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Show B CTie flekv Mayor H Bued on C. II. BrotdhwM'i Succeuful B riky 1 The Man If f m The Hour ; By ALBERT PAYSON TERHUNE. Ml ' C(prlKit,HV7,byOcori;elMtruailliuret. r - ' CIIAI'TKIl XI. S T noiiml of tlio Invoking fati nil K J three iiardt'lpaiits In tin-IK' tin-IK' ? HtrmiKu iciitilon turned, l'or 13 i V g second or more they fucud 1 tlie. crlmhon faced, iliim rounded Perry j ultliout n word. Here wns nn element I In the iifTnlr on wlilcli neither I'lielmi ! nor Cjintlilii had eounted when kIvIiii? ' ' Tliouipson their pnuulxt not to revenl J his Identity. They Knulnully re.illzetl j tlil, mill II left even the ready wilted ' I'lielmi Hpeeelilchi. t Perry himself was Urs-t to lireak thi spell. "Well," ho olisered, with nn ass'iinp-lion ass'iinp-lion of nlry scorn Unit wnn meant to lie annihilating, "yon all i-eeni quite fti happy. Don't mind me! I'm Horry to Imtt In on this cute little love text, hut rjj 1 left a llnnece here. Perhaps one of H you eau explain what's happened to B j her since I" B h "Oh, Perry," exclaimed Cyntbla, i "don't he silly! I'll tell you all about j! It some tlm. It Is" "Some tlmel" squenlcd Perry, rage f' battering down his attempt at sarcasm. Hf'J "Koine timet Maybe It might be Just Bw as well If you did condescend to ox- B R plain. Here you promise to marry me. Brf and ten minutes later I II nd you In a jg cntcli-ns-vatcli-eiin hug with this ugly M i little shrimp and Pliehiu looking on as ll happy as If he'd eaten a canary! And HfJ then you've got the gall to tell me wlf you'll explain 'some time!' " hlf He glared nt Cynthia In all the' maj- H(pJ esly of outraged devotion, only to sur- K prise on that young lady's face a look K that Indicated a violent struggle with HK the desire to laugh. HfJ "This Is funny all right, 1 guess not!" Hc; he snapped. "Cynthia, jou'vo mauled Brf and smashed a loving heart, and I'll i f make a hit with myself by forgiving j you, but as for you," wheeling about Bfl and thrusting lite furious face to with- B'li In three Inches of Thompson's Itiuiio- BlE bile countenance "as for you. I'm go- B if Ing to do nil sorts of things tu you the Hj moment Miss Garrison will have tut B i kindness to shassay out of the room B 'I Your sorrowful relatives will li.te all B''.''S manner of fun sorting you out when Bh I've Mulshed with you! Steal my HB'U' sweetheart, would you, not ten lulu- Hi' utes after I'd" BK "There!" Interposed Phelaii, shoving BB, his pdwerfill hulk good iiaturedly be- Bv; twecn the two younger men and link, BSt lng his arm In Perry's. "Now you've BB ' got quite a bunch of hot words off BM. your chest, an' you'll be lu better shape BM ( to hear sense. Ain't you just a little ' Ba', bit asliamed?" BMkI "Ashamed?" spn(tered Pel ry. "WhoV BV4l I? Well, tlutt"- BBti "Yes, you, youngster, and If you hoi- BBa l ler like that III eomp'ny I'll sure be BK7 forced to wind up by spanklu' you. BMr& Now, stand off there no. over there BM K where you can see Miss Garrison an' Hf listen to me. So! Now, first of all, BBl did you happen to be In love with this BBf young lady!" Bfl "It's none of your measly business. BS. but I did." BBj4 "Wby'd you nsk her to hitch up with BB& you for keeps?" i BjB '.'Because I loved her and" ' j BV "Decausc you had a lot of faith In BH her, too, hey?" persisted the alderman. BBj "Yes, and a nice way she's" BK "Pretty girl, too," mused Phelaii as BbW if to himself, "In my young days If 1 Bit could 'a' got n little beauty like that BB)! to sign articles with me I'd 'a' thought BLI I was the original Lucky Jim. I'd" BM,- "So did I!" Interrupted Perry hotly. HlSt' HBJI But Phelnn was continuing In the BBTt same abstract monologue: BKf, "An' 'f could 'a' seen from her BBtiiI eyes (like any dough head could see, BBT J ' , from Miss Garrison's) that shu had a BB' heart