The ledger. [volume] (Gaffney City, S.C.) 1896-1907, June 19, 1908, Image 7
J
■ vr'
, ’ 1 i-
W
XShe flebu Mayor
Bane*! on G. H- Broadhurat's Suceesthil
Ptfey
The Man
The Hour
By ALBERT PAYSON TERHUNE.
Copyright, 1907, by George H. Broadharst.
“Good eveiiliff, sir.” said the new
comer rcsiMH'tfully. pausing on the point
of leaving til# foyer.
“I’ve met you before, 1 think." vent
on Phelan.
“Some days ago In the mayor’s of
fice,” assented the other. “I am Thomp
son, Mr. Walnwright’s private secre
tary.”
“I’m Alderman Phelan of the Eighth,
and I’ve seen you before we met at his
honor’s.”
“So you said then, sir. But you were
mistaken. Good evening.”
“A mistake, was It? I’m not a man
who makes many mistakes, Mr. Gar-
on the
features
CHAPTER X.
R OBERTS’ eyes rested
grinning, complacent
of Alderman Phelan,
latter’s side was Bennett.
“I was saying,” remarked Phelan
blandly, “that it’s a fine ball, isn’t it,
a clatter to the polished tloor, its Ivory
sucks snapping like icicles.
CHAPTER XL
T sound of the breaking fan all
three participants in the
strange reunion turned. For
a second or more they faced
the crimson faced, dumfounded Perry
without a word. Here was an element
in the affair on which neither Phelan
nor Cynthia had counted when giving
Thompson their promise not to reveal
ins Identity. They gradually realized
He turned again toward the door, this, and it left even the ready witted
but Phelan resumed, without seeking Phelan speechless,
to stop him: i perry himself was first to break the
spell.
“Well,” he observed, with an assump
tion of airy scorn that was meant to
he annihilating, “you all seem quite
happy. Don’t mind me! I’m sorry to
rison.”
The retreating secretary halted as
though .struck.
“That is another mistake, sir,” he
said iu a mufiled voice. “My name is
At the ' Thompson.”
“Is it, though?” inquired Phelan in
nocently. “It’s queer how I could get
rnixeu up so. When I was chief of po
lice there was a bank president named
now, Roberts?” .
“Yes,” said Roberts hastily, prepar- Garrison who shot himself after bein’
ing to move away. But Phelan button
holed him.
“Stay an' swap talk awhile with his
honor and me, Roberts,” he begged.
“I’m in a hurry,” began Roberts,
"and”—
“Alderman Phelan has been trying to
Ibeer me up a bit,” said Bennett. “He
knows I'm worried about the Borough
bill’s outcome. I wish Friday was
past”
“Same here.” chimed in Phelan. "An’
you. Roberts?”
“I?” muttered the uncomfortable man.
“Why r
“It’s Friday that the Borough bill
come 1 np again,” explained Bennett, as
though imparting new information.
“You will vote against it, of course.
Mr. Roberts?”
“I’m not sure. You see, it's been
altered so as to”—
“The alterations don’t affect the
main issue, and they can’t change any
honest man’s views. So I can count on
you to continue opposing it. can’t I?”
“I object to tliis catechizing!" flared
np poor Roberts. “I won't stand for It.
T^=vr, I’m my ow r n
master and”—
“Are you sure
you’re your own
master ?” de-
manded Ben
nett. “If so,
w hy sh mid you
be afraid to say
how you are go
ing to vote?”
“Do you ac
cuse me of”—
“I accuse you
of having
changed your
mind about the
bill for some
reason that
And I wagi you
swindled an’ whipsawed by a financier
who was his dearest friend. He left a
little daughter, Miss Cynthia, who you
was lookin' at so keen just now, an’ a
butt in on this cute little love fest, but
I left a fiancee here. Perhaps one of
you cun explain what’s happened to
her since I”—
“Oh, Perry,” exclaimed Cynthia,
“don’t he silly! I’ll tell you all about
it some time. It is”—
“Some time!” squealed Perry, rage
I battering down his attempt at sarcasm.
