Show J f f By y FREDERICK JOHN Jm UR UPHAM 1 1 ADAMS Author of The Kidnapped Colonel Monro Monroes Doctrine Etc j I 1902 BT nT I All AU rights 1 COPYRIGHT 1903 BT Dr UPHAM ADAMS I I reserved reserve I A. A J. J t CHAPTER Continued Youve got him all right roared r Hawkins grasping John Burts Burt's hand Im proud of you my boy I came cameon en on to help you out and now I find that you have turned the trick without without with with- out me Is there anything more you want 1 Yes es JohnWell John J rc Well you'll get her Ill I'll back your Judgment that she Is waiting wait waft wait wait- waiting i ing g in for far you Speaking of Peter Burt Hurt how bow old did you say he Is Nearly ninety J. J a i And AntI you wish me to see him f d Think Ill I'll wait walt J until hes he's a hundred I it d declared John Hawkins Joking i aside Ill I'll go with you any day you sa say and Ill I'll be damned glad to meet x the old man Only Ill I'll promise not to tor j r sw swear ar again In his presence r They talked for hours and Haw Haw- Mr bins s listened with Interest to the disclosures disclosures dis dis- closures made by Sam Rounds con con- corning the Cosmopolitan tan Improvement Improvement Improve Improve- Improve I 1 t Vi j ment Company r t 4 A messenger arrived with a sealed letter Jetter from the alderman Informing John John Burt Hurt that the bribery money had I x f c been been wen paid pad over or deposited With the h seven even aldermen supposed to to be purchased pur- pur pur- pur purchased I. I f ch chased chased sed Morris estimated a majority I of four In favor of his new franchises t. t j He was so sure of speculative success success suc- suc 0 cess cess that he had fixed the dinner a party to General Carden Jessie Edith t I end Blake for Tuesday evening the evening the c date of the council session when his ordinances would come up for or final A r I h hive have ve waited years for this m moment moment mo mo- o o. o ment he said dramatically Hi His s face paled slightly but he was no not t abashed From the hour I saw you u in Hingham I have admired y you u and now Low I ask you to be my wife As you know I think a great deal of f you more than I know how to tell you The governor governor dear dear old governor governor- endorses my choice Say you you will have me Jessie He had not forgotten the peroration of his carefully prepared and oft re proposal and concluded b by y dropping clumsily to his knees There was more more of demand than of pleading pleading plead plead- pleadIng ing in his manner Jessie Cardens Carden's eyes flashed as she looked down upon him Arise Mr Air Morris and make an end to this scene she said as she Instinctively drew away from him I il cannot marry you You must respect this answer as final finaI Her voice was low but firm and andt t toe the e dark eyes held no gleam of hope r Morris struggled to his fee feet You told me to wait walt two yea years years for for you and I have wait waited d he he exclaimed ex ea claimed harshly This is a strange reward for my patience and for my I Kindness to your father I told you I would not marry within with with- in two yea years I have kept my word I T made no other promise I shall not no t discuss your business relations relation with General Carden You certainly have not considered me a part of them Since our dinner engagement rom orom- b A l YUL v I V fv y r I t e I tr r t I 1 ri S I- I It r action The news of h his triumph f should should come to him while he was rev Fling in the charm rm of Jessie Cardens Carden's Gardens Garden's presence The contemplation of ot this pleasure sure inspired Morris Morrs with a new Idea The The dinner should celebrate his formal for for- mat mal mate e engagement to Jessie Carden Garden The more more he pondered over over this brilliant bril f nt coup the more entrancing did it seem J- J Jf f t j. j His carriage drew up at the Bishop I residence an hour before the time 1 set for the dinner He waited with impatience im im- I v patience for Jessie and was effusive In his bis greeting when she entered the drawing drawing room You are more than prompt Mr Morris she said releasing her handI hand y I have something to say to you to ask y you you u Jessie Are we likely to be disturbed here l I think not What weighty secret have you to disclose Mr Morris I r Pray be be seated Tho great house was silent and the yellow ellow light of the setting sun Bun flooded i 1 the room Jessie was superb as assha shel she sho l J c calmly awaited the declaration her intuition intuition in In- r. r t tuition l told her was forthcoming She rould not find in her heart the