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Show I STINSON'S DIPLOMACY. I 1 I BY CURRAN RICHARD GREENLEY. I tCopirkhl 1501. by Curran Pilchard (Jrecnley.) T1U rcnl boss of the campaign committee com-mittee leaned ucross the tabic ami r.og'il a heavy forefinger under I Brackett's nose. 'Vvp cinched the llnest wire thai was ,uf n jlltil. ;ind when them -wire Kct done p-lln'. Bill Garret's chances avo dead and mined on, or m name's not .11m Stinson. IV Interviewed Miss Elizabeth Meath. ' nnd slip's oum." TV emphatic tinker stopped, as Brack-: Brack-: tti spranpr to his feet. "Voii-1011 interviewed Miss Heath in .ni favor1" -Yc. Why not? She's a power, she Is, ' Tith nm ff Hows' wives down in the Trnlh ward, en she's a lady right, you Ufl." ; Brcckctt dropped limply into the chair Iflilnd lilni. while Stinson poured out the J I'l'tory of his II upon Mls.s lleatii, the i prxidenl of lh- 'I Iypatia.' In a mixture ef slang1, plentifully sprinkled with "sez ; 1" .ind "sez she.'' Stinson took niucli i ijJorv to himself that lie should have Ejvoucht of this clever stroke Just at the I fijmlMl tMJlnt of the campaign. Miss Jilrth'j Innuen"" in certain (inarter was anbgunlf(l Down in tho Tenth ward. wlier" Ihe tall tenements gloom above thf river, the little children of the poor watched for her coming, and the tired mothers told her all their trials and troubles, trou-bles, all their simple ambitions and Utile Joys, finding a ready sympathy. Stinson had hoard of Miss Heath through that channel,, imd It was to those poor, tired mothers that he looked for a controlling voice In -the ote that" would go up from the Tenth ward. Stinson had also counted count-ed on the lever wielded by Miss Henth na president of the "Hypntla," the woman's wo-man's club that, led not only In tho city, but In the State federation. The federation's federa-tion's Interest once aroused and Its influence influ-ence brought to bear, would mean a powerful pow-erful leavening at work for his man from one ond of the State to the other AH 1 his and more he poured into the unheeding unheed-ing cor of firackett whose mind was engrossed with the one thought the Intolerable In-tolerable shame that this man should have appealed to Elizabeth Heath In hi3 name. Bevond all considerations of the Governor's Gover-nor's ofHce, of his nolltlcal future, his mind reeled with the Intensity of this ono thousht. Slinson's last words as he stood in the doorway recalled him: "I told hr that you would call in a few davs and discuss the matter further. She yeomcd rlsht willing to take a hand, after she had chewed the rag a bit, and I saw "Elizabeth, there was fate in Sanson's San-son's call." as how a call from you would sorter clinch it. Women folks has to be made up to. 1 reckon you know all about that? "Well, so long. Mr. Governor." and Stinson was gone John Hrackett turned off the, light and sat still In the glow of the lire. Tho warm rays danced over his fast-slivering head, bringing out the lines of the tired, old-young old-young face, and accentuating in grotesque gro-tesque shadow tho droop of his .'ihoulucrfl. "Her name on tho lips of this course man. Out of .the silence of the years to heur it f'jr the t'nSt Ume in this manner." Ho had been uwuv so long in' the lower part of tho State that he had quite lost i'icht of the changes that muat have tome to her as well as to himself. So alio was a social leader now. a clubwoman. Jle remembered the pleasant family circle, as he had known it. and wondered If It yet remained unbroken.- Out of the coals oprang tho picture of the gill, IQIIzabclli Heath, as he had lust seen her, that night when he luid told her- good-byu forever. He could almost hear himself speaking the slow, fateful, relucts.nl words. In which he had told her that the bond between be-tween them must bo broken for reasons over which he had no control a half-con-tldonce that, In the light of present knowledge, knowl-edge, he knew to have been far more cruel, more cowardly than a silence that would have left the poor solaco of believing- him utterly unworthy. jle had scarcely thought of her when returning to the old town. Tfe bad made the move for political reasons,' and one hotel is much like another to a man who had forgotten the meaning of home. Like,. ono groping' through tho dark", picking up the tangled ihreuds of a dropped web, John Bracktl threaded