m

"■ mi

By FRANCIS LYNDE

TJip Ikks langhfd at that, and Vm teJiin; ywi right now ih*t 1 »•»;, giaj -to *»)«*• tlmf ho wnsati'l able to'aush. “Wvejvp r c««n thp . da : «i,*n to r4i*-(^AO[4Ui.<: Jd yon kno*"1i,” he (ilt'back. ‘Think ot tha r*w*'ir* ^oy^eb|tai rtodhtiw. v

donor the JMM ^-ranwte: oot t them Is that there *aa nwr ansr woman !>*•* ipq the tvortd

t had a

i KBotriD- .. at I'ma. ;Jpr« ■>« there and **«»n to -ha;,

r that klml cn the ton*: pan . lead op W Bat M| Me

wrtat oaUl abe-huit.

••Ton mWt Oaten r she wW^ered r. “Twi’j^takWir ^re oe'ftim.

. We got to kntfw^

JUT **' .r»ny other re.rtfer t>eeo«ion*. ! tlni jwey from the rent! - of things Just a* ea«y a*

irnittg yo.ir tend orer.

-tou art :oo big a man to let an Odd-d dimrultj- defeat yw non shh ' isrited aUattiT. going' bt -v td ttte lows <*•<& 'Tchi Site r. siting a mlraraloas tncrere. 1 hst r Ju4 th^pt two week* In the capital, as itoa'idoi-, ’aift’gtoiftloily- i* UtihiDg ■iboOf 1 J>oh; Ttoj- saj yon ««tf In a fair way to noire the bl; problem—the ^roi>i«a of cringing the railroads and flic peopl* f*>*"iuer la * pwictaWe ana proHuKe partnership—which is gs It

ahootti We:* - *'•

Tt tail be dw»ej-«Wl I coaid do It right cere on tbf't'lonwT Rhon Mne tf I didn't have to fight ra un-ny dlf?«re*t kinds of de»Hs at itfc« B ame rime." retd the ores, scoarilnE down at the tire ta the grate. And then with a quick huh of Jilt head to face Iter: .“jfcK; aest the mejo? a wire from :he eaplial last night, tellltig i.lm to per•tusde tu- cot to go to S; r-tKcona. Why did *00 do It? Ana how dM‘;oa know I was thlnldnc of going f ‘ for the first ttae In tbe whole sir •bombs I mw hire. Sheila get a little Mastered, Utotrgh ahe didn’t ahor !t teecb. only a little mere color In her

-' •me day. perhaps. 1 may tell yoo. hot I caa't c .•sr.'' she »« . non of bar riedli. Ant then, 'lou mustn't ask me." 'But yaa dK Send the wirer “Yea.“ “And yoo utao wnt another to Opton Van Briur “i dht- . The boa* amd^d. Tflmi at rood message was an afier.tMpgfct, Yoo were afraid i*d be stubborn and go. anyway. That waa v-me mor? of yonr marvelous innoer reasoning. Tell me. Sheila, did yon know that there was going be a broken reB-joint get to kin me that trtpr That got tuer In spite of ber heavenly calm and I could eee her pres* her pretty lips together hard. "Waa that wba: they did?" abi askod. a bit tramhiy. . He nodded. “Van Britt was ot the pi! >1 etigloe ahead of oy car, and he rt and It There was oo harm done. I’ was bad enough, Ood knows, to art a trap that would have killed ev•"“ybedy on my train; but thla other thing that has bew> pulled off tonigbi ia even worse. Mr. I>ubijh and his uuprioclpled follow ere have set a thing «.i ioA here which Is due to grind us all to powder. Past that, they have con! feed to handcuff tue so that I can't make a-move wlihout pulling down are \ . '‘Kow my ‘tnarveloar tone- samnlog' naa gotri quite bllnu.'' ah* *xm. Witt' » queer IHrW smile. ~VouH bare to eaplaiti.'' 'Tfs simple enough." said the >jo*ui sltortly. T* Ur. Pnohm bad aent only hired, emissaries out here ta bribe the members of. the ieglaUuut—but lie didn't; he Included a member of b‘j pwn family." I ~a» iMkiog straight at Mr*. Sheila as he ■po’.-. and I saw a sudden frightened shoe* ;uo<p Into tlte slslegrsi eyes. Jim for a : veoad. Before yoa vsttH count eoe. H was gooe rueid i*e was Maying qolelly : “A member of hi* own family? That 4* awry singular. Isr't Iff Was »bere- _ was '.his thing that wr' don.: oetunlly - ertmlusiT“ ste askt-o. Just breo.hiug n at him. -It was. indeed Tbe el retire, mw* of this at**- have teeth. It is n peultentiaxy wrtnaa to bribe either the gleet urate oc the lt*-a»hore" There was allcoce far a little tune, and she was no longer lookfnc s': bWi: she war staring into the bet ri of tin- ] glnwtng reel* In the grate basket. By [ and by ah* said: “Tou haven’t told me ! rbl* HMn'a okme—tb* one who did she bribing; may I know Itr I knew 3net vbe> tbe botm was go- ! .tig * o do. and he did H; took tbe rjlp 1