slightest slight slight- est feeling of pity 4 i rr t sympathy fori for i Arthur Morris no pleasure to eith either r of us I will release you from It Pray excuse me Gel General eral Carden will be with you pre pres presently pres- pres Dont go I beg of you pleaded Morris as Jessie turned to leave the room ream Your absence from th the dinDer dinner din din- ner Der would well would well It would be very embarrassing embarrassing em em- dont don't you see I wont won't say anything more about about about-about about marriage but Lut please go with us Something may Inay happen which you would like to hear about You will go wont won't you Miss Miss Carden Jessie yielded to this this' miserable entreaty entreaty entreaty en en- treaty and a moment later General Carden entered the room and relieved an awkward situation Jessie took small part in the conversation as the carriage rolled down the avenue avenue but Morris chatted gaily with Edith Han Han- cock He secretly nursed his his ang anger anger r but Jessie not noticed ced that he studiously I ignored nored General Carden CHAPTER Sam Rounds Repents Cosmopolitan Improvement stock was strong and active during the session session ses- ses ses ses- sion slon preceding the evening set for the consideration of its franchises Brokers Brokers who acted for or Arthur Morris 1 U 1 J f stood on OIl the floor of the exchange I and l bid a the stock and took aU all of of- f- f fring The price mounted steadily bt but tut rapidly I IJ There r te w was h heavy vy sel selling l g from flam some unknown source and at atthe atthe atthe the close enormous blocks came out The rumor spread that James ames Blake wa was selling the stock When his representatives stood in the excited mob Lob and boldly proffered Cosmopolitan Cosmopoli Cosmopoli- tan in thousand-share thousand lots the price tagged ragged but Morriss Morris's agents came to the Uc rescue and it closed Just below th the top figure A published poll poIl of the councils council s showed owed a majority In favor of the ordinances and wise speculators predicted predicted pre pre- that In the expected boom of the morrow Blake wo would ld be severely punished Blake denied himself to Wall all callers The transactions were recorded recorded recorded re re- corded in the n name name me of f John Hawkins and that gentleman sp spent ni all all' allot of ot his his time with Mr B Burton Early Early In the the d day y John Johi sent for Blake I Air Mr Mr Hawkins an ana ana- anaI nd i- i I I have arranged to Lq attend t nights to-night's session of the council said said John Will you Join 1 I us us Jim rc Pd Id like like to jo but I have another engagement engagement engagement en en- replied Blake Ill try to drop in b before fore the the session is is' over Long b before f re the chairman called the city fathers to to order the the hall haIl was cloudy cloudy- loud with tobacco smoke There was little that was impressive in the I personnel of he he muni municipal lp l Solons nor was their gathering marked by dignity It is s a sad reflection that the average a city council Is fairly representative representative of its c constituents constituents- It is the mirror of of urban Ignorance deceit and cupidity of the varying grades of venality relieved by a sprinkling of upright but too often Impractical men Righteousness enactments are wrung from such bodies only by f fear ar of ot public indignation and corrupt measures go down to defeat only when detection and punishment faces the I majority John Burt and John Hawkins looked down on this motley crowd of civic statesmanship Various minor matters had been debated de de- debated bated and decided when the chairman announced d that the hour set for the the consideration of the franchises of the Cosmopolitan Improvement company had arrived A clerk read the ordinances ordinances ordinances nances and each alderman was provided provided pro pro- vided with a copy of them Alderman Hendricks arose and was recognized He was the accredited champion of the Cosmopolitan fran fran- He made an able presentation of the arguments In favor of ot the pending pendIng pending pend pend- ing ordinances He was empowered by his constituents to vote in their favor he he said sald They promised a much- much needed relies relle from the exactions of ofa ofa ofa a grinding monopoly Theirs sponsors were wealthy y reputable citizens whose words were as good as their bonds Th There re could be no intelligent unselfish unselfish I ish opposition to these measures and so on on onto to an eloquent peroration It was wal a good good speech and worth all that was wa's