back through the; mazes of llftcen years fifteen! - I Brackett's tread grow less resolute and I his foot scorned to drag Just a Utile as' he turned Into the well-remcinborc.d' squarn and saw the white columns of the Ticath home among the trees. Old l'eter opened the door. A little grayor about the fringe j of wool, a little more stooped, -but tho. .icmo old l'eter, shuffling down the hall ahead of him. The house was painfully familiar. There In the cornor was the little potteo among the palms, where, they had sat that rainy day. He rnmornbered the shadows that tihlftcd over the pale blue gown Hint sho had worn, ajid fell agalo the touch of the soft hand in his the hands that were like no other hands In all the world. Old Polor's shuflllng steps had died away and tho hotipo was still. Then he heard hor step ipon the stair and down the hall and fOllzabeth stood before him, unchanged, except for tho graver lines about tho (Inn, sweet mouth and a deeper light In tbo dark eyes. Bracket grasped her hand with an almost pnlnful force, "You have been quite a loag while In claiming your old friends In Warnlleld, Mr. Brackett." Jt was a merely banal greeting, but the commonplace served to place Brackett on' the right footing. "Most certainly, and yet I feci that I should apologize for this Intrusion, had I not eomo to make apology for a greater enc that was made In my name."- "Tou allude to Mr. Sllnson'.s call sho laughed, lightly. "Mr. Stinson doos mo the honor to consider ino a force in lhn political situation. I assure you I appreciate appreci-ate the compliment, as the president oi-the oi-the 'Hypatla.' But as Kllzabc-th Heath, T r.'.ust bej to decline It." Hrackett mado a plight movement ' toward to-ward her. "I beg you to consider the nmn nnd his total ignorance as to Ihe enormity of what he wnS doing. It was .1 distinct shock In ni" o hear your name upon bis Him, and " . - , . 1 "1 understand," she replied, quickly, V '.' ; :-r ' "Believe me I did not connect you with 11 In the least. In fact, when he men-toned men-toned that you would call to discuss the mntter. I wa3 very certain that you were entirely innocent of all knowledge of his errand here " Brackett flushed darkly. "I trust you will treat this Incident as if it had ne'ver been, and. of course, there i.eed bo no question of your support In a political sense." Hero they both laughed uneasily. "So muc:i so." she responded, "that I will use every effort to further the cause of Gov. Brackett." Brackett sprang to his feet, his dark face aglow "Elizabeth!" Miss Heath held up a warning hand. "Mr. Brackett, fifteen years have come and gono slnco any man has held the right Jo call me by that name; we were speaking speak-ing of politics." Brackett submitted mutely ns sho led the talk around to other questions of tho dny, lightly and easily, giving him time to ilnd himself In Ihe talk of old friends and places. "And the General, how 13 he? And your mother?" She looked at him wonderingly. "Is it possible that with all of Mr. Slinson's information he did not tell you that 1 am living alone with my Aunt Jane? Father and mother both died within one month of each other ten years ago." Brackett turned abruptly and walked to the window. He understood many thing.- now all the loneliness and the beautiful truth of this woman who had lived her life so bravely. The sunlight . In the square was blinding perhaps that was whv ills eyes were wet as he walked swiftly down the long room and drew her hands Into his. Elizabeth, there was fate In Slinson's tall the fate that has watched us both through all these years. There were ghosts that knocked and waked my starved heart last night ghosts that would not he silenced. I was a coward then; a coward not brave enough to humble hum-ble mv prldo nnd tell vou of the burden that lay between ub and when death removed re-moved that burden, it was too late, 1 thought; but I am here now to plead my case afresh, here at your mercy. "We are older now, and there is little youth left us. and for God's sake don't let pride stand between us and that little. YVill the president of the 'Hypatla work for mc as my promised wife? Will she. Elizabeth?" Old Peter shuffled down the hall unnoticed un-noticed and stood In tho doorway a brief second: then he ambled away, mopping his eyes. "I thought that was Massa John Brackett. Brack-ett. 1'se certain now for auah!" |