The stolen interview of the early morning was the consolation of the
day. Gertrude confided a resolve to Glover. She had thought it all
out and he must, she said, talk to her father. Nothing would ever ever
come of a situation in which the two never met. The terrible problem
was how to arrange the interview. Her father had already declined to
meet Glover at all. Moreover, Mr. Brock had a fund of silence that
approximated absolute zero, and Gertrude dreaded the result if Glover,
in presenting his case, should stop at any point and succumb to the
chill.
During such intervals as they managed to meet, the lovers could discuss
nothing but the crisis that confronted them. The definite clearing of
the line meant perhaps an early separation and something must be done,
if ever, at once.
In the evening Gertrude made a long appeal to her aunt to intercede for
her, and another to Marie, who, softening somewhat, had spent half an
hour before dinner in discussing the situation calmly with Glover; but
over the proposed interview Marie shook her head. She had great
influence with her father, but candidly owned she should dread facing
him on a matter he had definitely declined to discuss.
They parted at night without light on their difficulties. In the
morning Glover made several ineffectual efforts to see Gertrude early.
He had an idea that they had forgotten the one who could advise and
help them better than any other--his friend and patron, Bucks.
The second vice-president was now closer in a business way to Mr. Brock
than anyone else in the world. They were friends of very early days,
of days when they were laying together the foundations of their
careers. It was Bucks who had shown Mr. Brock the stupendous
possibilities in reorganizing the system, who was responsible for his
enormous investment, and each reposed in the other entire confidence.
Gertrude constantly contended that it was only a question of her
father's really knowing Glover, and that if her lover could be put, as
she knew him, before her father, he must certainly give way. Why not,
then, take Bucks into their confidence?
It seemed like light from heaven to Glover, and he was talking to
Gertrude when there came a rap at the door of the parlor and a
messenger entered with a long despatch from Callahan at Sleepy Cat.
The message was marked delayed in transmission. Glover walked with it
to the window and read: "Doubleday's outfit wrecked early this morning on Pilot Hill while
bucking. Head engine, the 927, McGraw, partly off track. Tender
crushed the cab. Doubleday instantly killed and McGraw badly hurt.
Morris Blood is reported to have been in the cab also, but cannot be
found. Have sent Doubleday and McGraw to Medicine Bend in my car and
am starting with wrecking crew for the Hill."