The Topeka state journal., 1900-05-26

that's their plan.'
SO I've heard-and I guess it's right
Well, I'm afraid I amt got enough
The doorbell rang, and Landor left the
room. He was gone a long time. Jean
took his place, and Blair talked to her
of the old times on the prairie. Finally,
after walking up and down the room
nervouSly, he came close to the girl.
May L tell you a StOry2" he began
''f-lirty years ago your father and
plOughed prairie and herded cattle to-
gether out in the Short-graSS country.
We studied as we worked, and believe
we did the best and highest thinking of
our lives in those lonesome days. We
were friends, neighborS, and at last NV
ais for the love of the same girl. Meth
er seemed to advance in her favor be-
yond the other. One summer-1, :
think it was-we both had a fine crop cf
growing wheat. One afternoon, just
before harvest, a hail storm came up
When it was over your fathers wheat
was ruined; mine was untouched. Such
is the mystery of Woman's love that
from that day 1 lost ground with the
one we both wooed. She married Jonn
Lapdor-and 1 went away to study law
and politics"
The girl was watching him intently.
4 succeeded fairly well in law, and
| then came the opportunity to get an Of
flee. I had no money and success meant
| debts and obligations. 1t was ineVlta-
| ble-if / had known it all, would not
| have entered the fight. / have paid
|
legations are yet unmet. You ask me
| to throw away a chance to discharge
| the obligations and pay off the debts to
| favor one who took away from me the
| one loved"
| He was your friend in the time Of
need" The girls eyes were downcast-
| Il know it and so was l his. He
| was much the older and he is the older
| and poorer now-but it is a great deaI
to ask"
There was a call from I.andor, and
| Jean went to her father in the hali-a
messenger had brought in some news of
| a far-away prairie precinct
When father and daughter returned
to the sitting room their visitor was
gone, and a side door ajar told how he
| had departed.
Martin returned to the hotel jubilanr
ITS all right" he told the leaders. The
old mans scared enough to come tc
time and the thing to do is to make
him give a promise. He's gone out tc
LandOrS, but won't stay long, and tho
look on his face says that he amt Stuch
on the job of breaking the news. -
| McLaren, Shrewd and crafty manager
of the First ward, nudged the sheriff
Martin II steer us through all right.
So when Blair returned he found a. pc
remptOry demand from the committee
that he should give a. positive answer
yes or no, in the matter of the postoffict
appointment.
]
morrow" was his reply, "one hour be-
fore the convention meets
He pleaded headache and went to N:
room, refusing admission to any one
even his closest friends were denied
This again encouraged Martin, and hi
considered the battle won.
The congressman placed the Issue
Squarely before his mind. He might y.
a coward in dealing with the self-ap-
pointed bosses of his party, but he wa!
honest with himself. 'I was about tC
ask her to take her mothers place IL
my life he unused. but would it be
right? She might do it-I think she
would, for she is that kind of girl, and 9
congressman is not a common thing out
here. 1 could give her father some
thing equally as good and could pre-
pare my own path for a good thing at
the end of this term. Maybe could
heal up the sore spots so that WoUlo
be elected again and again. 1t was 9
pleasant prospect.
, But after it all came the remembrance
, of the days when he and John Landol
l sat side by side on their ponies out II
the short grass country; when the oldel
man counselled, advised, and protected
him: of the devotion and respect he fell
for the friend who had struggled
2 through drought and hot wind and sick
ness. A mortgage was on the litIli
house in the suburbs. he felt sure. Ant
= | then came the face of the woman in
prairie cabin many years before an
her later image glorified by his recollec
4 tions. Blair bowed his head and los
? himself in it all.
: Some time far in the night-or was
I just at daybreak2-a knock begged ad
/ mission. He paid no attention Repeat
ed and repeated. it broke through hi
determination and he opened the door
5 John Landor entered, took a seat ol
5 the window ledge, and threw on tn
cheap ash dresser a large envelope, we
2 worn and stuffed with papers.
I That's my application for the post
= Office" he began.