[ "Some time! Maybe it might be just
as well If you did condescend to ex
plain. Here you promise to marry me,
sou, who disappeared. That was nine i aiu i t en minutes later I find you in a
years ago, an’ I only saw the boy once,
so maybe I’ve overplayed my hand
in pipin’ you off for him. But,” added
Phelan, laying a strong, detaining
hand on Thompson’s shoulder, "here
comes some one who can clear it up
easy enough.”
catch-as-catch-can hug with this ugly
little shrimp and Phelan looking on as
happy as if he’d eaten a canary! And
then you’ve got the gall to tell me
you’ll explain ‘some time!’ ”
He glared at Cynthia in all the maj
esty of outraged devotion, only to sur-
The secretary twisted in the iron ; p,.j se oa that young lady’s face a look
grasp and sought vainly to break away
as Cynthia and Perry entered.
“Cynthia’s lost her fan,” explained
Perry at sight <>f the alderman. “She’s
had me looking all over for the measly
the judge as long as lie could remem
ber and had always had a decided lik
ing for the pompous henpecked little
dignitary. Surrounded as he was by
political Intrigue, heartache and asso
ciation with rogues, the harassed young
man rather welcomed the variety prom
ised by a chat with Ills old friend of
his boyhood.
“Anything Important, judge?” he re
peated. "Or are you just taking pity
on a lonely chap and giving him a
chance to chat with you over old
times?"
“Well,” began the judge, his custom
ary’ air of pom
pous nervous
ness tinged
by an almost
c o n c i 1 iatory
m a a n er, “I
would like
have a little
business talk
with you if you
don’t mind dis
cussing xvork at
a ball.”
“Not at all.
I’ve had the
honor of danc
ing with three
of your daugh
ters this even-
Still flushed and incoherent, he wheel
ed to face a trio who were just return
ing from the supper room. They were
Dallas, Gibbs and Wainwright.
“Hello!” exclaimed Wainwright In
surprise. “What’s the matter with you.
Judge? Are you ill?’’
“If—if Mrs. Newman should come to
know of this." sputtered the judge,
glaring from one to the other, "she”—
"To know of what?” queried Gibbs
“What has happened?”
"Happened?" fumed Newman. “I
T ‘Pardon me." broke in Alwyn. enter
ing the foyer and going up to Dallas.
“I’m a little late for our dance. I was
detained by”—
"Alwyn!” exclaimed Dallas in relief.
“Pm so glad you came here Just when
you did. Now we can clear this up in
a word.”
"Clear what up?” queried Bennett,
glancing about in suspicion at the three
silent men.
"You know Mr. Gibbs is favored in
. . , the Borough Street railway affair,” be
have been Insulted-grossly. vulgarly I Dallas .. He tol(1 so at your
insulted! 1
V\
Sfc*
7
He slipped an arm
about her waist as
he spoke.
ing, and the least I can do is to repay
such pleasure by”—
“Insulted, judge?” repeated Dallas, i
“By whom?"
“By Alwyn Bennett!" snapped the j
judge. “Outrageously”—
"Impossible!” exclaimed Dallas. ,
“There must be a mistake somewhere,
j Mr. Bennett is too well bred to insult
any man. much less a man so much
older than”—
“A gentleman, is he? I should not
have believed it. He has Insulted me
; most’’—
“I’m not surprised,” observed Waiu-
wright.
; “I am,” announced Dallas.
“Naturally.” sneered Wainwright. “If
you can remain on speaking terms with
him after his abominable treatment of
me you can easily overlook any other
brutality of his.”
office that day we were there. Well”—
“Yes, but don't let’s discuss business
tonight.” replied Bennett. "This iaour
dance, and”—
“Wait, please. You knew his fortun
was largely tied up in Borough stoc'
: "Tell us about it, judge.” interposed
Did vou, really?” beamed the judge, ! Gibbs, seeking to avert any further
clash between uncle and niece.
I went to him,” began Newman,
on whom the unmarried state of his
four fast aging ilrls rested heavily. |
that Indicated a violent struggle with
the desire to laugh.
i “This is funny all right, I guess not!”
| he snapped. “Cynthia, you’ve mauled
and smashed a loving heart, and I’ll
thing. Wait here a minute,” he added t n;i k e a hit with myself by forgiving
to her, “and I'll chase into the con- j y OUi ]j U t as for you,” wheeling about
servatory and see if we left it there.” and thrusting his furious face to with-
And. depositing the girl in a chair, ' j tl three inches of Thompson’s imino-
he bolted away in search of the miss- bile countenance—"as for you, I'm go
ing article. I ing to do al! sorts of things to you the
“Now then, young man,” said Phe- j moment Miss Garrison will have the
lan, "if your name's Thompson, as you kindness to shassay out of the room.
a
say, there's no reason why you should
object to my introduciu’ you to this
young lady. Step up. son.”