was paid for it Others followed In a similar strain though not so so logically or cally c lly A Ii- well-drilled well d claque In the gallery g ll fY applauded at proper intervals Other speeches were were made for for and against the the ordinances and arid then Alderman Alderman Al Al- derman cerman Hendricks moved the previous question It was carried and the roll- roll call ordered The clerk pencil in band hand began his monotonous task First ward ward Alderman Alderman Patrick aye A sor sorI yelled a shrill voice The claque applauded vigorously Alderman ski Sabo-ski Aye sounded a clear tenor I The gallery was again ag ln liberal In its approbation Alderman Rounds called the I clerk A tall t ll awkward man rose and faced the the chairman His red hair was plastered plastered plas plas- over his forehead and his hands hands- cE seemed emed med in the way In one of them he held a package and in the other some loose papers He H raised his eyes eyes to the gallery and an they twinkled as they rested for fora a moment on John Burt Air Mr Mr President I desire to explain my vote vote on these ordinances There was no objection The The j Cos-j J J T partisans p s n-j n believed that Alderman Alderman Al Al- derman R Rounds had had i been en w won won n overto over overto to their side and aid were willing he should attempt to explain I the e reasons reasons for tor his his change of heart Mr Chairman began Alderman Rounds Hounds placing his papers on the desk and with his hands bands plunged in his pockets two years ago when the original Cosmopolitan ordinances fame came up for passage I voted an spoke against them I was opposed to them theman theman theman an an said so When these bills were proposed I made mad a careful study of them At first I was not in favor of ot them but certain gentlemen presented present present- ed the subject to me in a new light an I agreed to vote for the passage of the ordinances now under tion The Cosmopolitan aldermen joined 1 the claque in the applause which followed followed followed fol fol- lowed this declaration Air Mr Chairman continued o Sam Rounds assuming an easy attitude in inthe Inthe Inthe the aisle I dont don't suppose theres there's any anyone anyone anyone one in this honorable body likes money money I d do Wh When n I began t to m make ke money in l Bosses back In Massachusetts it wa was like kerosene oil on a red red hot hot stove The Themore Themore Themore more I I Ig g got t th the more I wanted an as 4 some of you know Ive I've done pretty fairly well Sam Rounds reached out and picked a small package from the table and I looked at it longingly Alderman Hendricks Hendricks Hen Hen- j dricks turned in his chair and gazed uneasily at the speaker There wa was I something in his manner which caused a hush to fall on the assembly r r. Mr Chairman said Alderman Rounds sl slowly unwrapping the package package pack pack- age as he continued money Is the greatest argument in the world Logic is a fine thing but money beats logic I admire the man who has the gift of ot eloquence like Uke my honorable colleague colleague col col- league from my ward but money can give eloquence a handicap an beat it every time Money Money- Air Mr Chairman Interrupted Alderman Alderman Alderman Alder Alder- man Hendricks we desire to proceed with this this this' vote vote much much as we are I f charmed harm d by my my colleagues colleague's trite reSections reflections re re- Sections about money as an abstract proposition The question before the board is the disposition of these nances I demand that the alderman record record his vote Alderman Rounds has the floor i decided the chairman Thank rhan you Ill I'll not take up much of your time said Sam Rounds As AsI I was savin Im I'm uncommonly fond of ot s money an when the president of the Cosmopolitan itan Improvement company came to my place of business an said he he would pay me ten thousand r I dollars for my vote in favor of these ordinances I just went plumb off my center e ter an n told him I would consider It a. t. t I couldn't see anything else in the J world but that figure one with fourc four c ciphers ciphers after it an a dollar mark In front of it Mr Chairman you never had to work hard or trade for a livin an you cant can't realize how I felt when he placed this here package in my hand Sam tore away the wrapping and disclosed a layer of crisp banknotes Every eye in the room was fixed filed ODthe on OD the speaker as he be stepped forward and lai laid J them on the chairman's table Dazed and demoralized no no member o ot 01 the opposition dared interrupt To be continued |