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k; . m-' ' u s ? f * I CONQUEST | By BOOTH T J Author of "Cherry,** "M I COPYRIGHT. 1905. BY > | ' . * f ** (Continued from last week.) ;; i CHAPTER XXI. r I *HERE was meat for gossip f a-plenty in Canaan tliat after- j S noon and evening. There were A rumors that ran from kitchen to parlor, and rumors that ran from parlor to kitchen; speculations that de- 1 tained housewives In talk across front fates, wonderings that held cooks in converse over shadeless back fences In aplte of the heat and canards that brought' Main street clerks running to the shop doors to stare up and down the sidewalks. Out of the confusion of report the . judicious were able by evenfall to extract a fair history of this day of revolution. There remained no doubt that Joe Lotaden was in attendance at the deathbed of Eskew Arp, and somebow It came to be known that Colonel Flltcroft, Squire Buckalew and Peter Bradbury had shaken hands with Joe ' and declared themselves bis friends. There were those, particularly among the relatives of the hoary trio, who exnrMopri the nnlnlon that the colonel and bis comrades were too old to be responsible and a commission ought to it on them. Nevertheless some echoes ' of Eskew's last "argument to the conclave had sounded In the town and were not wholly without effect. Everywhere there was a dipping curiosity to learn how Judge Pike had "taken" the strange performance of his daughter, and the eager were much disappointed when It was truthfully reported that he had done and said very Uttle. He had merely discharged both 8am Warden and Sam's wife from his service, the mild manner of the dismissal almost unnerving Mr. Warden, although he was fully prepared for j bird shot, and the couple bad found / Immediate employment Id the service ; Of Ariel Tabor. Those who humanly felt^the judge's j behavior to be a trifle flat and unsenSatlonal were recompensed late in the j afternoon when it became known that Eugene Pantry bad resigned his posl- | tion on the Tocsin. His reason for severing pis connection wua uuimuuuu- , Jug. He bad written a formal letter : U-e judge and repeated the gist of It to bis associates ! tbe office and ac- I quaintances upon the street He .declared that he no longer sympathized ; Jh? atytude Oj the Tbcsip toward ' his stepbrother and regretted that he bad previously assisted In emphasizing the paper's hostility to Joe, particularly in the matter of the approaching murder trial. This being the case, > be felt that-his effectiveness in the j service of the paper had ceased, and L be must in Justice to the owner re- ; sign. "Well, I'm cursed:" was the simple , comment of the eider Louden when hl:t stepson sought him out at the factory and repeated this statement to him. "80 am I, I think," said Eugene wanly. "Goodhy. I'm going now to see ! mother, but I'll be gone before you , con? boms/: ? ??*** , ? . "Just away. I don't know where," j Eugene answered from the door. "I j couldn't live here any longer. I"? "You've been drinking," said Mr. : Louden, inspired. "You'd better net ' let Mamie Pike see you." j Eugene laughed desolately. "I don't mean to. I shall write to her. Good- j by," he said and was gone before Mr. , Louden could restore enough order out of the chaos in 41 mind to stop him. Thus Mrs. Loudeu's long wait at the ,Window was tragically rewarded, and she became an unhappy actor lu Ca-; naan's drama of that day. Other ladles attended at other windows or near their front doors throughout the after- j noon?the families of the three patri- j archs awaiting their return as the time ; an-n n.ni, nkin to fren- i ay. Mrs. Flltcroft, a lady of temper, whose rheumatism coufiued her to a i chair, had her grandson wheel her out i upon the porch, and as the dusk fell and she finally saw her husband coming at a laggard pace, leaning upon , his cane, his chin sunk on his breast, she frankly told Norbert that although she had lived with that man fifty-seven years she would never be able to un derstand him. She repeated this with genuine symptoms of hysteria when she discovered that the colonel had not come straight from the Tabor house, but had stopped two hours at Peter Bradbury's to '"talk it over." One Item of his recital, while sufficiently startling to his wife, had a remarkable effect upon his grandson, i This was the Information that Ariel Tabor's fortune no longer existed. "What's that?" cried Norbert, starting to his( feet. "What are you talking about?" "It's true." said the colonel deliber- I ately. "She told me so herself. Eskew had dropped off into a sort of dozemore like a stupor perhaps?and we all went Into Roger's old studio, except Louden and the doctor, and while we were there talkin' one of Pike's ?lerks came with a basket full of tip I E ====== of CANAAN J j 1 ARKINGTON, ' i onsieur Beaucaire." Etc. HARPER I* BROTHERS tL 1 boxes ana packages or