pleo'; 1 oid^r-that his cauje might prueper. 6o you stfil'believe that? ’ “Of oorae Ifa all In the day s Werk- Ah* ; cwqa| worth whUe Is vastly bitter than any iwre rho Is r.-ylne

to aurance It."

'Ttuc any airs, ye*; hot for « woman. Oraham; wouldn't you a!I»w aometklng fbf the wombhr' "I lho«jaf- %e- bad agreed loag ago tiiat there ia no doub’e standard. -Itber In morals or etbira—-one thing for tbe roan and another for tb< woman. That It your own aWtfcde ianT Bf She didn't aay whether it was or not Rhe was holding the Wt of paper he bad given her so that the Hght from tbe lire fell upon It when she aaid: T ranpoae your duty la quite dear. In U.* slang of *hc street you must 'beat Mr. Hutch <©Jt.‘ Tou must he the first to deooimce this bi ibery, clraring roarsrif and letting «he a*, fal’ where It wlH.“ Tbe ho*., was shaking his head a

bit doubtfully.

“It Isn’t quite ah simple as' thot.* be objected/ T <Wt know thtt TM hare any cbmpunctlona ubou: sending rdllugwood to tbe dump. If tiro half of what they say *f him is true, ne 1* a spinel Ms degenerate sod hardly worih saving. But to do as you suggest would be open re’-fIllon. , you know; while Dunton remslus president. 1 am hla subordinate, and if I should expose him „i.a his nertiew. I he striSrllon here would become s'm-

ply In r Assible."

■'Well?" she prompied. . “Such a trove would rightly ami properly- bring a wire demur. J for my resignation, of a nature that coaidat be Ignored—only It wouldn't, becacrt I should anticipate It by resigning first. That Is a smalt mutter, lutredneing the personal otemt-ut. But the results to others; to the men of my stuff and the rank and file, and to the pjhHc. which, o* you aay. Is Ju*. beginning ta realize some ot the benefits of a real par'.ncrehlp 'with Its prlnglpel raltroad; these 'hlngs caoT be so easily Ignored." . “Too have thought of tome other'

‘'Tf*" k'iodh.y Idcoaetf in a r'tfdll whtgk he ha* ulgged with • Ills *owo imnds. be Is Ilk'* othor BCn of hi* klhd: h* would be very glad to climb out upoa ,0-* should** oaf, •' woman." I gunaTtfae tore saw r*d far » rtln ate. M. ihe wwestloa he akd "By wtat right did he come fc rtm, pheiia ‘ in&iTf ^ ; . ■■ ‘By what t* dwbtlriv thinks