Still holding the reluctant, struggling
secretary by the shoulder, Phelan turn-
ed to Cynthia.
"Miss Garrison,” said he, “here’s a
gentleman I think you know. Would
: you mind lookin’ him over?”
Wondering at the odd request, Cyn
thia raised her eyes to the stranger.
But the latter persistently kept his
face averted.
"I don’t think I know him,” she an
swered doubtfully. “There is some
thing familia'r about”—
The secretary shifted restlessly, uu-
i Your sorrowful relatives will have all
i manner of fun sorting you out when
: I’ve finished with you! Steal my
| sweetheart, would you, not ten min
utes after I'd”—
| “There!” interposed Phelan, shoving
his powerful hulk good naturedly be-
1 tween the two younger men and link-
| ing his arm in Perry’s. “Now you’ve
got quite a bunch of hot words off
your ohqst, an’ you'll be in bettor shape
j to hear sense. Ain’t you just a little
i bit ashamed?"
“I’m sure Mrs. JJewman will be
pleased. But this business matter.
You—you won’t misunderstand me”—
“Of course not,” replied Alwyn heart
ily. “You aud I are too old friends,
judge, to”—
“I hope so; I hope so,” conceded New
man, with growing anxiety in his tone.
“You see”—
“I see you have some trouble coming
to the point.” said Alwyn, pitying the
judge’s evident discomfiture, “and I’m
sorry you feel so. You were my fa
ther’s friend, and I like to think of you
, as one of my own best friends. There
surely should be no hesitation in ask-
| ing anything in my power to grant.”
Thus emboldened Newman blurted
; out:
“I—we—that is, seems to me you
have been a little hard upon this Bor- !
jough franchise bill, if you don’t mind j
my saying so, Bennett. Couldn’t you ;
let up on them now?”
“Why, no, judge, I can’t.” replied i
; Bennett, still falling to connect New-
1 man with the Wainwright-IIorrigan i
clique and attributing the Judge’s in-
terest in the matter to an amateur’s
“bearing a request from—from”
The judge paused. It was not whol
ly easy to present matters to this hon-
’ est eyed young girl in such a way as i
to bring her in his way of thinking. |
But Wainwright felt no difficulty. His :
shrewd brain caught at a means of !
turning the affair to account.
“Y’ou see, Dallas,” the financier broke |
in, with a warning glance to Newman, 1
"I begged the judge to intercede for
me with Bennett, to ask him to bury
the hatchet and let us be friends again
for the sake of old times. I thought
Judge Newman’s age and his high of
fice would compel a certain respect
even with a man of Bennett’s eharac-
Charlcs Wainwright.
$
but here is something you didn’t know.
My uncle says my money ^ud Perry’s
is all invested iu that stock and that if
you defeat the bill we will be depend
ent on Mr. Wainwright’s charity. If
that is true, you didn’t know it, did
you ?”
Her voice ,was almost tremulous in
“Ashamed?” sputtered Perry.
I? Well, that"—
•Who? I
ier like that
.... 111 coul l )11 J l h sure | t o the core. In sheer justice to my oath
consciously bringing Ins piohle into forced to wind up by spankin you.
her range of vision. With a gasp, Cyn- Now, stand off there—no. over there
"Somebody’s going to
prison bclorc this
matter's en<Icd.”
won’t bear the light,
to gc carefully. Somebody’s going to
prison before this matler’s ended.”
"I n. not answerable to any one but
my constituents,” said Roberts, with a
pit)! ib attempt at cold dignity, “and
they”—
"And they shall demand an answer
from ; on,” warned Bennett. “I’ll see
to it that they do. Now. you can go if
you want to.” turning ids back on the
confused Roberts, who eagerly took the
opportunity to escape.
“I’m afraid friend Roberts ain’t
havin’ the happiest time of his life to
night.” remarked Phelan, going to the t
doorway and looking after the depart
ing a.dorman. “There’s not much of |
what the poet geezer calls ‘whoop up
the dance, fer joy l*t unrefined' about
him. Poor fool! He never was cut
out to be a ciook. He makes a punk '
job (if it in *pitc of the trimmln’s Ilor-
rigan's dec’rated him with. If I hadn’t
the sense to be crooked without makin'
a monkey of myself, I’m blest if I |
don’t believe I’d turn honest Hey!