as big as a watermelon on' as BBT true ns a lllblo text an' as warm as n BBb, happy man's hearth tire well, If I'd BB& seen all that an' got wise to the gor- BJI geous news that that same heart was BBw Just chock-n-bloek full of love for my BB own ornery, cheap skate self I'd 'a' BB flopped down on both knees an' sent BBf up a bunch of prayers to be allowed to BB? go on (1 ream In' an' never, never wake BBV Bft'' I'lielmi paused. This time Perry did BBV not break In, and the half audlhie inon- BHi ologue continued: BBV- "I'd have bad the sense to know that BE n girl with eyes like those couldn't be BK n flirt nn' couldn't double cross the BBs mnu she loved If her life depended on BH her doln' It. I'd 'a' licked any guy that BBil said she could, an' If I'd seen her kiss- BRj In' another mail I'd 'a' punched myself BBS on the jaw an' called ni.t-elf a ll.ir BBV That's what Jimmy Phelaii of the Bfi Klghth would 'a done. An' " BB ; "Say," broke In Penv In n curiously BBVi sulslued voice. "These eyes of mine BB do funny things sometimes. I'll bet ?!) BBb,, they played a Joko on me Just now. BB And even If they didn't I don't believe BBk! 'em, Cynthia, I'm dead stuck on you! BBJg You're nil right even If you did happen BBw to be acting n trifle eccentric a few BBW minutes ago You cm explain or not, BBW as you like. If you'll Just say you love BBV me, that's nco high with yours truly." BH lie slipped nn nrm about her waist BbT v us he spoke. r.vi:nidl,v seeking to ntoiie for bin icceiil linger. The secretary sec-retary looked si tlii'iii for an Instant, then said brie ',, : "Yoit'eati tell him. Cynthia. He's a goo.l ft How. Cot. e u:i. nlderpiiii). I think ,miii u'.i t I t-illl have so.iie'ttllug tO S.l. to l'll"'l In" " Cynthh and Persy drifted away to ward the eo!is'ivat.ii,.i ir-.tln. ipi'te n llvlous of the n:!iurs. wii.le Phelaii a.i I the secretary made their way to a inserted in-serted alcove off the billroom. 4 "I'xe been looking all over for you Mr. Ueuuett." called Judge Newman buirylug out through the chain of mite-toonis mite-toonis as Alwyn wandercsl out of the ballroom Into the foyer u few moments Inter. "Anything linporant?" asked Ueti-nctt, Ueti-nctt, pausing In his stroll and greeting the older mini cordially. IIo had known the Judge as long as lie could remember remem-ber and had always bail u decided liking lik-ing for the pompous henpecked little dignitary. Surrounded ns ho was by political Intrigue, heartache and association asso-ciation with rogues, the harassed young man rather welcomed the variety promised prom-ised by a chat with bis old friend of his boyhood. "Anything Important, Judge?" he repeated. re-peated. "Or are you Just taking pity on n lonely chap and giving him a chance to chat with you over old times?" "Well," began the Judge, his customary custom-ary nlr of pom-fs pom-fs pous nervous-'. nervous-'. a uess 1 1 n gcd "Jm B , conciliatory LfJ business t a 1 1; I V don't mind dls-1 dls-1 cussing work at Wk "Not lit all. "y I've had the honor of danc- 11c slipped on iirrii lug with three nbom her lid lt n 0f your dailgli-fie dailgli-fie Kpuhr. torH ,hIs ,.VUII. Ing, and the least I can do Is to repay such pleasure by" "IJId j on. really?" beamed the Judge, on whom the unmarried state of his four fast aging girls rested heavily. "I'ni sure Mrs. Newman will be pleased. Hut this business matter. You you won't misunderstand me" "Of course not," replied Alwyn heartily. heart-ily. "You and 1 are too old friends. Judge, to" "I hope fo: I hope so." conceded Newman, New-man, with growing anxiety In his tone. "You see" "I see you have some trouble coming to the point." said Alwyn. pitying the Judge's evident discomfiture, "and I'm sorry you feel so. You were my father's fa-ther's friend, and I like to think of yo'i as one of my own best friends. There surely should be no