papers ana talked to Miss Tabor at the door and went away. Then old Peter blundered out and asked her point blank what it was, and she said it was her estate? almost everything she had. except the house. Buckalew, tryin' to make a j joke, said he'd be willin' to swap his house and lot for the basket, and she laughed and told him she thought he'd [ be sorry; that all there was. to speak of, was a pile of distillery stock"? i "What?" repeated Norbert Incredulously. "Yes. It was the truth,' said the I colonel solemnly. "I saw it myself. Blocks and blocks of stock in that distillery trust that went up higher 'n a kite last year. Roger had put all of Jonas' good money"? "Not into that!" shouted Norbert, un- : controllably excited. "Yes, he did. I tell you I saw it!" "I tell you he didn't He owned ( Granger.gas, worth more today than II ever Wup. X Jb.tr n? nu^ci 3 aitorney in fact and bought It for him before the old man died. The check went through my bands. You don't j think I'd forget as big a check as that, do you, even if it was more than a year ago? Or how it was signed and j who made out to? It was Martin Pike that got caught with distillery stock. He speculated once too often!" * "No, you're wrong," persisted the colonel. "I tell you I saw It myself." "Then you're blind," returned his grandson disrespectfully; "you're blind or else?or else"? He paused, open , mouthed, a look of wonder struggling its way to expression up$n him. gradually conquering every knobby out- 1 post of his countenance. He struck his Tat hands together. "Where's Joe Louden?" he asked sharply. "I want to see him. Did you leave him at Miss Tabor's?" "He's goin' to sit up with Eskew, j What do you want of him?" "I should say you better ask that!" j Mrs. Flltcroft began shrilly. "It's enough, I guess, for one of this fam- 1 ily to go runnin' after him and shakin' hands with him and heaven knows what not! Norbert Flltcroft!" But Norbert Jumped from the porch. | ruthlessly crossed bis grandmother's geranium bed and, making off at as sharp a pace as his architecture permitted, within ten minutes opened Ariel's gate. Sam Warden came forward to meet hfm. "Don't ring, please, sub," said Sam. "Dey sot me out heah to tell inqulrin' ! a!a Vf A mirrhir incus UUl I'U U1C .U131 aip uii6ui; , low." "I want to see Mr. Louden," return- j ed Xorbert. "I want to see him Immediately." "I don' reckon he kin come out yit," Sam said in a low tone. "But I kin . go in an* ast Mm." He stepped softly within, leaving Xorbert waiting, and went to the door of the sickroom. The door was open, the room brightly lighted, as Eskew had commanded when, a little earlier, he awoke. Joe and Ariel were alone with him, leaning toward him with such white anxiety that the colored man needeJ i no warning to make him remain siler.t; In the hallway. The veteran wcs speaking, audits voice was very weak, scorning to come from a great din- j tance. "It's mighty funny, but I feel like I used to when I was a little boy. I i reckon I'm kind of scared?after all. I Airie Tabor?are you?here?" "Yes, Mr. Arp." "I thought?so?but I?I don't see very well?lately. I?wanted?to?know?tc know"? "Yes?to know?" She knelt close be side him. "It's kind of?foolish," te whispered. "I just -nuated to know if you was still here. It?don't seem so lonesome now that I know." She put her arm lightly about him, \ and he smiled and was silent for a [ time: then he struggled to rise upon I his elbow, and they lifted him a little. J ' It's hard to breathe." gasped the old i man. "I'm pretty near?the big road. ! Joe Louden'V"Yes?" "You'd have been?willing?willing to ! change places with me?Just now? I when Airic"? Joe laid his hand on his. and Eskew i emih-d again. "I thought so! And. j Joe"? "Yes?" "You always?always had the?the best of that joke between us. I>o yon I ?you suppose they charge admission? up there?" His eyes were lifted. "Po you suppose you've got to?to show your good deeds to git in?" The answering whisper was almost as faint as the old man's. "No." panted Eskew, "nobody knows. But I hope?I do hope?they'll have some free seats. It's a?mighty poor 6bow?we'll?all have?if they?don't" He sighed peacefully, his bead grew heavier on Joe's arm, and the young man set his hand gently upon the unseeing eyes. Ariel did not rise from I where she knelt but looked up at him J A - - 7- \j "It's hard to br(athc,,, gaftpcd tht old man. wnen, 5" littlC'later; ne nitoa ins naua. t "Yes," said Joe, "you can cry now." CHAPTER XXII. JOE helped to carry what was mortal of Eskew from Ariel's house to its final abiding place. With him in that task were Buckalew, Bradbury, the colonel and the grandsons of the two latter, and Mrs. Louden drew In her skirts grimly as her stepson passed .her in the mournful procession through the hall. Her eyes were red with weeping (not for Eakew), but not so red as those of Mamie Pike, who stood beside her. On the way