| Show I 1 2 e P PLUM L U IT I 1 TREE rl L ja R E E by y DAVID G GRAHAM RA AM PHIL I 1 LIfIS author ol of the cot cost the deluge ete etc tl td ha I 1 by br LK lepaw pAw continued from last weed week so edid I 1 did r rl lied ed 1 I he was your anly chance na U bont he alclo sel gel a cam campass campa paig Sg fund of so much as a guarter lu arter of a MI million and the best besta workers at A hiis his party will at h heart e art be again ag pt bim simpson would have had well Goodr chodrich Co odrich kh clotild and would could have got him him Burb burbanks ahks eyes eves twitched 1 I think youre your e prejudiced prejudiced against 4 senator ivator Ii ator goodrich harv harvey ey sald h he tn in his ats gentlest tone lie e Is first of ill all a loyal loya p party mar man loyal fiddlesticks replied I 1 i he js agent of the wall street crowd his barty hes just t the oraf ordinary machine politician with no party feeling than than i I 1 smiled than any other man behind the tbt scenes 1 burbank dodged this by taking it as q a jest lie he alwa always s shed my fr frank ank speeches as humor prejudice prejudice ice harve ya 4 he said IF gilld reproof we need G 0 dalch ald I 1 paroda me I 1 i interrupted we do not need him on the contrary we must out odthe party councils it if W we dont hema yUry to help scarborough abe te senate sg sate safe no maur matter whid elected president ples ident and goodrich will fely felyon on ik 1 to tosane save his arlo crowd a 1 hes haa a i of vanty vanity end and the two defeats weve given him 1 have made every devepy atom o ot ahat at va vanity t bulver alth th hatred of us i 1 I ia iva 2 el a 1 1 k VA Z b 0 9 U when he called said burbank 1 I 4 am ture ure yau you would hive bivel changed ching ad houi 0 u 4 mind e J k s 4 r cai ichen an does he rie resign E 1 gia hip hi chair manship of the national committee I 1 asked he adred top jend bai bad health and resign within two weeks atter rt he c T t burbank gave I 1 an embar cough dont you think harvey i aid he th atlo ebblie his vahit vanity yIt It might be as well tor for us is tor for you to let him stay on there nominally of 0 courses I 1 know you care nothing fo for titles instead of being angered by this attempt to cozen me by this exhibition of treachery I 1 felt disgust and pity how nauseating and how hope less to try to forward forwar done ow so BO blind to td his own interests so easily frightened into sui surrender render to his vo rat enemies ButI spoke very quietly to him the reason you want me to be chairman for it Is you that want and need it not I 1 the reason I 1 must be chairman is because the machine throughout the country must know that goodrich Is out and that your friends are in 14 in what other way can this be accomplished 1 complis hed y he di dio not dare try v to reply I 1 went conj on athe e stays at the head of the national committee scarborough will be elected you are prejudiced harvey please dont af ft again gigin jav gov 1 arnor erno i 1 I repeat goodrich must give gire place to me or scarborough will be e elec elected d you do G mean that you would e vaz carge e from him 0 la a queer voice after a lorg long lor g pause 7 while awas in n pt t louls louis corfu to make y ou u president pres dent said bagdi Ba idI 1 edg ai youself re a the of the strongest candidate dida te he retorted his bitterness distinct though kag ardea arde 0 t ft nesy at yes M r A aes t iw 47 wl IWA with the people hv hlf replied Preci precisely Bely said bald 1 I dut but the people are not going to decide decide this wr W r I 1 t I 1 1 ab e part VilnA r re e to be va eo cosell closely drawn that money will bave the deciding vote tote the men who organize and direct industry and en they ari are going to decide it and in spite e at 0 Good goodriche richs traitor p ous us Jeffort efforts 9 tb n has bas p p the tha man who can cant t get a penny arni rna them I 1 in fact I 1 had bad just juse discovered that scarborough had bad instructed pierson Pl ereon whom lr he iliad ih dd made chairman of if ills iiii campaign cot dot lo 10 to take any maw money from any corp corporation oraton even if it was offered dut but I 1 thought it wiser to heep keep this he sat folding a sheet of paper again and again I 1 let him film reason it out finally he said 1 I see your point harvey but I 1 practically promised goodrich practically asked lira to remain I 1 waited 1 si for the baked aabel of pe e cause li went on aber he sv saw lip lie was to get rio beep from me a any and ill all personal sacrifices mutt must be made it if you insist on having goodriche Good richs head I 1 will break my promise and pard pardon oil lc fac again I 1 interrupted my mood would not tolerate twaddle about the cause and promises fromi burbank burbank Bui bank whose pe cause a as chehad he had just shown afre afresh bh was himself alone and who promised everything to everybody and kept only the tee most advantageous he bad made absolutes