«<bt^|hg^d.. He is

“Ni.; ( haven't got that far yet. £l .t I am determined that Hatch ahall not be allowea to work his grnf; i second True upon the people who are trusting me. I belie re in the new policy *te art trying oat. I'd fling my ewp fortune into the gap it I had one. nud, more than tlmt. id pull In every friend I have in the world If by so uoiag I could etaad the Pi outer Short Line uiion n solid foundation of hooesl own--rshlp. That is all that is needed in the prevent crisis—absolutely all." He was on his feet now and !ramping hick and forth on the heart;: rug. At one of this back-turnings 1 saw Mrs. Sheila rtach out qtlck'.y and lay the bli' of paper with Its >i ecu sing scrawi on th* glowing coals, 'into she said, quite calm again: “In time to come you will accomplish even that. Uratiaro- -thla change of o'Srvralilp that we have talked of anti dreamed about It Is the true solution of ib* problem; not govt-a-ownersOtp, bu' owoersh.p by the linople who have the moat at stake— tb* pubMe and th* wo^keis Too are

he had beep hu'.Idloe ail had got _lf» kpock-dowi^la just u«»» four qp'etly aposen words. As well *a 1 kpcv h'm. ? cooktoT begin what he would do'ar aay. Bat he wre such m *B5**Ud fight r that I mi^f have known #V’ ' .* "I MWd. no longer ago rhao this srierryoo. that yoo trewo sw-c^that your ndshoad was. milt living, said, apaaklng very gcO'ty. “1 didn’t | bell*-* it—out fuily —tjiohsb i saw that there mlgN easily be room for the belief, it inakag oo dlfft Sh-'lla You are ray friend. *ad you are blai telesa. Eu* before we go any farther f want you -tw b^lere dart I wouldn't hare uat-n hnita! «><.ugh to give you (ha) bit pf paper If I ftsd remotely ruapected that Colllngwpod was tite man " She duin i make any answer to that and after a while he said; "Having told me oo much, can’t you tell me a iitSe raOr?r “There isn't much to tell, and even th* little is eom nonp’.uc* aod—end disgraceful.” she replied, with a touch of weariness that was fairly heartbreaking. ’oo’t ask roe why we were roamed; I can’t explain tlmt. simply because I don't know, myself, arranged between the two fn mil ley, and I suppose Howie end I always took It for granted. I can't even plead Ignuranee. for I have known him all

ray life."

"Go on." arid the boas, still speak;n,T ua gently as a brother fright hare. “Howie was a apolled child, an -jnly son. and he is a spoiled man. I stood U as long as I could—I hope you will believe that. But there are some thii^s that a woman cannot stand.

and “

“I know." he orok* In. "So you caw ■ out here to be free." , T t,ls four ycar* since we liarie lived together.” she went on. ••and for a loag time X hoped be would never find ou! where 1 wba Tnere nas no divorce. I had taken my mother’s name, and only Cousin Basil and bU wife knew that I was no? wfcat p<-.--l«ops every one else took me to be. n widow with s dead husband Instead of a Tvlng one.’ “DM CeUingw-ocd try to find you "No, I think not. But alien lie wui here laat spring wdh his Gnrie Brecienrldje In; saw me nnd found out ihut I wa:: living bet; with Cousin Basil. “Dill he try. 10 persecute year "No. nut then. 1 was afraid of only on* thing; ahat he might firing too much and—and tq)k. I’art of the fear wn* realised. He saw me that Bnnday nicht in the Huliar.t. ’shot wawhy lie was trying to fight the hot*! people—because »h.?y would*;’: let bin. come up-slaim. I s. w what you did. and I w:.n sorry. I couldn’t help feel log that to some way It would prmito be tit* bfginning of a tragody.” "Tote-saw no more of him then?" “No; I neither saw him ntr heard or him until about n month ago when he come west with c men named Bullock r-a New York ntomev. 1 didn’t know why be ame, but I though; [ft was to annoy me.” ‘And he has unuored you?’ ’Cntll ;nU nlglu he has nevVmlss* : an opportunity cf doing so when h* conld aodge Cousin Basil. It Was hi' to anting boost yesterday at the caplin! tbet led roe to telegraph Cousin Bo' and Cpton Van Britt about your trip Strath.•ona. He knew that yon were going to the gold camp, and he declare ! me that you'd never come l>a

her hand on the door-knob she shot a quick question at the boss. "How much W ||| , ou te „ p- 0 . s j B Basil?" , "Nothing of whnt you have told

me.’

