The Saint Paul globe., 1901-11-14
The Globes Daily Short Story

carried his daughter off the reservation.
That is, he rushed her off to Europe.
suitor behind and desolating the hearts
of Percy and Mercy as if, he had driven
across those tender youthful organs a
cruel, steel toothed harrow.
1t was fully three weeks after the
FanninGS had left him and bereft him
before Percy had his Great Idea. 1t
was during that same period he endured
the prongs\ ofhopelessness which have so
inadequately been suggested. The Great
Idea came upon him one night in IL
dream. When he arose he actually be-
gan to whistle. For the first time in full
ly two days he ate hearty breakfast.
After breakfast he whistled some more
joyouSly.
The Hon. John Tanning, M c.. for the
Fourteen district, had been abroad four
months, and after flying trip up the
Nile, a hasty look in at Moscow, a
glance at the North Cape, and a few
weeks on the Partisan boulevards. was
back in dear old London. There he
thought he would dawdle awhile. where
people made much of him. AS for his
love- born daughter Mercy, she seemed to
have regained her ardent spirits and u
be no longer shrouded in grief. But
awaiting him in London the Hon. John
found urgent kilograms from friends
home which pricked him post haste TO
Liverpool and a home rushing steamer.
1t seemed from the tenor of these more
or less ambiguous messages, that the
nomination to his congressional seat.
which had been for three terms merely
perfunctOry matter was now SO seriously
threatened that it was odds if the Hon.
John would save the day, even by his
personal presence. Anyway, he must
hurry home with all speed He sailed on
the oath inst. The convention had been
fixed-fixed by the Hon. John himself
for the Sd proX So sure had he been
of his strength that he had planned to
be accorded renewal of honors while he
was personally 1000 miles away from
his constituents. Every day of the sig he
spent upon the Atlantic was one of per-
tnrbation. His agents had been mosr
emphatic as to the necessity of his home
coming, but had afforded him no details
In New York there were awaiting him
his private secretary and his chief polit-
ichai henchman. What they said to the
Hon. John he listened to with an amazed
and angry scowl. Then he promptly
hired a special train and flew Westward.
Two days remained before the convention.
The nomination was an election. The
Hon. John went into the battle with his
gloves off But the old warhorse found
his former retainers unaccustomedly cold.
At midnight on the I'd he knew he was
beaten, beaten he, the Hon. John Fan
ming, beaten by boy, who held a safe
majority of the delegates in the hollow o.
his hand.
Hes poured out money like water.
henchman, to the Honorable John "Nev-
ef saw anything like it, SIR he added.
in 3 tone of begrudging admiration,
He had us beat before 12e eve, even knew wha-
.But what the devil does he want.
Who does he want?' shouted Tanning.
NJ c., irritably, desperately and even
rngrammatically in his rage.
The chief henchman looked slum.
.'That's it, Mr.. Tanning. He amt u can
didate himself. One day / asks him.
plain What is it you want yourself.
il it's a fair question: I says. He kind
o. grinned, then. You might tell Mr..
Tanning if You like says he. very po-
lite, that I'm taking his advice to get
rid OF my money and map out a career.
"'Oh says l.
:" Yes he says. tell him. Mr.. Bad
ger, that al. last I'm really going TO do
something. y
Mercy" shouted the Honorable John.
rafting open q door, and hailing the
hallway above. 'Mercy Send note Tor
Percy Calber to come over here at once
Eyes, papa" responded dutifui white
rcbcd figure from the dininess above.