Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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' \ Che ?/Yebv Mayor Sued on G. H. Broadhursl's Successful I 1 Pl?.y The Man The Hour By ALBERT PAYSON TERHl'NE. Copyright, 1W7, by George II. Broadhurst. : U.oc frntuM'^nc ?M XICi %v??w lUiuwv I* VI iiiiH'uo its eager, confident appeal. but Bcuueit forced himself to answer: "Yes; it is true, and I knew it."' The cage* glow died from her eyes, leaving a look of dawning horror. . "And. knowing this?knowing Terry ( and I shall be made paupers by your action?you still insist on"? "On opposing the bill? Yes. I am ( sorry, but it is u:y duty." "Duty!" sneered Wainwright. "Your ' , 'duty' was done wheu you vetoed the bill. That act made your position t clear and showed the public how you j regarded the in "a sure, so why go en j fighting it after"? "I won't discuss this with you. Mr. ] Wainwright," interrupted Bennett j "We already understand one another. j 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?" j "No." "You realize what all this foolish ^ stubbornness must mean to me?to all of us,"-coutinued Dallas, "and you still j s persist in your opposition?" "I must," said Bennett. "I can't turn hack. Oh. Dallas," he added, dropping his voice till none but she could hoar, j * "can't you trust me?only till Friday? j ^ 111 come to you ou Saturday morning J ( and tell you the whole miserable story. ! | I only ask you to wait until then. | V. Please"- J J "I see no need of waiting for an ex- j r planation," retorted Dallas aloud. "1 , understand everything." > "l&t you don't understand!" insisted j ' Alwyn. "I"? 1 (l "I understand only too well," repeat- j ed Dallas. Checking his reply and ignoring the anguished appeal in bis '' eyes, she turned to Glbbs. . "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 ! asked me if I would be your wife. My y reply is, Tea.' " "Dallas!" gasped Bennett In horrified surprise. j CHAPTER XII. * | a 1LWYN BENNETT sat in his own ; r /\ study at home in the big Ben/ I nett house that remained as a 'A ^ almost the last landmark of that solid middle nineteenth century wealth and fashion which had once dominated a neighborhood now given 1 over to office buildings and apartment! J houses. Ir The hour was late. Au hour and J f more had passed since the young may- ? or and his mother had returned from ; the administration ball. The house 1 was silent, and even the usually busy 1 streets outside were wrapped iu the c hush that never falls until after mid- 0 night and is disperse by the gray of ' s dawn. Late as it was Alwyn had made j 0 no move to discard his evening clothes, j a Alone he sat. his head resting between I 3 lis crossed arms on the desk before v him. | \ Motionless, inert, hopeless, he had re- j c mained there ever since his arrival , t from the l?i!!. ltut if his body was j moveless, his brain was awhirl. Try e as he would he could see no light in f the tangle of events into which his own sense of right had plunged him. i lie saw the future stretching out he- 'J fore him dreary and liarrcu as a rainy 1 sea. t Through all of his mouths of battling I he had ever struggled forward through t Increasing difficulties toward one bright '<> goal?Dallas' love. And now that love was snatched from his grasp, through no fault of his own. and t?estowed on a man unworthy to kiss the h?m of her garment. At each step in the long climb Alwyn had asked himself, "Would she approve?" And now through trying to be worthy that approval he had for ever lost it, for Dallas, lie knew, had not only rejected hiui and engaged herself to Gibhs, but bad done so with the belief that Bennett was a heartless, unscrupulous iutriguer, undeserving of a wwirt woman's reeard. A rap at the door aroused Bennett from his bitter thoughts. He lifted his head wearily and gave word to enter. A drowsy servant caiuo in with a card. "He says it's important business, sir," said the footman. "And he wishes to see you at once, if possible." "Show him up." answered Bennett, 1 dropping his voice so as not to disturb ' his mother. *who slept on the same 1 floor. "I will see him here." 1 A minute later Horrigau's bulky form 1 - - - i blocked the threshold. "Queer time of night for a call," he observed casually, as he entered unin- ' vited, closed the door behind him and 1 took a chair, "but my business wouldn't wait." "Then state it as briefly as you can," ! directed Beuuett, making no move to rise or welcome his unbidden guest. "It is very late, and I am tired." "I've come to see you about our Borough bill." "So I supposed." 1 "You wou't call off your fight against "US?" "That question is hardly worth answering. No." _ "I thought not. Well, Mr. Alwyn I ' ' ??. Bennett I've sot *m:. i ve sot you.' I?o you understand me?" "Perfectly. Is that all?" "No. it ain't all." mimicked the boss. "And I'm in earnest. I've sot you where I want you." "That doesn't interest me. If you've nothing else to say"? "But I have." cliuck'od J! >rrisan. -When it came 1o a showdown 1 tv cen u< two i | it :: shift . f nicn to look: is uj? y ?ur record." "You found nothing \ on c -uld u-e. !