hesitation in asking ask-ing anything In any power to grant." Thus emboldened Newman blurted Ollt! "I we that Is, seems to me you have been a little hard upon this Ilor-ougli Ilor-ougli franchise bill, It you don't mind my saying so. Hcnnctt. Couldn't you let up on them now?" "Why. no. Judge, I can't," replied llennett. still falling to connect New man with the Wnlnwrlght-Horrlgin clUpie and attributing the judge's Interest In-terest In the matter to an amateur's love of dabbling lu politics. "I can't let up on Jlmt light." he continued. "All perpetual franchises are wrong, and this particular franchise bill Is rotten to the core. In sheer Justice to my oath of otllce I must tight It." "My boy." said the Judge In a fatherly fa-therly manlier that he had often found successful In argument. "1 wasln poll tics long before you were lwrn. and I'm sinking for your own good when I say I deeply regret the stand you're taken In this matter. You objected'to the bill in Its original form. Almost every change you demanded lias tceii made in It. As the gentlemen who asked tne to speak to you said" He checked himself a minute too late. Th? narrowing of Dennett's eyes und the vanishing of the friendly light in the youug man's face warned New-mau New-mau he had made a fatal error. "So you come to mo as an emissary, not ns a friend," said Heunett slowly, "and the 'gentlemen' you come froni" "Are the men who represent nil Mint con innkc or break your career capital and political organization." "In other words, Walnwrlght and Horrlgan?" "Yes. All they nsk Is that you remain re-main neutral; that you" "Thnt I look tlio other way while they rob the city?" "I am an old man, llennett." evaded tho Judge, trying another lack, "and Pro seen one rash step wreck many a bright career, Just as this will wreck yours. Never antagonize wealth and the organization. The public for whom you sacrifice yourself will forget you In n month. Capital and politics never forget." "I nm not ciivr'flug lo the public. 1 mi) acting i i own conscience" "Hut this 1m stubbornness, not eon-science. eon-science. All you have to do Is to le main neutral. If you do thl I am authorized to promise you now. listen to jiromlsc you the noui'iintlon for governor when your term ns" "That'll the bait, Is it?" cried Alwyn angrily. "If I consent to betray my trust I'll get the governorship. The bribe- Is golden, and I don't wonder at Ilorrlgau for offering It. The only thing that surprises me Is that he should have chosen such n mau ns you for his lackey nnd go-between." "'Lackey!' 'Ilrlbe!' 'Go-between!'" echoed the Judge In re.il Indignation. 1 "How d'nre you, sir? This" I "Isji't It n bribe," Insisted Alwyn, "aud weren't you the man chosen to offer It? It will do you no good to bluster or grow Indignant, In your .iw fifty yyt'vv-. ,&, heart you know tl-c vim-drf I used r,vo dozened. The goveiiorshlp off,1! was n bribe, pure und simple, and wur !iy tho modern highwaymen who ma I., but thnt you. ajudge a former f tU id of my own blameless father th-'t .mh'' should come to me on such a vile er-1 rand turns mo sick. Heaven help j tlce nnd right when our judges can be controlled by a political Iwss und n roll of bills! That's nil! I don't care to go further into the subject!" Hcnnctt wnlked nwny, leaving the little lit-tle judge to stnre after him, pink with wrnth, speechless with nmazoment, In nil his sixty years no man had thus laid bare to Newman tils own heart, utrlpped of Its garments of respectability respecta-bility nnd self deception. And, ns usu nl In such cases, now thnt the truth had been driven homo to htm. Newman wrathfully denounced It. even to himself, him-self, as a lie. Still Hushed nnd Incoherent, lie wheeled wheel-ed lo face a trio who were Just returning return-ing from the slipper room. They were Dallas, Glbbs and Walnwrlght. "Hello!" exclaimed