Here’s a couple of folks, though, that’s
getliu’ more fun out of the ball than
ever I had at a dog fight!”
As he spoke Perry Wainwright pilot
ed Cynthia in from the conservatory
at top speed, his jolly young face alight
with a joy that reflected itself in Miss
Garrison's own very flushed counte-
na nee.
“Alwyn." shouted young Wainwright,
not seeing Plodnir in his excitement,
“guess'what’s happened! I’ll give you
three guesses and"—
“And 1 can’t possibly guess if you
gave me a thousanYl.” retorted Ben
nett, with vast gravity, “so I won't
try. I'll just congratulate you with all
my heart, old chap, and wish Miss Gar
rison every happiness that”—
“Gee! How'd you know? We haven’t
1 told a soul It only happened about
four minutes ago. I was telling Cyn
thia what a daisy little girl she was,
and she said she thought I was pretty
nice, too, and so I got brave and s^Jd,
•Then why don't you’ ”—
“Perry!" reproved Cynthia sternly.
Jerking his arm to show that Phelan as
well as Alwyn was recipient of the
highly Intimate tidings.
“Ob, don't mind me, children!” put
in Phelan. "I’m used to it. I was
young myself once, so I’ve been told,
though I don't clearly remember it my- :
seif. Cun 1 butt in with a line of con
gratulations?”
He* extended Ids big hand with an
honest cordiality that quite won Cyn- i
thia.
“Thanks, alderman.” grinned Perry
effusively. “Now, Alwyn, we’ve got to
go and break It to your mother 1/ we
can find her. Come along and back us
up.”
Dragging Bennett between them, the 1
two youngsters started off on tbetr
quest. Phelan was about to return to
his beloved bar when he w r as checked
by seeing In the opposite doorway a
man who stood ns though petrified
watching Cynthia Garrison’s departing
form. The intruder was about to with- ;
draw when Phelan hailed him.
“Good evening." called the Alderman, i
ter. But I was wrong, and I am sorry, its eager, confident appeal, but Bennett
judge, for the unjust humiliation I ; forced himself to answer:
caused you.” “Yes; it is true, aud I knew it.”
“I don't understand.” said Dallas, J The eager glow died from her eyes,
looking iu bewilderment from one to leaving a look of dawning horror.
the other. “Judge, my uncle sent you 1 “And, knowing this-knowing Perry
to make overtures of peace? And Mr. ! and I shall be made paupers by your
Bennett refused to”— : action-you still Insist on”-
“He not only refused, but called Mr. j “On opposing the bill? Yes. I ai^
Wainwright a highwayman and”— sorry, but it is my duty.”
“But why?” demanded Dallas. “Duty!” sneered Wainwright. “Your
“He pretended to misunderstand what ‘duty’ was done when you vetoed the
I said about the conditious.” bm . That act made your position
, , ,. i n * ii “Oh it was a conditional offer then? ; clear and showed the public how you
let upon that light,” he continued. “All 11 coimiuouai uuli, meu. * . „
1 I thought”— / regarded the measure, so why go on
“Certainly there were conditions,” : fighting it after”
cut in Wainwright, again coming to
the emissary's rescue. "I asked that
he take a position of neutrality In re
love of dabbling in politics. “I can’t
! perpetual franchises are wrong, and
"Yes. you, youngster, and if you hoi- ! this particular franchise bill is rotten
I of office I must tight it.”
"My boy.” said the judge in a fa
thin sprang b> her feet, her face white, where you can see Miss Garrison-an’ I th( .‘ r] nr , unel . t i iat he had often found ' Sard to this Borough bill. Simply neu-
her eyes wide and incredulous in..*.... -n 1 ' J ‘ ‘ 1 -—• ——■ «-i_
j listen to me. So! Now, first of all.
“It’s not—it’s—oh, Harry!” she cried
in an ee.-iasy of recognition, flinging
her arms about the secretary’s neck. !