absolu tey j y sure how his advantage lay its til a matter pt indifference to melt you wish to rethink I 1 goodrich 0 o so he ha must not be dismissed as a taper pe r foual soual favor to me the favor kd is t to Q you 1 do not permit any man to thimblerig his debts to me into my debts to hm him B burbank seemed deeply moved lie he camel came up to me and took my hand it is no not jike ike my to use the word indifference in fit conne a tion me hl imald aad I realized zed how completely comp letey the nominal tion had turned J hii hiB head bead for alg h A tone was that of odthe the ireat man ad dressing his henc henchman niah I 1 did not t keep keegl my chaus ement ci cut of my eyes james said bald I 1 ia difference la is precisely tho the word I 1 should welcome a chance to withdraw from this campaign I 1 haye have power yew want place the time bascome lo partnership say so and trade foff olt to b adrich i t V j he e was angrys through ah and th n not so much at lr ny bluntness as at my lay having seen into his plot to help him A 2 16 41 I 1 only inov 1 had to come self belt at aj iny by expense tor for not even when I 1 bowed jt to him could ibe see that it w ws to hla his interest to destroy goodrich ch moral coward that he was the course of conciliation al ways alfi aled lo him ebether lt it was wise pr pot and the course pf af c courage ir always frightened him he bit his lip and di dissembled his anger presently henegan he began to p pace ace up and do down n thel the boom room his alsi head bead bi b at t his rands i clasped behind him after after perhaps five minutes he be paused to sar YOU yau Inet stoa a taking the tha place r batore him and 10 r g ion tb have also a personal per Bonal reason Is lawall law Sll 11 fo founded und ed james eald said L 1 1 I fl I 1 I 1 put in myself self in a position aher I 1 sho should uld haqq td ask as as a favor what I 1 noi now get sj right it if I 1 help you to the t e presidency I 1 must be ama master s t er of the national machine of the party able to use it with all its power and against any py onel gerej here looked hirr bin strat tir tarl ahe ey e iwho shall try expense personally leaie we a friends and lt it jha hax bee been d plea sureta t rile rde ita to help e eleva levata jenaii I li nad But butth th there ere Is n L c I 1 friendship in affairs except I 1 where friendship andl interest in point th tb 11 same way 11 I 1 ll C is s st f rang ge e thata mar mai of your experience should ex paa from me at a time ches you grou are showing that you fi I 1 me deeven eveh K the friendship of enlighten ed self loprest youir is Is than your theory harvey said he be putting 0 on au 1 injured l ook look and using his hl chest tories tones A better friend never lived than yon and I 1 know no other man nian who K feats as the ib absolute solute loyalty you get lie he looked at me earnestly what has changed you be asked why are arb yu so bitter bittar and sot BOSO BO SO unlike your even tempered self belt I 1 waved his question aside I 1 bed no mind to urn him my uncovered y coffin in n w alt I 1 thal h tg tenant nh who 0 only slept or to expose to him the feelings which the erect and fearless figure of arl lied had set to stirring in me im careful to choose nil ms friends thenes from among those who caa serve gerve me and whom I 1 can ca therefore serve I 1 said and that Is the een ben of the wise I 1 wish ut ur to remain friends therefore I 1 must be able to bo be as useful to you can be useful to me goodrich shall go was the upshot of his thinking til telephone him this afternoon Is my old friend satisfied you have done what was best for yourself said eald 1 I with wholly ado go od humored raillery and we shook hands and I 1 went I 1 was glad to be alone where fa 1 could give way to my weariness and disgust tor for I 1 had lost all the joy of of the combat the arena of ambition had now become to me a ring ding where men are devoured by the beast in man after hideous battles I 1 turned from it heartsick heart sick it if only I 1 had le less e intelligence less insight I 1 thought so that I 1 1 could cheat myself as burbank cheats himself or it I 1 had the relentlessness relentless nesa or the supreme ego of wh at lt ce ei great men to trample without a qualm to destroy without pity to en remorse r V CHAPTER aa an amy nerves n etael lt f ae ael I 1 as it i geuy his fin length not a al aeda I 1 as the a 11 da 0 f delthy ere creay of the 4 56 sl t I 1 ap pp b ahto e strike I 1 s adil A a 1 ortal blow I 1 dis isad business a ar 5 and I 1 Is e 1 luisini quisini qui sini on taffy akes with rest colw non sandys I 1 afterpe Aft erwe e had been knocking about berb perhaps abs a week we landed one noon at the private jejer jot p tho the Liscow Us combes bes I 1 to lunch with them I 1 I 1 the fr trout ont bf the house sev er le gadesta for lunch luna were were just from a lon buci board w at bight of inq pt ni them r da sh ort ins adel 1 I 1 