> ihat"? "No: it isn't even the ! iriuiiing. Then 1 remembered uncut your father." "AJ 'lit my father?" it i."-.!''''! on Bennett that his dead fa s honored name should ic spoken b." ill > 1??\V [lolirloiOil. l'llt before lie comd protest more t'orcihiy llorriira:i went on: "What try..,i think if I said your father was a grafter '.no < t" the worst :?f iii< lime';" IM say you lied." answered Dennett j a'uily. "-11111 I'd drive the foul lie j down your throat with uiy tist. You'll have to think ot' some letter scheme than tli:tt."* "Do yoti tiiink I'd i ' idiot enough to one here i;it the st< :-y if ! didn't ia\e tail proof Of it;" .-.sited !Iorrigan/j in onteinpt. And. despite liimsi If. Aiv.yn saw the j n.au was spending what he indie veil to e the truth. He paused in Ids iiupul -i' forward mote. reseateil himself ted asked coldly: "What so called *proofs' have you I m i n fooleil l?y your heelers into think-) ng'*? "Don't l-eileve me. hey? Well, you I via fast enough before I'm done. Dries > you're afraid of what I've got to say." "I'm not afraid of anything you can ' ay. The highest tribute to my fa-! hers memory is the fact that a cur | Ik*- you cannot deiiie it. i-o ?.u. I 1! } istec to you." "Wry good." said Uorrigan. quite mmoved. "I'll make it as short as I an. I remembered your father got ;cli pretty quick. He was a memlier if the organization, and his firm got i he jobs of building the aqueduct and he new library. That gave me my lew. I looked up the specifications for ?oth jobs, and L turned them over to he old engineering firm of Morris & 'hcrrington. You know the firi*. periape. If you don't, you can look them ip. They don't belong to the organ izaion; they're the best experts in their ine. and they can't be juggled with." "I know them. O'o on." "I paid Uiem a fancy sum to go over hose specifications and then examine he library and the aqueduct and see f they were up to the mark or If the Ity 'd been cheated by the Bennett 'ontractiDg company. I had a strong ilea I was right, but I wouldn't speak ill I bad the proof. When I got home fter the ball tonight I found the Alor- I is A: Cherrinpton report waiting for | ae. I brought a copy of it along with ae." "Well." asked Rennett Indifferently, what then':" "Here's the copy of the report. Look t over for yourself. The crookedest ob ever pulled off in this city! Third ate material, when the material called or in the specifications was used at 11. Cranito shell tilled with mortar nsfead of solid granite; foundations larely half tlie depth called for; inerior tiles in place of fireproof ones: heap, crumbly iron, and steel instead f first quality?oh, there's fifty such institutions and frauds! It's the rawst, bummest job I ever heard of. If ny of the organization tried it nowdays the men who did it would be rearing stripes in a week. Craft, hey?; Vliv vmir father was the boss grafter ; if the century the star graft getter of he bunch! lie'? "Ilush! For GoiTs sake, hush!" pout*1 Alwyn. "My motlier sleeps only a ; ew rooms beyond. 1"? "What <lo I care;" roared Ilorrigan n triumph. "Let everybody hear! l ite whole world is going to hear it imoss that llorongh franchise bill goes hrough. Heat that bill and every pater in the country will have that rejtort o publish. Stop your light against us ind the report is buried. That goes! See? Now, do as you please about the bill. ||*fV\ You're a fine JUJ; -^\ V man to preach j! about graft, you Ir?M are! The very roof over >our ' head,the clothes f^\\ on J'our back, 1 ( \ ' w e r e tousht \ \ v with graft 1 U money!" """ Xj b Bennett scarcen ly heeded tlie coarse insult, *""" ? nor did he note / Horrigan's grunt of good"77ic clothes on your Py and the back uric bouyht cl;,uip of his dexrilhunm money! parUng fwt on oioiiw Tim viuinc mnn Sflt lost. hopeless, horror gripped, his eyes running mechanically over the closely typewritten pages of the engineer's report. Outsider as he was in matters of practical business, Alwyn could see lhat Ilorrigan had in no way exaggerated the document's contents. He knew, too, that the firm of engineers who had drawn up the report were the foremost of their sort and above all shadow of suspicion. Little by little the numbness lifted from his brain, and in its place crept a horrible conviction of the truth, llis father?the gallant young soldier who had won a nation's applause in the civil war?the man who, poor and unaided, had built up a fortune against keenest competition and had earned a repute for sterling probity which had ever been the delight and model of his son?this was the man whom a low blackguard like Horrigan