The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-16


so swollen and riotoAs It would not take
much to rend the party IN twain.
Argument is a waste of breath. We
have proved tiiat-fiat." Lisket, Abshire's
campaign manager, burst out 10 the con-
ment: ut remains to try-well; HMM,
influence. We must somehow ciinch
things before this time tomorrow, MORN
ing-or have the very deuce ana al 10
TELL us news. Iisk-if you can't keep
silence" Martin said. yawning as he
spoke. Martin presumed on the fact OF
heading. the Abshire delegation first in
structed. I.isket swore at him ana added;
News! II Ii come TO news OF q split.
/ Judge you'll stay home from congress
"Likely--and should have like poison
to miss five thousand 4 year, ear earned
In the sweat of my-ears, Martin said
TRANQUILITY: but somehow l can't be
afraid when Abshire sits there smiling
mouth"
lSet whistled Martin laughed exclusively:
"Abshire, Abshirer' he said. What an
oil magnate is lost in you! Here you have
been pipeplaying and we. swearing our
into unreasonable headsn'
Abshire laughed low. chuckling laugh,
but said, with deprecating wave OF the
hand:
Really. have said nothing. You all
know that trite old proverb OF course l
am. in this fight to stay-and win. |
looked over the ground as soon as came.
A deadlock or a disagreement would. it
appeared to me. be equally detrimental TO
the party. Naturally / have done what
could to prevent either
How? How? How2 That's what
want TO know Martin broke in. Lisket
said:
Go to bed. Tell all the boys to do like
XiSe--and to be very wide awake toward
II o'clock today"
After he had dismissed them he sat by
the open window smoking and thinking
deeply. II was well he had held to his re-
serves throughout the campaign. Subtle
work was needed-and Lisket had no
genius for subtlety He was all for max,
divided about equally with Abshire the
vote of the mountains and the midland.
Abshire knew that his hope and his fear
lay in the Cummin following-the rough,
hardy fellows from the river counties.
They were almost unit-more, they had
an open. childike enthusiasm for their
man. More strictly speaking. II was en-
thusiasm for their leader--that slouching
fellow Doss who had practically forced
Cummins candidacy.
Abshire had seen Doss only once, and
then half a block away. For many rea-
sons he did not wish nearer view. II
would be ruinous to meet the man and
talk with him face 70 face He had found
out, though. that Doss was desperately
poor-that he had sickly wife to whom
he was blindly devoted. II was said he
would give his soul for the chance of cur
ing her Hers was an obscure nervous
malady. for which complete change of air.
scene and environment might work won
ders. Recalling Margaret Wyeth. Alb
shire felt within himself q thrill Of viz
tuous sympathy, as he reflected that he
had made II possible for this unknown
woman to regain health and happiness.
He took. Margaret's picture from his
breast pocket and looked at It, his eyes
stdOpnlV 1pff She had ppada hin,
lover twice over by setting herself thus
TO spur his natural ambition Intuitive-
aspiration. He put out the lights. flung
himself. fully dressed upon the bed, and
fell asleep, his last conscious thought
'Margaret will be there to see my tri-
umph."
Margaret was among the very first
who climbed into the gallery She had
been there before. The place. had in
deed a fascination for her which had
betrayed to her father, Maj Wyeth. the
state of her heart. A veteran of many
conventions. he preferred to sit at his
In the turmoil of the floor He knew
many of the delegates. and entertained
Margaret with piauant scraps of inside
her innocent enthusiasm far to much
to even Intimate that there was ever
crooked work
IN the gray suit" he had said upon the
first dav. as the river county men fied
In. After little he had added. New
but man to be reckoned with. II you
notice, there has not been a minute since
he took his seat that he has not had a
knot of men around him."
Margaret had looked. and shuddered
family. She had caught the mans eye,
suddenly lifted. His face was melan-
choly. but the eyes had a CLEAN like the
lambert fickers she had seen upon mott
en- steel. when Abshire played guide TO
herr through the big furnace.
y can't make this fellow out" her
father went on. His face Is old-50 at
the least--yet he has the walk and the
muscle of, say 80. He Is the worst dress
ed man In the Cummin crowd, yet their
leader for all that"
This rough fellow came In on the min
ute as the third days session opened.
order he was on his feet speaking not
fiuently. but with a subtle feeling In his
words that caught the assembly Instantly,
and made i hushed and breathless.
Honorable Mister Chairman" he be-
gun, II take 1t thar amt no man 90
this floor who felt that he come hero
free. His people had sent him to say
who they wanted for goyernor-and he
as long rs thar was any chance o. getting
y for EN-. Now II has done been showed
that all the people CANT have their way
seeing that some wants one man and
some another Somebody has got to
knock under. a man. delegate even.
can only do what he can do
Right as trivetf' 60 II, Carter
County," "A Daniel come 10 Judgment
came approv'ngly from all about. Tho
speaker ciinched hts hands hard on the
back of his chair, Margaret watching
breafhlessly. saw that he had grown very
white 1t was the FIRST time he had adj
dressed the convention-she was sure u
was the first time he had ever spoken to
any considerable body OF men. lie did not
look al the chairman, but straight ahead
OF him. She sat almost opposite. so could
see the lsmbent lightning stronger than