gncoi# you," she whlanered back; “yWi are as big In your friendship as *■* «trt In Oth*" way*" Ant! with

tha* she wre- gone.

It wsa rignt along In tbe same h#l»raltMite. while the bo*s was standing firttt his hack to the fire and the raa J«r was going in to talk to him. tuat Movt Maisie Ann. I don’t know whet.-

J" ™;- " 1, °'■ “!" '“ii* 1 »' " f , — -,.,n n.. ^, ",11”'. , S . n "! " " n * « (u-WMlt mntMIII I s„wt found

la My Husband.” • strong man, and you will hriag U at rat. But this other roan—wh^ la cot strong; the map whose name was writtev upon tbe tot of paper I hare | Just thrown Into the fire . . . He wheeled quickly, and wtrat he said made me fee 1 l« If a cold wind w*ve toowh-g up t •* track of m> aeck. because I hadn't dreamed that he week' r*n<*tnber ('oiHngwood veil e sough to recognize biro In that puasIng uonMHit uo the sidewalk. •That mao.” iw mattered, sort of gtsitogly: "1 had completely forgo;, ten. He »« be«* Just a itltk- •rtiJe -go. I met Mm as I was coining in. »JM he come to ««« yoar cousic—tbe she saM. matching hU tow

“But t Knight," I he tfww perslxtrd “tYhai did j,* want tonight?' “He wanted to—to ur« tpe. He sa d that be had 'pat something acrure for his unde, tbat be had gotten it:: trouble for It and tbat—lc u»* his own phrase again, you were the mati who you Id try to ’get bla goat.’" "And Ida object H teUlng you this?" "Was entirely wc-rtby «I the mau. He naked roe. or rather I should sv> cotooiauded rw, to ’-hoke yoa oh Aari. of course, be added the iosn : H«‘ said 1 wa» th* ooe a*ho cou-d

do it."

"Without to:ending to. yoa heve tied my hands ” c?' bow said gr»\ rT wasn't penning to a^are Ovllincwt>>d if there were any way In which I could u»* him as t dob to knock Hatch out of the gEa>*.“ T haven’t tsked you to spare him “ "No, 1 know you hr vetT. But 'h* far-' reraalm that he ia yw*» t.rs-

bar.d. J

The Hretrupllon was tc *{wt og and rloaitig of the front ouor am! the heavy tread of the major in the hsH.

In s narit Mn . Shelia

irtttl

first Into little heaps, and 'hen Into big ones and now the Hatch peoplhave forced a practical consolldatloo." “W that .he fact?—or only Ihe way yr-u are doping it out?" queried the

tfalBc mapager.

Tt is the fact Hatch came here last night to tell me- about it: also, to tell me where we were to get eff." Hornsck h't off a ;.>oc* of the chewed cigar and. toos a fre«b bald on U. “Dore be think fo* one holy half minute that we’re gtong to alt down quietly and let him undo all tbe good work that’s been doner b* rasped. ’He does Jnst that He's putting

reason why I should stay nnd

Bpr rpon the Iross and Hie major. I sllp;>ed out lo the hall and curled - tp on the big settee beyond tto- coat rad : curivd up. and after listening m while to tue drone of voices in the

wart lier roo . went |o aleep. It was away deep In the night when

■the iioss took holti of me and shook roe ■wske. Tti- long talk was Just getting Itself finished, and the major had

com* to the door with Ms gnuat. "’V» must manage to pull Colling-

wtxd O”* of It In some way." the nut jor was saying. T don't love the *1—n’ >*ounarel any l>etteh than you do. Graluun; but that’s a reLton—a

reason, as ;'a mlgjt «ay.”