mechanically 1 continued t tc walk toward her bel J I 1 her I 1 ansta n aly the 4 4 of her e r ih shoulders tou ad e r 3 the poise ot of her jet black hair to J and Andt vl th out the slightest arning there came tumbling and roaring up ul tafil to me a torrent or of longings regrets eab anit aad I 1 suddenly had a clear understanding ot of my absorption ii in this wretched game I 1 had been playing year in and year out with hardly a glance from the table that wretched game with its IN counterfeit stakes and the more a man wins the poorer he la fig she seemed calm enough as she aad face me indeed iwas not sure when she bhe had first caught sight of me or whether shoo she had recognized in me e until mrs liscombe begin began to introducer introduce tro duce ducer oh yes ye ohe then interrupted 1 I remember senator styler sayler lera vear very well we used to live in the same town we went to the same school chool ian alid with a friendly smile mile sho ih atte ve me her hand what did I 1 say bayt I 1 do not know but I 1 am sure bure I 1 give no DO sign iga of the clamor within I 1 had not nol cultivated murnace calm all those years yean in vain I 1 talked and she talked b but ut 11 vi ll saw baw ElIMA only eniy her tace face splendid ful fulfillment t ot of th the promise ot of girlhood 1 I hardly heard her words so BO greatly wash was her voice moving me it was waa an unusually deep voice for a domall sweet and with a curious carrying quality made 11 beem stronger than it was wu in figure she was delicate and ot of life and health aglow not ablaze she was neither tall nor short and was dressed simply but in the fashion I 1 hird hard the other women discussing her cloth clothes es after she and she still had the mannerism that was most fascinating to me she kept her eyes down while she was talking or listening and raised them now and then with a full slow look at you when mrs liscombe asked her to cometo come to dinner the next evening with ith the people she was visiting she said unfortunately I 1 must start for washington in the morning I 1 am overhauling my school and bull building ding an addition it had not occurred to me to think where anere she had coma corn fr from m or how she happened to be there or ioel lany thing in the years since I 1 was last wit the that she bad a school lame came as a shock she was sa southerly so utterly m my notion of the head ot of iLsc bool I 1 think she saw or felt what was in mygind my mind tor for she went oni docto acl me i ive had it six years abw nowr arthe the next will be the sev anth edw i do you like 10 I 1 asked dont I 1 look like a happy woman 1 boudot I you Yo do IT ia bald sal I 1 1 I 1 I after our eyes had met byck you ar are 1 there were 60 girls last year 63 at aishe next year there will be more about a hundred its lik ubba garden and I 1 im the gardener busy from morning till night with no think of anything but my plants and flowers she ae had conjured a picture that mado made my heart ache I 1 suddenly felt aldand sad and lonely a forlorn failure III 1 I too am a gardener sa said id I 1 L i but its a sorry lot of weeds and whistles thistles es that keeps me occupied and in the midst of the garden Is a plum tree that bears dead sea fruit she was silent you dont care for politics said 1 I no she replied and lifted and lowered her eyes in a slow glance that made mo me wish I 1 had not asked it la is I 1 think gardening with weeds and es as you say then after a pause do you like it dolit ask me I 1 said with a bitterness that made us both silent thereafter that evening I 1 got fred to land me at the nearest town the train the she must have been on had bad just gone in the morning I 1 took the exers tor for the east cast arrived at washington I 1 drove straight to her school A high iron fence ance not obstructing tho the view from the country ro hotd a long drive under arching and beeches beaches bee ches a rambling fascinating old house upon the crest of a hill many windows a pillared porch a low very wide doorway it seemed like her in it dirk dark cool odorous beauty beaty sho elie herself was in the front hll directing some workmen why se sen ator Sayler Sayer this Is a surprise lift u she v said adin advancing ng to greet me but tf tJ fc al 31 there was iwas no 0 bugg suggestion estion of oa I 1 tur our prise bulb er t 0 no or her bei look ollya only a friendly welcome to an acquaintance aca acq sw shw led led mt room to the lett left the furni pictures were in ghostly draperies everything was in contusion confusion we went oni on to B side eide veranda seated ourselves out selves she looked inquiringly at tee ne III 1 I 10 lo do not know linow why wai waa my j awer awer 1 I only know I 1 lad to come she studied stud iZil me ii e calmly 1 i remember en 1 r a her look everything about her the embroidery embroider y on tak the sleeves and ancl bosom blonise blo iise the buckles buckler on oa her white I 1 rein remember ember also |
