CHAPTER XXXI
PUZZLING AUTOGRAPHS
The affairs of the Traction Company proved to be in a wretched tangle.Saxton employed an expert accountant to open a set of books for thecompany, while he gave his own immediate attention to the physicalcondition of the property. The company's service was a byword and ahissing in the town, and he did what he could to better it, working longhours, but enjoying the labor. It had been a sudden impulse on Fenton'spart to have Saxton made receiver. In Saxton's first days at Clarkson hehad taken legal advice of Fenton in matters which had already beenplaced in the lawyer's hands by the bank; but most of these had longbeen closed, and Saxton had latterly gone to Raridan for such legalassistance as he needed from time to time. Fenton had firmly intendedasking Wheaton's appointment; this seemed to him perfectly natural andproper in view of Wheaton's position in the bank and his relations withPorter, which were much less confidential than even Fenton imagined.
Fenton had been disturbed to find Margrave and Wheaton together in thedirectors' room the night before the annual meeting of the Tractionstockholders. He could imagine no business that would bring themtogether; and the hour and the place were not propitious for forming newalliances for the bank. Wheaton had appeared agitated as he passed outthe packet of bonds and stocks; and Margrave's efforts at gaiety hadonly increased Fenton's suspicions. From every point of view it wasunfortunate that Porter should have fallen ill just at this time; but itwas, on the whole, just as well to take warning from circumstances thatwere even slightly suspicious, and he had decided that Wheaton shouldnot have the receivership. He had not considered Saxton in thisconnection until the hour of the Traction meeting; and he had inwardlydebated it until the moment of his decision at the street corner.
He had expected to supervise Saxton's acts, but the receiver had takenhold of the company's affairs with a zeal and an intelligence whichsurprised him. Saxton wasn't so slow as he looked, he said to thefederal judge, who had accepted Saxton wholly on Fenton'srecommendation. Within a fortnight Saxton had improved the service ofthe company to the public so markedly that the newspapers praised him.He reduced the office force to a working basis and installed a cashierwho was warranted not to steal. It appeared that the motormen andconductors held their positions by paying tribute to certain minorofficers, and Saxton applied heroic treatment to these abuses withoutado.
The motormen and conductors grew used to the big blond in the long grayulster who was forever swinging himself aboard the cars and asking themquestions. They affectionately called him "Whiskers," for no obviousreason, and the report that Saxton had, in one of the power-houses,filled his pipe with sweepings of tobacco factories known in the tradeas "Trolleyman's Special," had further endeared him to those men whosepay checks bore his name as receiver. In snow-storms the TractionCompany had usually given up with only a tame struggle, but Saxtondevised a new snow-plow, which he hitched to a trolley and drove withhis own hand over the Traction Company's tracks.
John was cleaning out the desk of the late secretary of the company oneevening while Raridan read a newspaper and waited for him. Warry wasoften lonely these days. Saxton was too much engrossed to find time forfrivolity, and Mr. Porter's illness cut sharply in on Warry's visits tothe Hill. The widow's clothes lines were tied in a hard knot in thefederal court, to which he had removed them, and he was resting while hewaited for the Transcontinental to exhaust its usual tactics of delayand come to trial. On Fenton's suggestion Saxton had intrusted toRaridan some matters pertaining to the receivership, and these served tocarry Warry over an interval of idleness and restlessness.
"You may hang me!" said Saxton suddenly. He had that day unexpectedlycome upon the long-lost stock records of the company and was nowexamining them. Thrust into one of the books were two canceledcertificates.
"It's certainly queer," he said, as Warry went over to his desk. Hespread out one of the certificates which Margrave had taken from Wheatonthe night before the annual meeting. "That's certainly Wheaton'sendorsement all right enough."
Raridan took off his glasses and brought his near-sighted gaze to bearcritically upon the paper.
"There's no doubt about it."
"And look at this, too." Saxton handed him Evelyn Porter's certificate.Raridan examined it and Evelyn's signature on the back with greatercare. He carried the paper nearer to the light, and scanned it againwhile Saxton watched him and smoked his pipe.
"You notice that Wheaton witnessed the signature."
Raridan nodded. Saxton, who knew his friend's moods thoroughly, saw thathe was troubled.
"I can find no plausible explanation of that," said Saxton. "Anybody maybe called on to witness a signature; but I can't explain this." Heopened the stock record and followed the history of the two certificatesfrom one page to another. It was clear enough that the certificates heldby Evelyn Porter and James Wheaton had been merged into one, which hadbeen made out in the name of Timothy Margrave, and dated the day beforethe annual meeting.
"It doesn't make much difference at present," said Saxton. "When Mr.Porter comes down town he will undoubtedly go over this whole businessand he can easily explain these matters."
"It makes a lot of difference," said Warry, gloomily.
"We'd better not say anything about this just now--not even to Fenton,"Saxton suggested. "I'll take these things over to my other office forsafe keeping. Some one may want them badly enough to look for them."
Raridan sat down with his newspaper and pretended to be reading untilSaxton was ready to go.
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