TNen he switched oif oulek y. “Yoa baves'i asked roe rei why 1 ran away from home this evenh-’ when 1 was

ext-»cttog you.’

•So" said the boss. "Sbelln told roe that you bad a tetepnooe call

th.- Bullard."

Tbe old Kentuckian chuckled. “Yes. *ch; and you’d nevHi guess In s thousand ye*hs who sent tbe call or what was wanted friend Hatch, nnd no otheh. And he bed the fare to offeh toe ten thousand ■jmiahs g yeah to net as consulting counsel fo* him against the railroad

company ’

“Of • jurae you accepted." said the w nieanlng Just the opposite The major eb-ckled ngaln. tnlked with him long enough to about whore he stood. He thinks he’s got you by th? neck. hat. like most men o. his breed, lie’s a paltry coward, auh. at lieart." Dig boss laughed. "What is ho

afraid of?"

le l* nfralfi of his life. He told ?rith his eyes buggin’ out. that tliah was one man beuh In Portal City woo would kill him to get pos-mws'-oo of certain papeh* that were locked up In the -null vault of the Security Natiuaal.” The boss was pulling ou Ids glove*. “* didn't give him any reason to think that I was anxious to murder hint." h* said. "Oh. no. toy. dcoh boy; It Isn’t you. at ull. It’s Howie Collingn-ood. That's we land it ft eh all Is said and Touh hands are tied, aod we've got this heab young maniac to deal url'h. H Colltagwood gets about thre»-fing-tis of rvil llkkeh under fill* belt, why. thali's one murder in prospect. Ami If Hatch lias any reason to think that you can still get'th* undcrholt, Why. thall's another. I’m glad you’ve seen fit to take Ripley’s advice at last, nnd got you a bodyguard.' that?’’ queried tbe boss. But the query was answered r. minute later when we hit the sidewalk for th^trun.p bnek to town and Tarbell full 'n to walk three steps behind us all tbe way to the door of the rail-

road club.

It .sure did look as if things were Just about as bad as they could ever Hatch once more on top. the whole bottom knocked out of tbe railroad experiment, our good name for (xPItlca! honesty gone glimmering, and. worst of all. i*ertiap*. the boss' big heart broken right In two over those four little words that nothing he is my bus hand." I didn't wonder that tbe boss saifi never a word iq ull that lung walk down-town, or that he forgot to good night when he locked bimseit up in bis room at the club. CHAPTER XV The Dipsomaniac in a day when bunched money, however arrogant It may be, has been taught tc go sort of softly, the Hatch people were careful not to make soy public a.iniKmcetaeni of tb*- things they were doing or going to do. But bad news has wings of Its own. Mr. Nororgas was still in the midst of his rontl olctati-'ii to me toe morning ufter the bottom—ad the different bottoms— fell out, when Mr Horuavk came

present moment I haven't tbe way to climb out of It."

"But tbe ground lease*?’ Honroek began. "Why can't we pull them on

htmr

“We tnlght. If we hadn't been shot dead In our tracks ly the Tear,©ten who ought to be backing us to win." said tbe boss soberly. And |h(jp be went on to tell about the ne?» grip Hatch had on us. Of course. Homnck blew.up at that, and wpaj he acid wasn't for publication For n minute or so the air of the office was blue When he go!

“A General Strike of All C. S. G W. Employees Will Go On at Noon To-

| In.

"WBat's bI been sprutik trust?" be pi. cigar u if It try to* to tut

S. A W.

this fire-alarm that's about a tew elevator n« tided, dicaiug on bi* :Tere,aocneUi!ng be were “iris all over town that been secretly rvorgan-

i- that

lard, with the Hetrh crowd In control.