Walnwrlght In surprise. "What's tho matter with you,, judge? Are you III?" "If If Mrs. Newman should come to know of this," sputtered the Judge, glaring from one to tho other, "she" "To know of what?" queried Glbbs. "What has happened?" "Happened?" fumed Newman. "I have been Insulted grossly, vulgarly Insulted!" "Insulted, Judge?" repeated Dallas. "By whom?" "By Alwyn Bennett!'' snapped tne Judge. "Outrageously" "Impossible!" exclaimed Dallas. "There must be n mistake somewhere. Mr. Bennett is too well bred to Insult any man. much less a mau so much older than" "A gentleman. Is he? I should not have believed It He has Insulted me most" "I'm not surprised," observed Walnwrlght. Waln-wrlght. "I am," announced Dallas. "Naturally." sneered Walnwrlght. "If you can remain on speaking terms with him nftcr his abominable treatment of me you can easily overlook any other brutality of his." "Tell us about lt. Judge." Interposed Glbbs, seeking to nvcrt any further clash between uncle and niece. "I went to him," began Newman, "bearing n request from from" The Judge paused. It was not wholly whol-ly easy to present matters to this honest hon-est eyed youug girl In such n way as to bring her in his way of thinking. But Walnwrlght felt no difficulty. His shrewd brain caught at a menus of turning the affair to account) "You see, Dallas," the financier bro'ce In, with u warning glance to Newman, "I lieggcd the Judge to Intercede for me with Bennett, to ask him to bury the hatchet and let us be friends again for tho sake of old times. I thought Judge Newman's age and, his high office of-fice would compel a certain respect even with a mau of Bennett's character. charac-ter. But I was wrong, and 1 am sorry, judge, for the unjust humiliation 1 caused you." "I don't understand." said Dallas, looking In bewilderment from one to the other. "Judge, my uncle sent you to mako overtures of peace? And Mr Bennett refused to" "He not only refused, but called Mr. Walnwrlght a highwayman and" "But why?" demanded Dallas. "He pretended to misunderstand what I said about tho conditions." "Oh. It was n conditional offer, then? I thought" "Certainly there were conditions," cut In Walnwrlght, again coming to the emissary's rescue. "I asked that he take n position of neutrality In re-gurd re-gurd to tills Borough bill. Simply neutral, neu-tral, mind you. Not to change his attitude atti-tude In Its favor, or" 4 "That was a splendidly fair offer." cried Glbbs enthusiastically. "So It seemed to me." agreed New-man, New-man, "but Bennett would not listen when I tried to point out his proper line of duty, IIo called nie a go-between and" "Even after you told him we were grouting practically all the concessions he had asked In the bill?" queried Glbbs, "Yes," said Ncwiunu, "He must ha some motive behind It all. 1 can't" "Nonsense!" exclaimed Dallas. "What ulterior motive could he have?" "That Is more than 1 know positively," positive-ly," returned the Judge mysteriously, "But I do," declared Walnwrlght. pointing at Dallas. "There are tho reasons!" rea-sons!" "I?" exclaimed Dallas, Incredulous. "Explain, please." "Willingly," replied her uncle, "If you'll give mo a fair hearing Bennett Is lu love with iijO you. He knows Cy1 , -. Glbbs aso wish- aBk yv) es to marry you. IBB M "e knows, too. BBH BjA llmt ;lbl"'' f"r BBBb I fliBJI the of BTM wraWB "' I' or011 Kb BbB- unw franchise. If the fcBBJ- ViUl "HI li beaten. rBBr w RIbls wl" l0 IsBBl m lr'tc-calb' rulu- 3Bk By ed and ,thus in BBw -Bj no position to 1 " marry. We've 7.tcj, known nit along S of this reason ..., , , ... of Bennett's for "ZSlWX l.tlng our bill. .uu we juaut. but Gl(bg f()r. bado me to tell you. He was nfrald you might think he" j "1 don't believe ono woid of It!" cried Dallas, her big eyes nb'la.e. "Awyn Bennett could not stoop to such a I thing." "No?" said