"Harry! Bhither! Back from the dead! j
Don't you know me? It’s Cynthia! j
Don’t”- *
"I am you’ve made a very
strange blunder. Miss Garrison,” re
turned tiie secretary, his voice hoarse |
and tremulous. "My name is”—
“Your uariic's Harry Garrison!” Phe- .
lau shouted. "What’s the use of lyin’
to your own sister? I give you .credit
for havin' good reasons for callin’
yourself Thompson, an’ I think I begin |
to see what them reasons are, but when |
it comes to denyin’ your own sister !
you’re playin’ it down low, whatever
your game may be. and I’ve a good !
mind ty"—
“Harry,” the girl was pleading, “you
do know me! After all these nine
did you happen to be in love with this
young lady?”
"It’s none of your measly business,
but I did.”
"Why'd you ask her to hitch up with
you for'keeps?’’
"Because 1 loved her and”—
“Because you had a lot of faith in
her. too, hey?” persisted the alderman.
“Yes, and a nice way she’s”—
j successful in argument, “I was in poli
tics long before you were born, and I’m
speaking for your own good when I
say I deeply regret the stand you’ve
taken in this matter. You objected to
the bill in its original form. Almost
every change you demanded has been
made in it. As the gentlemen who
asked me to speak to you said”—
He checked himself a minute too
late. The narrowing of Bennett’s eyes
tral, mind you. Not to change his atti
tude in its favor, or”—
“That was a splendidly fair offer,”
cried Gibbs enthusiastically.
“So it seemed to me,” agreed New-
; man, "but Bennett would not listen
1 when I tried to point out his proper
| line of duty. He called me a go-bo-
, tween and”—
j “Even after you told him we were
granting practically all the concessions
"PiyU, girl, too," mused Phelan as and the vailishIng of the fl . ieI . d i y fight j he had asked in the bill?” queried
if to himself. “In my young days if I
in the young man’s face warned New-
couhl ’a’ got a little beauty like that maii hc ha(J m;|f]e a fatal error
to sign articles with me I d a thought |
a
l was the original Lucky Jim. I’d”—
“So did I!” interrupted Perry hotly, j
But Phelan
same abstract monologue:
“An’ If I could a’ seen from her
eyes (like any dough head could see
from Miss GaiTison'si that she had a
lonely years have you no greeting for heart as big as a watermelon an’ as
me? Every night I’ve prayed that
God would bring you back to me, and
now”—
The secretary's pallid, expressionless
mask of a face broke in a flash into a
true as a Bible text an’ as warm as a
happy man's'll earth fire—well, if I’d
seen all that an' got wise to the gor
geous news that that same heart was
just chock-a-block full of love for my
own ornery, cheap skate self I’d ’a’
love and yearn- j flopped down on both knees an’ sent
ing. W ith a up a bunch of prayers to be allowed to
single gesture | gt> on d reainin’ an’ never, never wake
up.”
Phelan paused. This time Perry did
not break in, and the half audible mon
ologue continued:
“I’d have had the sense to know that
a girl with eyes like those couldn't be
a flirt an’ couldn’t double cross the
man she loved if her life depended on
ner doin’ it. I’d ’a’ licked any guy that
said she could, an’ if I’d seen her kiss-
in' another man I’d ’a’ punched myself
on the jaw an’ called myself a liar.
That's what Jimmy Phelan of the
Eighth would ’a’ done. An’
"Say,” broke In Perry in a curiously
subdued voice. “These eyes of mine
do funny tilings sometimes. I’ll bet $9
h i s contempt i they played a joke on me just now.
for the mist that sprang into his own ; And even if they didn’t I don’t believe
hard old eyes. The sound recalled the ’em. Cynthia. I’m dead stuck on you!
secretary to himself. | You’re all right even If you did happen
“You’ve trapped me into this,” he ex- ; to be acting a trifle eccentric a few
claimed, with a laugh that was half a minutes ago. You can explain or not,
groan, “and you must both promtae j as you like. If you’ll just say you love
not to betray my secret It won’t be me. that’s ace high with yours truly.”
much longer now. thank God! But 1 He slipped an arm about her waist
look of infinite
he g a t h e red
Cynthia’s frag
ile body in his
arms and crush
ed her against
his breast.
"Oh. my little
sister!” he mur
mured. a great
soli choking his
words. “My
little, little sis
ter!”
Phelan cleared
his throat and
Hc gathered ( ynthia s coughed savage-
aZU. 11 I ‘" d " <n '> l "
/
you’ll both promise, won’t you?”