to the cemetery Joe and Ariel were together in a carriage with Buckalew and the minister who had read the service, a dark, pleasant eyed young man, and the squire, after being almost overcome during the ceremony, experienced a natural reaction, talking cheerfully throughout the long drive. He recounted many anecdotes of Eskew. chuckling over most of them, though filled with wonder by a coincidence which he and Flltcroft had discovered?the colonel had recently be^n made the custodian of bis old friend's will, and It had been opened the day before the funeral. Eskew had left everything he possessed; with the regret that it was so little, to Joe. * "But the queer thing about It" said the squire, addressing himself to Ariel, "was the date of It, the 17th of June. The colonel and I got to talkin' It over out on his porch last night tryln' to rec'lect what was goin' on about then, An>?ni>a^ If Ailf that If TT ac tho auu n c u?gvivu *%. vuv %u??. .? ?. uu vvv Monday after^rou come back, the very day he grft ?o upset when be saw you goin' up to Louden's law office with your roses." Joe looked quickly at Ariel. She did not meet his glance, but, turning instead to Ladew, the clergyman, began, with a barely perceptible blush, to talk of something he had said in a sermon two weeks ago. The two fell into a thoughtful and amiable discussion, j during which there stole into Joe's heart a strange and unreasonable pain. The youtfg minister bad lived in Canaan only a few months, and Joe j had .never seen him until that morning, but be liked the short, honest talk he bad made, liked his cadenceless voice and keen, dark face and, recalling what be bad heard Martin Pike vociferating in his brougham one Sunday, perceived that Ladew was the fellow who had "got to go" because his sermons did not please the Judge. Yet Ariel remembered for more than a fortnight a passage from one of these sermons. And as Joe looked at the manly and Intelligent lace opposite him It did not seem strange that she should. He resolutely turned his eyes to the open window and saw that they had entered the cemetery, were near the green knoll where Eskew was to lie' beside a brother who had died long ago. He let the minister help Ariel out, golug quickly forward himself with Buckalew, and then, after the little while that the restoration of du6t to dust mercifully needs, he returned to the carriage only to get his hat. Ariel and Ladew and the squire were already seated and waiting. "Aren't you going to ride home with us?" she asked surprised. "No," he explained, not looking at her. "I have to talk with Norbert Flitcroft. I'm going back with him. Goodby." / rfs excuse was the mere truth, his conversation with Norbert in the carriage which they managed to secure to themselves continuing earnestly until Joe spoke to the driver and alighted at a corner near Mr. Farbach's Italian possessions. "Don't forget," he said as | * 3 -* *? 1 ? ?? ^aa?i "T S?a rrnt I De eiosea TUC carriage uwi, * . to have both ends of the string in my hands." "Forget!" Norbert looked at the cupola of the Fike mansion rising above I the maples down the street, "It isn't likely I'll forget!" When Joe entered the "Louis Quinze ; room" which some decorator, drunk with power, had mingled into the brewer's villa, he found the owner and ! Mr. Sheehan, with five other men, en; gaged in a meritorious attempt to tone [ down the apartment with smoke. Two of the five others were prosperous owners of saloons, two were known to the public (whose notion of what it meant when it used the term j was something of the vaguest as polii ticians; the fifth was Mr. I'arbach's closest friend, one who (Joe liad heard! was to be the next chairman of the city committee of the party. They were seated about a table, enveloped in blue clouds and hushed to a grave and pertinent silence which clarified immediately the circumstance that whatever debate had preceded his arA W'"' i rival, it was now settled. Their greeting of him, however, though exceedingly quiet. Indicated a certain expectancy as he accepted the chair which had been left for him at the bead of the table. He looked thinner and paler than usual, which is saying a great deal, but presently, finding that the fateful hush which his entrance had broken was immediately resumed. a twinkle came into his eye, one of his eyebrows went up. and a corner of his mouth went down. "Well, gentlemen?" he said. The smokers continued to smoke and to do nothing else, the exception being Mr. Sheehan, who, though he spoke not. exhibited tokens of agitation and excitement which he curbed with difficulty. shifting about in his chair, gnawing his cigar, crossing and uncrossing his knees, rubbing and slapping his hands together, clearing his throat with violence, his eyes fixed all the while, as were those of his companions, upon Mr. Farbach. So that Joe was given to jierceive that it had been agreed that