Walnwrlght. "Then you probably will refuse to believe what I am nbout to tell you now. 1 considered consider-ed Borough stock a safe investment, nnd I 'nit all your money nnd Perry's I in It, Bennett knows t'.ls, and In epllo of tho knowledge lie is trying lo kill the franchise even on the certainty of beggaring you nnd Perry nlong wltli Glbbs. If only he enn ruin Glbbs h? cares nothing nbout mnklng you nnd Perry paupers too. That Is the sort of man ,'ou are defending ngaiust yotii own uucle. I have Jus: learned besides be-sides that he has secretly, through his brokers, sold large blocks of B6rough stock short. Thus his veto that ruins us will make him a very rich man." "It isn't true!" ntllrmed Dallas In dogged certainty. "Mr. Glbbs, do you confirm this story of my uncle's?" "Please leave me out of this. Miss Walnwrlght," nnswered Glbbs gently. "I prefer to sny nothing to prejudice you. When I fight I light fnlr." "Even at tho cost of all your money," amended Walnwrlght. "Glbbs, this Is carrying your sense of honor to an absurd ab-surd point. And Bennett will" "Pardon me." broke In Alwyn, entering enter-ing the foyer nnd going up to Dallas. "I'm a little late for our dance. I was detained by" "Alwyn!" exclaimed Dallas lu relief. "I'm so glad you enme here just when you did. Now vie can clear this up in a word." "Clear what up?" queried Bennett, glancing nbout In susj.lclon nt tho three silent men. "You know Mr. Glbbs Is favored In the Borough Street railway affair," began be-gan Dallas. "He told you so at your office that day we were there. Well" "Yes, but don't let's discuss business tonight." replied Bennett. "This Is our dance, and" "Walt, please. You knew his fortune was largely tied up lu Borough stock. Charles WalnwriQht. but here Is something you dldu't know. My uncle says my money and Perry's Is all Invested In that stock and that If you defeat the bill we will be dependent depend-ent on Mr. Walnwrlght's charity. If that Is true, you didn't know It, did you?'' Her voice was almost tremulous In Its eager, confident appeal, but Bennett forced himself to nuswer: "Yes; it is true, and I kuew It." The eager glow died from her eyes, leaving n look of dawning horror. "Aud. knowing this knowing Perry and 1 shall be made paupers by your action you still Insist ou" "On opposing the bill? Yes. I nm soiry. but It Is my duty." "Duty!" mieered Wnlnwrlght. "Your 'duty' was done when you etoed the bill. That net made your position clear and showed hie public how you regarded the measure, so why go on fighting It after" "I wpn'j discuss this with you. Mr. Walnwiight," Interrupted Bennett. "Wo already understand one another, you u ml I." "My uncle says." pursued Dallas, "that you mnde your broker secretly sell Borough stock short, knowing the deal would enrich you. Won't you even deny this?" ' "No.'-' "Yon realize what all this foolish stubbornness must mean to me to all of us," continued Dallas, "and yon still persist in your opposition?" "I must," said Bennett. "I can't turn buck. Oh, Dallas," he added, dropping his voice till none but she could hear, "can't -you trust me only till Friday? I'll come to you on Saturday morning I nnd tell you the whole miserable story. I I only ask you to wait until then. Please" "I see no need of waiting for an explanation." ex-planation." retorted Dallas aloud. "I ' understand everything." j "But you don't understand!" Insisted Alwyn. "I"- "I understand only too well," repeat-, ed Dallas. Cheeking his reply and lg-, liming the anguished appeal lu his ; eyes, she turned to Glbbs. "I have kept you waiting long for your answer, Mr. Glbbs." she said, speaking In a level, firm, emotionless voice. "I nm prepared to give It to you now publicly. You have often asked me If I would be your wife. My reply Is, 'Yes.' " "Dallas!" gasped Bennett in horrified surprise. TO UK CONTINUED. |