Iiu having a perfect cyclone of tele- I Mr. Van Britt phone calls asking what, ami how. 'The L.-ueral and why.” j wraniertoc one ta The boas’ reply ignored the detail* j the atnrrj heav.t “Were In for it again." he announced I chts coun'ry tnat

___ brteny. -Th* l<-col companies couidn't I serapplnc for s to nuiUb through the I hnJ-J ou to a gcod thing when they had [ ho-«e railroad of ta the tuning room, u .th [ it, Tbe stock has braan swept up. j be in gov J little

down to common, ordinary English again he was saying, between cusses: “But you can’t let It stand at that. Norcross; you simply can’t!" “I don’t intend to." was the eventoned rejoinder. -‘•But anything we ran do will always lack the element of finality. Hornack. while Wall Street owns ns. I've said It a hundred times nnd I’ll say it again: tbe only hope for Uie public service corporation today lie* in a distribution of Its securltiA among the people it actually nerves." Horn ark's teeth met In the middle of the chewed cigar. "That's excellent logic—bully good logic, if anybody should ask you! Hut we're fighting a condition, not a theory. Nobody wants P. S. I- Common even at thirty-two. Tou wouldn't advise your worst e..emy to buy it at that

figure.”

T don't know." said the boss, kind of musingly. “You're forgetting the water thst'a been put Into It f?om time to time by the speculator* and reor. ■intters; there has been a good OeaJ of that first and last. Nevertheless, value for value, you know, and I know, that the property Is worth more than thirty-two. im-ludlng the bonds JVhat 1 mean Is that If anybody would buy th? control ot that figure —the control, mind you. and not merely a minority—and handle the road purely as *< dividend-earning •business proposition, he wouldn't lose money; he'd make

money—a lot of it."

"All of which doesn't get us anywhere in the present pinch." returned the traffic manager. "I suppose we’ll have to wail until Hatch makes - ids first move, nnd I've still got fight enough left In me to hope that tie H make it‘suddenly I’uncb the luittou for me If anythiug new develop- I’m going batk to smug ori'to my teie 1

joue."

Following this talk with Honrack there was a try-out wlib Blllougithy aiql Junernan. hut as lid* three-cor-nered conference was held In tbe private room of the suite. 1 don't know what war traxi. ittle farther along, j when the bo«s was once more whittMug | at the dictation. Mr. Van Britt stroBed ] In. Mr. Norcross told roe tn take my I bund' of notes to May and then he j gave Mr, Van Britt hi* Inata*. vtnrt- I tog off with: “Well, how h* the gen- i era! superintendent this fine morn 1