"Sure!” assented Phelan.
“And you, too. Cynthia?” pleaded
her brother. "You can trust me, can’t
you?”
“Of course I can. If you insist I
won’t tell any one. I”—
“I’m happier this minute than I’ve
ever been iu ail my whole life!” smiled
the secretarj. again clasping his sister
In bis arms. “If you only knew, little
girl, how I’ve longed for this!”
"Here's the fan!” announced Perry,
hurrying around the corner of the door
way. “Found it under a’’—
He stopped short, open mouthed,
dumb and motionless. Thompson and
bis sister stood in close embrace be
fore him, with Phelan looking on like
some obese caricature of a benevolent
fairy.
The fan slipped from young Wain-
wright’s nerveless grip and fell with
“So you come to me as an emissary,
not as a friend.” said Bennett slowly,
“and the ‘gentlemen’ you come from”—
“Are the men who represent all that
was continuing in th° | can make or break your career—capital
i and political organization.”
“In othfer words. Wainwright and
Horrigau?”
“Yes. AH they ask is that you re
main neutral; that you”—
“That 1 look the other way while
they rob the city?”
“I am an old man, Bennett,” evaded j
the judge, trying another tack, “and •
I’ve seen one rash step wreck many a i
bright career, just as this will wreck i
yours. Never antagonize wealth and :
the organization. The public for whom
you sacrifice yourself will forget you i
in a month. Capital and politics never |
forget.”
“I am not catering to the public. I
am acting as my own conscience”—
“But this is stubbornness, not con
science. All you have to do is to re
main neutral. If you do this L am
authorized to promise you—now, listen
—to promise you the nomination for
governor when your term as”—
‘That’s the bait, is it?” cried Alwyn
angrily. “If I consent to betray my
trust I’ll get the governorship. The
bribe is golden, and I don’t wonder at
Horrigan for offering It The only
thing that surprises me is that he
should have chosen such a man as you
for his lackey and go-between.”
“‘Lackey!’ ‘Bribe!’ ‘Go-between!’”
echoed the judge in real Indignation.
"How dare you. sir? This”—
“Isn’t it a bribe.” Insisted Alwyn.
“and weren’t you the man chosen to
offer It? It will do you no good to
bluster or grow indignant. In your
heart yon know the words 1 used were
deserved. The governorship offer was
a bribe, pure and simple, and worthy
the modern highwaymen who made.it.
but that you, a judge—a former friend
of my own blameless father—that yon
should come to me on such a vile er
rand turns me sick. Heaven help jus
tice and right when our judges can be
controlled by a political iioss and a
roll of bills! That’s all! I don’t care
to go further Into the subject!”
Bennett walked away, leaving the lit
tle judge to stare after him, pink with
wrath, speechless with amazement. In
all his sixty years po man had thui
laid bare to Newman his own heart,
stripped of its garments of respecta
bility and self deception. And. as usu
al in such cases, now that the truth
had been driven home to him. Newman
wrnthfully denounced It, even to h.:n-
self, as a lie.
Gibbs.
“Yes,” said Newman. “He must have
some motive behind it all. I can’t”—
“Nonsense!” exclaimed Dallas. “What
ulterior motive could he have?”
“That is n -c tha i I know positive
ly,” returned the judge mysteriously.
“But I do,” declared Wainwright,
pointing at Dallas. “There are the rea
sons!”
“I?” exclaimed Dallas, incredulous.
“Explain, please.”
“I won’t discuss this with you, Mr.
Wainwright,” Interrupted Bennett
“We already understand one another,
you and I.”
“My uncle says,” pursued Dallas,
“that you made your broker secretly
sell Borough stock short, knowing the
deal would enrich you. Won’t you
even deny this?”
“No.”
“You realize what all this foolish
| stubbornness must mean to me—to all
of us,” continued Dallas, “and you still
persist in your oppositioa?”
“I must,” said Bennett “I can’t turn
back. Oh, Dallas,” he added, dropping
his voice till none but she could hear,
“can’t you trust me—only till Friday?
I’ll come to you on Saturday morning
and tell you the whole miserable story.
I only ask you to wait until then.
Please”—
“I see no need of waiting for an ex
planation.” retorted Dallas aloud. “I
understand everything.”
