CHAPTER XVIII
FROM BAD TO WORSE
Ralph refrained from telling his mother anything about this recent occurrence. He knew she would feel hurt because of what Barton Hopkins had said. She was much more likely to resent a slight put upon her son than Ralph was himself.
And, in any event, there was so much else to tell the widow regarding the happenings of the last eighteen hours that he himself quite forgot the sting that he had first felt because of Mr. Hopkins’ unfair speech and ungentlemanly conduct.
But later the fact that Cherry Hopkins was to be sent away from Rockton to get her out of Ralph’s way was a matter that returned again and again to the young fellow’s mind. It seemed unfair, not alone to him, but to the girl herself.
And he fancied Mrs. Hopkins would be much disturbed by her husband’s decision. Ralph was really sorry to be the cause of friction in the supervisor’s family.
“Why, if he had spoken decently—asked me like a man! He knew I could hear all he said—meant I should—I would have promised not to speak to Cherry or approach her in any way. Of course I would! What does he think I am?”
The thought of this troubled him for several days in spite of all the other matters of serious portent which weighed upon his spirits.
For things on the division were going rapidly from bad to worse. With the shops practically closed, for as yet the Great Northern had not tried to bring in strike-breakers, the rolling stock of the division fast became crippled. There were breakdowns innumerable. Some of the freight engines were soon ready for the scrap heap. And it made a regular schedule, for freight at least, all but impossible.
The influence of other officials—not that of Barton Hopkins—kept the older maintenance of way men faithful. Most of the section hands stayed on the job. In fact the bulk of the trouble lay in the shops and yards at Rockton.
There Andy McCarrey’s influence was most felt. He had some political backing, too. And the dislike for Supervisor Hopkins was more pronounced at this terminal than at the other, or along the line.