"Huh!" »*td our millionaire; Tv* Jus|. had two angioemen ou the carpet for rhnning over’an old ranchmans pet-dow.. Tlror. aald they '-couldn't help'it; butj told them that under f* ‘pnblle-be^ieaaerf pohey, ihey'd *o? to help It." Th* boas cfcaftled. T ballev* ym'd Joke tt ytrar Wfi ftineral.' Uptou. You didn’t come here to tell me about the ranchman’s pet cow," “Not exactly. I eame to tell yon tbat Citizens' Storage A \Can? ous* t> due to htrvn. n rirfkeofi Its bhadj The ngemnit—which seems to havo got itself consolidated In some way— shot out a lot of new bosses all uioqg the Hoe on the through train laat night, and. this xp( rb'og v th* entire •korts. elevator 1 *, [Wteries,Vo* 1 yards, Itunoer milU and everything, are pofci*-i with no’lrea of a blanket cut tn sages; twenty per rent. fiat, for everybody. The new* has been trickling. In .war the wire* all morning; aud the Mat word ta that a general strike of sil c. 8. St W. cmpinyees will go ou at toon tomorrow." "That is move number ooe." said t ie bos*. And then: “Tou have heard U*t-Uie Hatch people have reached 1 it and taken In the C. S, A W.’." “Hornack was, telling me somethii g aboui It; yfis.” . ,. It Is tnfc; and the fight I* ow. Tou 1 what Hotel: is doing. At one stroke N- gets rid of all the kma! em-. plorvdk -of-C. S. A who have tieqn drawlce r ood pay and who might make trouble fbr him a HttTe l^kr ou. and tbelr’i laces with Wri^hreokert who have «o local aymiuahizers." Bot tiiete will he n net her result wtilch be may not have counted upon." Mr. Vnn Britt put in. “The blanket ent serves fiottce upon eeerybody that one* more the old strong-arm monopoly Is Ifi'the safidfr - The i>wspk:wrs will ., u* about It "toroomw morning. Also, h good many of tfletif w!:i be asking W*SAat we at* golnj' to do about' It • ] whether w* are going to fight the new' ‘tunnopo’y ag wV did Hie old. or stand In wiUi the graft, as our predecessors rtto" “YVc n*edn;t go over that ground again—^ou and I., Uptoo." mid S^r. Norcross. “You know where I stand. Put the c* odlrto*! have changed. We have beer, kn'fqd In the ,back.' And with that he gave the lih-'kj’Vlttle operating djlei a crisp outline of the new situation precipitated by the .Duntoo-'A-illinjrwood political bribery. Mr. Van Britt toot 11 quietly, as he did most tblngv Sitting with hi* hands in bis pockets and smiling blandly where Hornack had exploded In wrathful prnfnnjty. A \ tbe wind-up he said: “Old Uncle Breckecrldgr i* one toe MU# for yo;i. Graham. Yoa can’t stand the guff—thla new gat a? Hatch's: avd nelth cun you go before the people as the accuser of your president—and hope to bold your j h. The bne thing for you to do Is to lock up your office and walk out' “Opton. If I thought you mean, that—but I never know when to taka you seriously." ' “Th* two enginemen who me over the randiman's pet cow bed no suca difficulty, 1 assure you. And Isn't it r l advice? You know, as well av 1 (hat Chadwick ia holding you here by main strength; that you can never accomplish anything permanent whits Dunton and hi* cronies are at the steer-ing-wheel. It might be <1 Iff ere : if yoa had Ihe locql backing of yonr constituency—Hi* people served b> th* Short Line. But you haven't that: up VO date, the pepplfe' pi*, merely Inter-

“Go ou." said $jie boss, frowning

again.

•They' hare * stake In the g.tm*— the biggest of the ctake*. as a matter of fact—but it Isn't suAclet'tly apparem u». make them . climb to aud fight for you. They are niytog. wttk a good bit of reason,' that, after aU Ik "said and done. 'Big Money—WaD Street—still hfts the ' call, and any twenty-four hours may see the whole thing slump buck into graft and crooked politics." "It is so true •.hai you might be reading it out of a book." was the buss' comnteUt, Aud then; "Whnt'* the an-

swer}"

Mr. Van Britt shook bis head. T don't know. If you had money enough lo buy lira voting control fi. P. S. U, you roigto get Miiecwliere; but as It is. you're like a ret to Hades without

Cjflwa.”

"Tell roe' said Mr. Noreroas. after a litllc pause: "YoM're a uadse New Yorker: do ft a know this uuui Cai-

llugwuod Y'

"Only by bearsay. He is whnt our KiigUsb friends call a •blooming bounder’—-fast ynchto. fast motor-care the fa« set geu'-rull. Its * i«re:t* bad case of room y-wpoll. I fr- cy. They say be wasn’t a'weys a total toss." "DM yo:t ever bear that be was

uni fried T'

"Ob. yfts: he roerrled s Kentucky trirl some yeera ago: 1 don’t retnefober ber name. They aay sof at?od hiro for about si: month* and thee, j trooped out. 1 suppo-c h* need* kUi

j tog fur -tldti."

J At thi* tbe bus* went a step fart hex; | happen to know toe young woman."

(TO B* CONTINUED.