“But you don’t understand!” insisted
Alwyn. “I”—
“I understand only too well,” repeut-
“Willingly.” replied her uncle, “If ^ Dallas, (.’becking his reply and ig-
you’H give me a fair hearing. Bennett
is in love with
you. He knows
Gibbs also Visil
es to marry you.
He knows, too,
that Gibbs’ for
tune depends on
the success of
the Borough
franchise. If the
bill js beaten,
Gibbs will be
practically ruin
ed and thus in
as he spoke, awkwardly seeking to
atone for his recent anger. The sec
retary looked at them for an instant,
then said briefly:
“You can tell him, Cynthia. He’s a
good fellow. Come on, alderman. I
think you and 1 still have something
to say to each other.”
Cynthia aud Perry drifted away to
ward the conservatory again, quite ob
livious of H»e others, while Phelan and
the secretary made their way to a de
serted alcove off the ballroom.
• ••••••
“I’ve been looking all over for you.
Mr. Bennett.” called Judge Newman,
hurrying out through the chain of ante
rooms as Alwyn wandered out of the
ballroom into the foyer a few inoraent-
later.
“Anything Important?” asked Ben
nett. pausing in his stroll and greeting
flip older man cordially. He had (rnn-
noring the anguished appeal in his
eyes, she turned to Gibbs.
“I have kept you waiting long for
your answer, Mr. Gibbs,” she said,
speaking in a level, firm, emotionless
voice. “I am prepared to give it to
you now—publicly. You have often
gsked me if I would be your wife. My
reply is, ‘Yes.’ ”
"Dallas!” gasped Bennett in horrified
surprise.
[to be courts ubd.]
I
Nature has provided the stomach
no position to , , _ , , _ ,. .
inarry we’ve i ' vith certal11 natural fluids known a*
y.tc- known all along 1 the digestive juices, and it is through
/ of this reason these juices that the food we eat Is
of Bennett’s for acted upon in such a way as to pro-
' HO M?f r ih?iu )nr ‘ fiefitlng our bill, duce the rich, red blood that flows
but Gibbs for- through the veins of our body and
bade me to tell you. He was afraid ; thereby makes us strong, healthy and
you might think be j robu8ti and it Is the weakening of
“I don’t believe one word of it!” cried > dle e3tive iuices that destroys
Dallas, her big eyes ablaze. “Aiwyn ! “esc digestive juices that destroy*
Bennett could not stoop to such a health. It is our own tault if we des-
thing.” , troy our own health, and yet it is so
“No?” said Wainwright. “Then you ! easy for any one to put the stomaoh
probably will refuse to believe what I ; out of order.* When you need to taks
am about to tell you now. I consider- something tabe it promptly, but take
ed Borough stock a safe Investment, | something vou know is reliable—
Kr $SMLrss.sa ew 1 ^ ^
of the knowledge he is trying to kill aD( * In , Hg eH ^ on> Kodol is pleasan
the franchise even on the certainty of take, it Is reliable and is guaranteed
beggaring you and Perry along with to give relief. It is sold by The Gaff*
Gibbs. If only lie can ruin Gibbs he
cares nothing about making you and
Perry paupers too. That is the sort
of man you are defending against your
own uncle. 1 have Just iaanied be
sides that he has secretly, through his
brokers, sold largo blocks of Borough
stock short. Thus bis veto that ruins
oe will make him a very rich man.”
“It isn’t true!” affirmed Dallas in
dogged certainty. “Mr. Gibbs, do you
confirm this story of my uncle’s?”
“Please leave me out- of this. Miss
Wainwright.” answered Gibbs gently.
“I prefer to say nothing to prejudice
you. When I fight I fight fair.”
"Even at the cost of all your money,”
amended WalfiwrigbL “Gibbs, this is
ney Drug Co.
The delegates to Denver from this
State will leave Columbia July 3 at
7:05 a. m., Spartanburg at 10:30,
arrive in Denver 8:1'' a- ni., the 6th.
carrying your sense of honor to an ab-. says,
surd point And Bennett wifi’
A man who is ha perfect health, so
he can do an honest day’s work when
necessary, has much for which he
should be thankful. Mr. L. C. Rodg
ers, of Branchton, Pa., writes that he
he not only unable to work, but he
couldn’t stoop over to tie his own
shoes. Six bottles of Foley's Kidney
Cure made a new man of him. He
Cure.
‘Success to Foley’s
Cherokee Drug Co
Kidney