The Rainy Day Railroad War | Page 4

of the P. K. & R. system, at the company's general
offices.
"By the way," said the chief, after his subordinate had finished his
regular report, "Mr. Jerrard wishes to see you."
Jerrard was general traffic manager and chief executive.
The young engineer went slowly down the long corridor, apprehension
gnawing at his heart. He huskily muttered his name to the clerk at the
grilled door and was admitted. He fairly dragged his feet along the strip
of matting that led to the general manager's private office. It was like
the Bridge of Sighs to him.
"Parker, eh?" repeated the general manager, whirling in his chair and
letting his eyeglasses drop against his plump "front elevation," as
Parker whimsically termed it in his thoughts, even in this moment of
his distress.
Jerrard gazed at him for a little while, a rather curious expression in his
eyes under their shaggy gray brows, then whirled back to his desk and
scrabbled among his papers. He drew forth a sheet of memoranda, gave
Parker another shrewd glance and inquired:
"Is it true, sir, that you have been interfering in the padrone system of
the construction department?"
"I suppose what I did might be termed that, tho I wasn't intending to be
meddlesome, Mr. Jerrard."

"Nothing in general instructions, was there, to lead a cub assistant in
the engineering corps to revise a boarding house bill of fare?"
"No, sir."
"I find it further mentioned that you were back next day and herded
about seventy-five Italians into a victualling camp as you would drive
steers to a fodder rack. Don't you know that we reserve that sort of
business for a squad of police?"
"Mr. Jerrard," said the young man, recovering some of his
self-possession tho his tone was apologetic, "since I have been on the
road I saw what happened once when the police came with their clubs
and revolvers. There was a free fight and two men were killed. I
thought I saw a chance for one man to arbitrate a little difficulty--and
arbitration is pretty highly recommended in these days by good
authorities. When I found that arbitration didn't make things stay put I
meddled once more in order to undo my first mistake--if we may call it
that. It probably was a mistake, looked at officially. But you see--" his
voice faltered a little, for the manager was surveying him with rather a
hard look in his eyes, "I hoped that putting the padrone into line on his
food question would prevent a strike; when I drove the men to table I
had only the interests of the road at heart, for the strike was then fairly
on."
"Well," said the manager, a bit of a smile at the corners of his mouth,
"you certainly were not thinking very hard of your own interests when
you went into that rabid gang."
"I can see that I made a botch of it generally, Mr. Jerrard. I will save
you the trouble of requesting my resignation."
But as he bowed and turned Jerrard spoke sharply.
"Not so fast, young man," he said. "As the executive of the P. K. & R,
system it wouldn't be exactly official and proper in me to approve your
judgment in that matter of the Italians; but as a man--plain man, now,
you understand,--I know grit when I see it and--" he dropped his bluff

stiffness got out of his chair and came along and squeezed Parker's
muscular arm, "you've got a brand of it that I admire. Yes, I do. No
mistake! But that is just between you and me. That is simply my own
personal opinion. I don't believe the directors relish the idea of
gladiators in the engineering corps. Just respect this little private hint of
mine hereafter please."
He surveyed the young man with twinkling and appreciative eyes.
"Parker," he said, "once in a while there comes up in the railroad
business a demand for a man who has brains and spunk and muscle all
rolled up in one bundle. I haven't tested you out yet on the first named
but the chief engineer speaks in your behalf. The last two you certainly
have. There's the story of a man who was going home late at night and
picked up what he thought was a kitten and found it to be a pole-cat. It
was good judgment to set it down again mighty sudden. But the skin
was worth something and he resolved to have the skin to pay for the
damage. Now President Whittaker and myself have been up in the
north woods this season--among the big game, you understand. We
picked up what we thought was a kitten. It has turned out to be
something else. But we are not going to drop