The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-09-04


mon council committee, and a men,
ber-prompted thereto by a friend of
Faith Stoddard-asked him for an
opinion on the Zenobia avenue ques-
ton. He gave it in a strong and SEN
sible speech that won much favor he
made estimates. weighed probabilities,
deprecated delay and finally suggest
ed trying samples of several different
kinds of material. He was amazed to
find what ready favor greeted the idea.
The compromise struck the fancy of all
but the cobblestone men, and they
were in a clear minority. Three days
later the committee had reported to
the full council and the work was or
dered.
1t was pushed energetically. 1t was
thorough. BY reason of the sharp
debates that preceded, it attracted at
tention and men saw that the young
engineer knew his business. The
Morning Post" described the opera
tions in detail. An Albany paper one
of whose editorial writers had married
high-school friend of Faith Stod-
dard, printed a long article upon the
Palmyra paving experiment as an in
teresting phase of improvement in
municipal management and a praise
worthy effort to reduce the choice of
paving material to a scientific basis of
actual experience.
The topic went the rounds of the
country press. Finally, a great New
York paper in search of dull season
topics devoted a half-page article to it,
with illustrations-Faith Stoddard
kindly loaned some amateur photo
graphs of the work to the local news
writer who supplied the article-and
the people of the town began to feel
that they were persons of rare virtue
whose foresight was providing an ex-
ample by which future generations
would profit.
The paving was rapidly done, but
before it was quite completed the res
ignatlon of City Engineer Murdock
and the disclosure of the trolley COM
bination threw the town into a fever
of excitement. There were within
twenty-four hours more than as many
applications for the vacated place.
Otis made none, but he was at once
discussed as the ideal man. His name
occurred to hundreds who would never
have heard it but for the delay and the
unusual comment upon the paving.
The long campaign was over, but
Faith was at it's end obliged to face
the fact that, though Otis was the
| popular candidate, the members of the
common council in whose hands the
appointment rested were about evenly
diVi1ed. Some of them favored, for
business reasons or family interest, the
claims of one or another candidate
from outside the town: and it prom
ised to be a case of the field against
Otis, with victory for the favorite by
no means certain.
On the afternoon before the
vote Faith paid a call on Edith
Janey whom she knew to be
out of town, and encountered Edith's
father, the president of the new street
railway company. This new but DOW
erful organization could influence a
vote or two directly and might affect
| others. 1t was understood to favor
| Murdock's assistant, an amiable young
| fellow of no great force of character
| who, it was thought, would not when
| in office cast too many difficulties in
the way of new enterprises that his old
chief might need to undertake in the
| city's streets. To Janney, therefore,
Faith Stoddard made frank petition
that the two corporation votes should,
after complimentary vote for the
assistant, be cast for Otis on the second
ballot If one became necessary.
BY Jove!" cried Janney, 'it ought
to be done, and it shall be done, on one
condition. 1 don't believe we could
land our man, anyhow, and it might
be well to stand with the majority
But on one condition, mind you. How
did-you-do-it?"
DO what?" asked Faith, opening
wide her innocent eyes.
Come! Come! That won't do. You
have brought an absolutely unknown
man to town"
THE idea! I never knew him at all"
We'll, you have made an absolutely
unknown man who drifted into town
the chief candidate for a good office
and not soul knows you had anything
to do with it. l didn't suspect ii myself
an hour ago, by George! Now out with
it,"
Faith had made up her mind Janney
was man to be trusted, and she told
the whole story without reserve TO him
adding at the close: And now you're
to keep my secret as well as I kept
yours about Murdock's resignation and
the formation of the company"
ITS bargain" cried Janney. "You
can go home now. Your candidate is as
good as confirmed, and If / ever want
a particularly impossible political mat.
ter pulled off, I'm going to engage you
to do the planning"
V.
And Wen live right here, and papa