now had the I rijrht to revile- a 112:111 apparently no | ! better than the Ik?ss himself?than any dishonest heeler in the organization! i And. as if it were not enoajrh that the iflol of a lifetime were hurled. I crushed and delihtl. from its bright; pedestal, the fatnily nana* mast next he tlr.'irsred through the mire of po!it- ' j ieal frith and iii repute ami the dead man's more forever b'a-ted. Kitlier that or his son must withdraw from , the ?M;iant jiirlit lie wa< wasinjr against: j ?ivie corruption. for that llorrisan ; v>o'tld carry out his threat and blazon ; forth ? > the world the story and proofs j ! of the e!d? r Bennett's shame Alwyn had r.o douht. With all his faults the !" ? \< is .1 1111111 of his word. "Slop your tijrfit against us." Ilorrii.n.l oii.l tl?i r.iu.nt iu bunn-d." ! i Yes. the boss was n ni:in <?f l?is word j liven Iteimett admitted that. Ho would j f:ti! 1 his promise in either event. Listlessly Aiwyh began to review! I the case. On the olio side :i perhaps} i (.?ui\-?:ie light for an absrrse t prineiph* j |?a fight whose* reward was political j death. Joss of the woman lie adored, family shame that might erush his fra^iie old mother to the very grave. On tlie other wealth, honor, love, the! governorship, a future happy and ginri-! ons. Was he not a fool to hesitate? Had j lie led salved Ids cons< i -iko suftieient]y bv vetoing the Borough franchise hi Had he the right to hring this new shame upon his mother's gray head; Where lay his highest duty? The soft rustling of silk and a hand j laid in light caress upon his head j aroused the miserable man from his | reflect ions. r.enm tt looked up to see his mother i si;u:u:ug mm. i-in- ii.iu uii"?jij on a wrapper and ia slippered feet bad stolen noiselessly into the study. "I was awakened by voices." she explained.. "I thought I heard some one talking excitedly in here. Is anything the matter?" "Nothing, nothing dear." I^answer- j ed gently, drawing the little old lady i affectionately down i?s^ seat on his I ktiee and smiling m.'. u'.iy into her | sloop flushed face; nothing is the matter. Only a business tali." "A business call at 2 o'clock ia the | morning!" she exclaimed. "Dear boy, you are working too hard. Your father never brought his business worries and work home. lie always left them at the office. Can't you do the same? You'll wear yourself out." ' dy father"? began Bennett, but the name choked him. "You are growing to be so much like him." went on Mrs. Bennett fondly. "And it makes me so happy that you are. Your splendid fight against that infamous Borough bill, for instance. How proud he would have been of that! It is just the sort of thing he hluiself would have done In your place. woo tMirri\11 twl/./l TX-JHI UMclfWl fliwl dishonest men just as you are. But through it all ho remained true, honorable. incorruptible. What a grand heritage for my son! lie? Alwyn!" she broke off. alarmed, "why do you look at me that way? I never saw such a look in your eyes before. Are you ill? Has something happened that you are keeping from me?" "No. no." evaded Bennett. "I only"? "You had a caller here before I j came in." pursued the mother, refusing ' to abandon the dew to which her wo- ! manly Intuition had led her. "He I brought you had news? Tell nte. dear! J I'm your mother, and I love you." "You are making my course more j difficult for me by asking such questions. mother," he answered wretchedly, "and I"? "I only want to'help you. Alwyn. I j can't bear to see you miserable. A , woman's wit and a mother's love are \ often a combination that'can solve] problems beyond even the wisest | man's powers of logic. Let me help | you.'' "I was trying to make up my mind," j vaguely replied Ilennett, sorely dts- i tressed by her pleading, "whether a ] man ought to follow his conscience, even if it leads to heartbreak for those he loves, or whether he ought to let conscience go by the board for once and protect the happiness of his loved ones." "Alwyn! IIow can you hesitate a second over such a question. One must do right, no matter what the consequence." "I don't know about that," he said | moodily. "You know it perfectly well. It is what your father would have advised and? But, Alwyn, 3*011 surely are not making yourself unhappy over a mere supposititious case?" "Well." he continued, "let us take a 'mere supposititious case' if you like. Suppose, for instance, that a man holding a position of trust had had a father whose memory he honored and revered as I do my own father's"? "Yes?" prompted Mrs. Bennett as he paused. "Suppose some one tempts him to betray his position of trust, even as I have lately been tempted, and threatens in case of his refusal to mt.ke public certain facts which would prove his dead father to have been a scoundrel. Now, what should the man do? Should he let his father's sacred memory be trampled in the mud, let his duty go by default and save"? "It would be au awful responsibility to decide such a question," said Mrs. Bennett, with a little shudder, "but there could l>e only one reply." "And that is?" "He must do his duty, be the results what they may." "You really think so?" "There can be no doubt. Right is right and"? "It shall l?e as you say," groaned Alwyn. "What?" queried Mrs. Bennett, startled at the despair in his voice. "Do you mean it is an actual case? Some friend of yours, perhaps?" Bennett nodded. j "Oh. the poor. po?