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"What is it, Colonel?" he asked anxiously, joining him. For answer Milton Caukins held out the telegram. It was from the State authorities; its purport that the Colonel was to form a posse and be prepared to aid, to the extent of his powers, the New York detectives who were coming on the early evening train. The fugitive from justice had left New York and been traced to Hallsport.
Until the last decade of the nineteenth century it was unconnected with the coast by any railroad; but at that time a branch line from Hallsport on the Bay, encouraged by the opening of a small granite quarry in the Flamsted Hills, made its terminus at The Corners a sawmill settlement at the falls of the Rothel, a river that runs rapidly to the sea after issuing from Lake Mesantic.
And the joke of it is Roman takes it all as a part of the play, and has owned up to Tave that, by mistake, he blacked Aunt Meda's walking boots, before she went to Hallsport, with axle grease, while the girl was 'telling novels' to him!
He rubbed his hands energetically, slapped Octavius on the back, and exclaimed in high feather: "How's this for the first drops of the deluge, eh, Tave?" Octavius made no reply. He waited, as usual, for the evening's mail. The carrier handed him a telegram from New York for Mrs. Champney. It had just come up on the train from Hallsport.
Wiggins's asperities, said the train was on time and the mail would be there in a few minutes. "Tave's gone down to meet Mis' Champney," he added turning to Champney. "She's been in Hallsport for two days. I presume you ain't seen her." "Not yet. If you can give me my mail first I can drive up to Champ-au-Haut with her to-night. There's the mail-wagon."
"A little talk more or less after all there has been about the quarry won't do any harm, and I'm used to it." She spoke with some bitterness. "It has stirred up a hornet's nest about your ears, that's a fact. How does Aunt Meda take this latest move? Meat-axey as usual? I didn't see her when I went there yesterday; she's in Hallsport for two days on business, so Tave says." His mother smiled.
It's all up with my vacation and the yachting cruise now," he looked at his watch, "seven; I can get the eight-thirty accommodation to Hallsport, and that will give me time to catch the Eastern express." "Hold on a minute and I'll get your trap from the stable it's all ready for you." "No, I'll get it myself good-bye, Tave, I'm off." "Good-bye, Champney."
Early in the following March, on the arrival of the 3 P.M. train from Hallsport, there was the usual crowd at The Corners' station to meet it. They watched the passengers as they left the train and commented freely on one and another known to them. "I'll bet that's the new boss at the upper quarries," said one, pointing to a short thickset man making his way up the platform.
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