Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-08

stay home from Congress this time
"Likely-and SHOULD hate like poison to
the ss swea Of martin sad tram
gully. But somehow l can't be afraid,
when Abshire sits there smiling like
craven image. never opening his mouth.
ket whistled. Martin laughed explosively:
"Abshire! Abshire,'s he said, what an oil
magnate is lost in you! Here you have been
pipeiaying and we swearing ourselves
reasonable headsr'e
Abshire laughed, low, chuckling laugh.
put said, with deprecating wave of the
Really. have said nothing. You all
know that trite old proverb. OF course 1
am In this fight to stay-and win. looked
deadlock or a disagreement would. 1t APP
peared to me. be equally detrimental to
the party Naturally L have done what I
could to prevent either
How? How? How? That's what l want
to Know Martin broke in. Lisket frowned.
Abshire yawned slightly. he said:
Go to bed! Tell all the boys to do like
wlse-and to be very wide awake toward l.
After he had dismissed them he sat by
the open window, smoking and thinking
deeply. 1t 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 making deals
with the Allison men,. Allison divided about
equally with Abshire the vote of the noun
tains and the midland. Abshire knew that
hf3 hope and his fear lay In the Cummtn
Ioliowins-the rough. hardy fellows from
the river counties. They were almost a
un1t-more, they had an open, chEd-like
enthusiasm for their man. More strictly
speaking. 1t was enthusiasm for their leader
that slouching fellow Doss. who had prac-
tioally forced Cummin's candidacy
Abshire had seen Doss only once, and
then half a block away. For many reasons
he did not wish nearer view. 1t would
De ruinous to meet the man and talk with
him face to face. He had found out,
though. that Doss was desperately poor
that he had sickly wife to whom he was
blindly devoted 1t was said he would give
his soul for the chance of curing her. Hers
was an obscure nervous malady, for which
complete change of air. scene and environ
ment might work wonders. Recalling Mar
garet Wyeth. Abshire felt within himself
a thrill of yirtuous sympathy. as he re-
hected that he had made 1t possible for this
unknown woman to regain health and hap
piress.
He took Margaret's picture from his
breast pocket and looked at 1t, his eyes
suddenly soft. She had made him her lover
twice over by setting herself thus to spur
his natural ambition. Intuitively he felt
that love was the root of her aspiration.
He put out the lights, flung himself. full
dressed, upon the bed. and fell asleep. his
last conscious thought. Margaret will be
there to see my triumph"
Margaret was among the very first who
climbed into the gallery. She had been
there before. The place had indeed fas-
cination for her. which had betrayed to
her father. Major Wyeth. the state Of her
heart. veteran of many conventions. he
preferred to sit at his daughters elbow
rather than mingle in the turmoil of the
floor. He knew many of the delegates. and
entertained Margaret with piquant scraps
of inside political history though he re-
spected her innocent enthusiasm far too
much to even intimate that there was ever
crooked work.
''H-m-m! He's new-the lank fellow in
the gray suit he had said upon the first
day. as the river county men filed In. After
a little he had added: "New-but a man
ha, 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 faint
ly. She had caught the mans eye. sud-
denly lifted. His face was mild and melan-
choly. but the eyes had a CLEAN like the
lambert flickers she had seen upon molten
steel when Abshire played guide to her
through the big furnace
Il can't make the fellow out her father
went on. His face Is old-fifty at the
least-yet he has the walk and the muscle
Of say. thrtyfive. He's the worst dressed
man In the Cummin crowd. yet their leader.
for all that"
This rough fellow came in on the minute
the third days session opened. BY the
time the chair had done rapping for order
he his feet speaking. not huently,
but with a subtle feeling In his words that
caught the assembly instantly. and made 1t
hlished and breathless
Honorable Mister Chairman" he began,
Il take 1t thar amt no man on this floor
who felt that he come here free His peo
pie had sent him TO say who they wanted
for governor-and he was bound to say what
they told him. long as thar was any
chance o gettirg IL for EN-. Now it has
done been showed that all the people can't
have their way-seeng that some wants one
man and some another Somebody has got
to knock under A man. a delegate even,
can only do what he can do.
Right as a trivet" Go it, Carter coun-
ty." "A Daniel come TO Judgment came
approvingly from all about. The speaker
clinched his hands hard on the back OF his
chair. Margaret. watching breathessly.
saw that he had grown very white. 1t
was the first time he had addressed the
convention-she was 1t was the first
time he had ever spoken to any consider
able body of men. He did not look at the
chairman, but straight ahead of him. She
sat almost opposite, so could see the lam
bent lightning stronger than ever in his
eyes.
Such being the case he went on.
Judge Cummin has asked me to withdraw
his name
Cheers frcm the Abshire men shook the
roof. Allison's supporters sat ten seconds
in stunned silence. then added their cheers
to the babel Of hurrahs The river men
were hurrahing, too-not over heartily. but
nearest the speaker smiled almost grimly.
He was holding up his hand imploring
silence When 1t came he went on. every
word vibrant with tense emotion: Our can
didate being out Of 1t, these boys here"
looking around at the men clustered back
Of him. have said they'd vote as I might
choose for EN- l choose-that they shall
vote each man accordin to his conscience.
| am going to vote for Mr.. Abshire' again
the cheers were deafening and prolonged
because I'll get $1,000 for my vote. and
have got a mighty pressin' need O.
money.
Stunned silence: then pandemonium. A
few Abshire hotheads charged upon the
river section, but were flung back whence
they came. The chairman splintered his
gavel in vain poundings. In the midst of 1t
two Allison men almost forced Abshire's
accuser upon the rostrum
This Is a thing that cannot be allowed
to stand upon anybodys bare word. one of
them said. "Show your proof-if proof you
have"
The accuser opened a worn and faded
pocket book and took out crisp and rust
ling half sheet of paper 1t was note to
the president of Abshire's city bank dated
the day before, and running:
Dear Thwaite; Pay to the bearer, for
my use. $1,000. This shall be receipt for
the same. Oblige, yours hurriedly,
SPENCER ADSIJJDE