>r fel'ow!" she sympathized. "What a terrible position I for liini! It was he, perhaps, that I heard talking to you in here just now. ' N'o wonder ho seemed excited! The ,;ins ef the fathers shall bo visited upon the children even unto the"? It is something: less hard on me ; children than on tlie wives," mused I'.. nnett. half to himself. ' The wives? Your friend has a , met her living'? That makes it doubly hard. <>h. n:y son. every day I thank <eil in all humility that my husband lived so blameless a life and left so j honored a name! IIow grateful you and I both ought to lie for"? "It is easy enough t<i decide f<>r some 1 one you have never seen." retorted ! 1'euiiett almost rudely, "but suppose j the dishonest man in my story had boon father and"? "I refuse to suppose anything of the 1 sort!" interrupted his mother indig- j nantly. rising to her feet. "I wonder j that you ean ?peak sol IIow can you suggest so horrible a tiling?" ".rust a thoughtless, tactless speech of mine. That's all." lied Aftvyn "It's very late. You'll have a headache. I'm afraid. Won't you go to bed?" "Yes. It is late, and I'm keeping you up. Good night, dear. I wish your i r;emi ? 1 Si.e cheeked herself suddenly. \vj;h a jj little ga-p. Heimetf, frkincirijr up to <s^ vV? w. - \ / " T- 'I I/- Cynthia Garrison. her, saw that her eyes were riveted on a bit of pasteboard lying on the corner of his desk directly beneath the reading lamp. It was Ilorri^an's card. Slowly the mother's gaze shifted from the card to her son. From her face the color had been crushed by some swift emotion that left it very # old, pale and sunken. I "Mr. Horrigan!" she murmured. "It was he who was your visitor tonight? I Surely he isn't the sort of a man to ' care about his father's reputation for honesty. He"? <i "You're tired, mother," interrupted * Ih?nett in haste. "Won't you"? "Wait!" she panteif. "His visit here? Alwyn!" her voice rising to a wail of panic stricken api>ea!. "Did?did that man dare to hint anything against your father? Tell sue the tru'h! I have a right to know. Did he?" Alwyn bowed bis head in silence. "Tell me what he said."' ; "tTa muttorpd Itrnnett. almost incoherently, "lie s;< 1(1 my father made his fortune? by?graft!" "And you thrashed him and threw him out of the house?" she cried, her old eves ablaze. "No." "Alwvn!" "lie?ho proved what he said!" "It is a lie! A wicked, abominable lie!" "It is the truth, mother. Would I ' have told you such a thine:?would Ilorrigan have left this room alive?if it were not true?'" A silence?dreadful in its intensityfell over the room. Alwyu dared not look at his mother. At last she spoke: "I must know more. I refuse to l>elieve oue word, l'ou spoke of proofs. What are they?" Without a word, Hen net t handed her 1 ~ llAwwnin P/ir A tne report ien u* nun.6U.?. * ? time silence brooded over the study, broken only by the occasional turning of a page of the report. Then, after what seemed to Alwyn an eternity of waiting, the document slid to the ^ floor. Bennett fead -t glanced at his fljljy'l mother. She w a s standing SiTwN cold and hard k as granite. ^ *" "IlorpInron hoc 3 \ ferreted this M'i\\ out"'" he saiJ' y not daring to *| V'i draw nearer 1 I I J VI U or Proffer com_ | f fort to the woX J S man whom the , / boss' disclosure had turned to <i0 ??' stone. "He lias command. DorujhtV?cure(f ?,e proofs and says he will publish them broadcast unless I withdraw my opposition in the Borough franchise matter. If I let that bill pass, Friday he will burn the report, and"? "There is only one thing to do," interposed the mother, speaking with slow decision, her voice as cold and colorless as her face. "Right must prevail, no matter what"? "Mother!" cried Alwyn. trembling. "You advise me to? You advise me"? "i do not advise, i command. Do right!" (continued next week.) / / i / T amrany y / BiMt j ti v TOBAO , Give us your on F1up< Wfp will mil If i lowest possible prices ffflinrafi H Have you si H Wrought Steel. H Six Hole Range J Reservoir? J Marvelous foi j Cook Stoves fi j to the best. 71 rT^ nr nr ttt nr" Coffins ar , m REMEMBER KIIMfiSTRFF HARI 1II1UU 11IUU mmtmmmm J. L. SI % Lake C EXCLUSIVELY A nice bunch of I jlways on hand. Di trade your stock u show. Yours for J* L. 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OSBORNE, Nashville, Ten*. b ?: mdm* , - J