with spikes murder our thru that t handcuffs were clamped on spike while bile he was mas still unconscious and the detectives bore him away to temporary confinement in the headquarters he a building until he could be turned over to the local authorities narrow shave have laughed bob brushing bru lhing the blood drop from his adams apple youre a cool cu customer tomer 1 sputter ed bolts jim had told lum him during their choit walk from the roundhouse batore meeting the detect nes that bob sought bought work so go inspired b spike mistake in the connection of bob with the anest bolts bolt now nona plo pio posed abruptly abrupt Iv theres a chance foi bright cool gus aith tile the holds ro ids detection detect detec tio no taff staff I 1 can fi it fol foi N ou what sa 9 I 1 bob tried to look plea pleased ed and thoughtful though in ird convulsions ton whether of beai or of mem ment sucked in the comers of his mouth him a detec tiet ea present 1 I control of himself albeit there v ais ta a curious timbe ner 1 aunes ounes ou nes 11 1 in his olce oice he answered 0 thanks I 1 want to hie flie and then to dm drie e although jim kept silent his plea pleasure ure in bobs acci decision ion was nas reflected in his face Il moran loran too looked pleased youre down don something eav for something omet liing hard and dirth he named ilae hae nou u had adv darivin experience epe nence can drie a flier ll bob boasted innocently hell exploded bolts 1 I dont mean a lougee gas bugg 1 I mean a re real I 1 team steam engine A good old pound in sie atin lurchin coal millet or baldwin or cook or american er ican no stammered tam bob in a drowned N voice your education been zon son and by that I 1 mean pistons not pietr mechanics not music can call ou tell the bu business sines end of a stil sona on boh bob thought remote remotely lr of his B S from his hi HI at E from car begio lech his post postgraduate graduate work ork at during which he be had indented a new tape of cylinder calinder head vacuum with mth which these the ver er same ame mallet th tint thit it mot moi rans men fussed oer and groomed like race racetrack pets pet feie equipped but white lies ruled bobs tongue thi ee 3 ears ear high school NN I 1 in a machine shop hop fired in tile the boiler room noni of a cit otilit company compan back east anil and took lessons in railroad shop and iiron iio to be an rn engineer gincer from the inter ocean cor schools of Scram bleton he be bi bragged aLn gloriously B bolts 0 its ais A is s dumbly aghast abhat in the face of such quell erudition report foi work seen on monday morning he con descended land and ill shove a callous stick i nto into dour our fists son and now so 0 long there goes a guv gun what nhat s developed the hotbo hot bo habit an I 1 got a few reni irks to make to him ebe flaming lie ho bolted after a lits li pissing ts ing ardman ardnial congratulations bob you lie beautifully chuckled jim wondering chit bobs education and training really had seen but bob vouch ofed no information his enigmatic smile indicated plainly h his s mi wish mih h to co consider nider thit that avenue of discussion now clo closed ed his firm unwillingness to reveal recal any of his secret past even een to jim whom he be had accepted as his us iet best friend the offices of the S stems lI mountain fountain division headquarters occupied the vard end of the spindly roach colored blind looking wooden building with long platform shed like insect antenna perpetual 1 ly feeling and searching before it for the sh shunting trains that was osten orten h spoken of in crater cita as the depot toward these thee offices jim wanted to establish ta blish some facto reg arding his coming resumption ot of duty the friends leisurely strolled bob sitting down on an unused baggage truck outside to wait for jim drowsed into easy easi reflections the sleepy warmth of late afternoon the reaction from moments of excitement the ditter clitter cl itter and bustle bu itle of the yard leavened by distance into a soothing concu confusion ion of sounds aund ou nd all con to encourage a icene A measure Inea quie of mental peace had come to him with his decision to start life and a mode modest t career anew here bv worldly purposes and movements mole ments unknown and unlikely to be hunted out roaming always the slate of his life would hane hae been e en er smudgy now it was cleaned and the writing ri ting thereon from this da day fo forward rard bould be his will not the wind nind s will ill not a sham socie tys will then with nith a stomach chilling sud dennes denne s tint thit brought him cursing to hi his feet lie he became aware that staring him inn in the face ironically belying his comfortable feeling of security was as a land hand bill tacked to one of the pillars of the tram train shed that gae particulars as to his 1 is age and physical de descriptions and offered a large reward renard for information concerning him lead dead or alive gone the present an unending pat past was na snapping napping at his heels bob felt sodden odden and airl airless esq like a punctured bladder his ears cars rang from the tumbling of his gardhouse card house about them if jim came out now and read that brand net et it came to bob as he scanned canned the poster poder with nith a detachment local to his eyes and not felt in his heart that there was a chance he might not be recognized from the photographed resemblance ile he had been soft flabby listless faced the weight of a hara harassed qed mind when ahen the picture was made lie ho was a lean hard finely drawn now no still the cliance was nas too grent greit jim must not see that handbill I 1 bobs ens el c arch ell ed out what walls and pillars of tile the tation station were ere within his MOW nie but no duplicate poter were mere to be seen perhaps only one had bad been sent to the tha local autho authorities ritie in the usual police in will ail broadcasting bob fervently fervent Iv hoped so 0 o as with grim energy after a glance up and down doan the platform to make sure he was wa unobserved he tore down donn the handbill and ripped it into bits which lie he crammed into his pocket for future surreptitious discarding A haish slim laugh laufik rai raised ed on the lazy an all bob whirled hir led in the direction whence it came and was shocked to see spike indolently watching him froni from the small barred window only window in that blind end of the depot of a room in which he be had evidently been put for safekeeping afe keeping spike bore the aichle wrise wide air of a man who had been ob oberding observing erving for a long time and with huge enjoyment bob conr con founded by his di discovery conery nonplussed nonplus sed by the assurance of his tormentor rushed at the window with hands hand extended to reach through and throttle spike 1 you devil ou ou oh oh hullo hullo jim back already f to be continued |