the brewer should be the spokesman. Mr. Farbach was deliberate. that was all. which added to the effect of what be finally did say. "("hoe." he remarked placidly, "you are der next mayor off Canaan." "Why d:> you tl..:f:" asked the young uinii sharply. "Bickoss us here." he answered, interlocking the tips of his fingers over his waistcoat, th; t 1 oinsr as n'>ar folding his hands as lay within his power, "bickoss us here shall try to fix it so, nnd so lief ditcided." Joe took a deep breath. "Why do you want me?" "Dot," replied the brewer, "iss someding I shall tell you." lie paused to contemplate his cigar. "We want you bickoss you are der best man fer dot positsion." "Louie, you mustn't make a mistake at the beginning." Joe said hurriedly. "I may not be the kind of man you're looking for. If I went in"? He hesitated, stammering. "It seems an ungrateful thing to say, but?but there wouldn't be any slackness?I conldn't be bound to anybody"? "Holt up your hosses!" Mr. Farbach once In his fife was so ready to reply that he was able to interrupt. "Wh< hof vnn hAort KnPRk nff bounding? Hef I speakt off favors? Dit I say der sboult be slackness in der city gofer'ment? Litsen to me, Cboe." He renewed his contemplation of his cigar, then proceeded: "I hef been tonkin' It ofer now a couple rears. I hef mate up my mind. If some peobles are gombelt to keep der laws and oders are not, dot's a great atwantitch to der oders. ,Dot Iss what lss ruining der foundry, und der peobles iss commencement to take notice. Efer'reres In ocler towns der iss bousecl^aning. Dey are reforming und lndiedlng, und pooty soon dot mofement comes here? shoo-er! If we intent to holt der pardy in power, we shoult be a leetle ahead off dot mofement so when it shoult be here we hef a goot 'mlnadstratlon to fall beck on. Now, dere lss anoder brewery opened und trying to gombete mlt me here in Canaan. If dot brewery owns der mayor, all der tsaloons buying my beer must 6hut up at 'leven o'glock und Sundays, but der oders keep open. If I own der mayor, I make der ftame against dot oder brewery. Now, I am pooty sick off dot ways off bitsness und fighting all times. Also" Mr Parlmch added, with mae nlflcent calmness, "my trade iss larchly owitside off Canaan, und It Isa bedder dot here der laws shoult be enforced der same fer all. Litseu, Cboe! All us here beliefs der same way. You are square. Der whole tsaloon element knows dot und knows dot all voult be treated der same. MIt you It voult be fairness fer each one. Foolish peobles bef salt you are a law trlcker, but we know dot you hef only mate der laws brotect as well as bunlsh. Und at such times as dey bet been broken you hef made dem as mertslful as you coult. You are no trlcker. We are willing to help you make It a glean town. Odervise der flghtin* voult go on until der mofement strikes here und all der gi-anks vake up und we git a fool reformer fer mayor und der town goes to der dogs. If I try to put In a man dot I own, der oder brewery lss goln' to fight like h?1, but If I work fer you It will not fight so hart." "But the other people," Joe objected, "those outside of what Is called the saloon element?do you understand how many of them will be against mer 'It Iss der tsaloon element," Mr. Farbach returned peacefully, "dot does der flghtin'." "And you have considered my standing with that part of Canaan which considers Itself the most respectable section?" He rose to his feet, standing straight and quiet, facing the table, upon which, it chanced, there lay a copy or tue locsm. "Uud yet," observed Mr. Farbach, with mildness, "we got some pooty rlsbecdable men right here." "Except me," broke in Mr. Sbeehnn grimly, "you have." "Have you thought of this?" Joe leaned forward and touched the paper upon the table. "We hef," replied Mr. Farbach; "all of us. You shall beat It." There was a strong chorus of conI firmation from the others, and Joe's eyes flashed. "Have you considered," he continued rapidly, while a warm color began to conquer his pallor?"have you considered the powerful influence which will be against me, and more against me now, I should tell you, than ever before?that influence, I mean, which is striving so hard to discredit me that lynch law has been hinted for poor Fear if I should clear him? Have you thought of that? Have you thought"? "Have we/thought o' Martin Pike?" exclaimed Mr. Sbeehan. springing to his feet, face aflame and beard bristling. "Ave. we've thought o' Martin (Continued on page 7.) - / ; i..i t' J ? n A TV REVIVO :; I * AliV WW RESTORES HTttm & Pain in the heed?pain anywhere, has its can*, nln Iscongestiou. pain Is blood pressure?nothing WfW^Mr t?A1L *9 m ?? e? else usually. At least. ?o says Dr. 8hoop. end to ^Jfy^ |i|i f> *7 IT 611 11 prove it he hee created e little pink tablet. The! *i_ r A T.. T, tablet?called Dr. Shoop's Heedsche Tablet? 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