The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-21
Gain Of One Political Career


IL
elections and preiudices that served 70
decide his choice of candidates, but pus s-
mess his business. and pleasure. were
upperrost with him.
With The girls whom he employed ~. ne
had the reputation of being oISltS
gay chan for his age, he was past o.
and he made no particular elolt 70
cloak his gallantries or to assume those
virtues when he had not. The men Win
whom he associated knew him for
sport" but they agreed that ne was
frank healthy liberal fellow. and tndt
though they always suspected MS mo
tives" in dealing with the pretty women
whom lie employed, he was square
Probably he was as selfish as most lllel.
perhaps he was what good women
would call a hbertine sport Is tHe
word men use to express the same type
In the olIlce where he was supreme
The confidential clerks, all women. can
ed him TT ank' and We'd for his 1aNot'
But when Anne Kimbal the new stem
ograpEer, was installed. she refused 10
indulge in any sort of tamllafllf- 9HS
was very pretty and no longer chllu l
She had the ways OF an honest woman
great brown eyes that looked at every
one and everything with gentle. but GER
tain candOr There was no nonsense
about her. Being poor, she work nara
but cheerily. Being Virtuous, she dld not
Cverdress her comely person, nor DeuSch
herself with gauds that must be eltnel
sinister or counterfeit when worn py
honest pretty women who are Door
Manager Frank Humphreys at once
installed her in favor He was respect
full, but infinitely considerable. She dldn
know anything of HIS motives. but TOOK
IL for G'anted that they were goou.
When her mother was i'll and she lost
a week from the office, her pay was sent
to her. The other women IN the once
were jealous. and exchanged wlnks. Ber
Anne minced her work and said MI.
Humphreys" At Christmas time he
sent her d beautiful present to her
home. To the other girls he gave pres
ents at the office. Her office present
may have cost a dollar. The other, the
one that went to her home. must nave
cost ten. This was an extraordinary III
dication of delicacy in him, and Anne
was glad that her envious associates
knew nothing about it,
Finally, Mr. Humphreys, having pros
pered as a manager started business
of his own He asked Anne to take
charge of his office. She said that II
might make the others jealous, but ne
told her that he meant to take none OF
them with him. He wanted only ner-
for his new Office.
I'm to be married in the spring, Mr..
Humphreys" she said, not seeing HIM
vince, and perhaps I'd better stay
here. You've been very kind to me, ana
If [ thought you really needed"
Il do-that is, 1 hoped you would re-
main with me-Id like that; butt
you're to be married, perhaps you'd bet
ter not come" And he looked at her
with a kind Of wistful regard that she
had never seen in him before.
The new firm of Humphreys &
Houghteling prospered for while. Then
it held its own for six months. Then 1t
refrigerated, and a last, after two years,
it failed, utterly, disastrously, ruinously.
Perhaps the young bankrupt had for
gotten Anne She had left the old firm.
He knew that He determined to re-
frfTW h = h
when he heard that the international
Traction company meant to take a
hand in the approaching municipal
election. He met the spokesman of the
traction company, and some ward bosses
and a banker. He became a candidate
for the city council He was to get d
regular salary of $25,000 a year for
looking after the interests of the Inter
national Traction company" When he
entered into this agreement he didn't
exactly realize that he was accepting
bride. But he was elected, and he stuck
to his agreement. In the course of the
first session he found out that there
were always other opportunities to do
business" with certain Legislative
agents. who intimated that if he voted
so-and-so, and would take this key and
go down to this and that deposit vaults
he might find a little present in the shape
or negotiable stock, or bonds or if he
preferred it. greenbacks. The news
papers from time to time printed vague
dlatribes about the city council com
bine, etc, but Humphreys noticed that
this only caused a majority of his col
leagues to laugh, and he, too laughed
When his term ended he counted his
money and decided he would quit pol
tics. Things were beginning to look
ugly. Too many Legislative agents
seemed to know that he was "aDDrOach-
able. Most of his colleagues Of the
combine" were beneath him in intel
ngence, IN morals. in ordinary decency.
a I
him, asking too many favcrs. bandyinC
his name in too many low places He
mad not saved so much of his per
qulsltes' as he had hoped. Still he had
$4,000 and owed no man. He resolved
to get out. He quit the town and went
over to Indiana to get clean" start
When he get there he felt like a new
man Something of the utter paItriness
OF his political % career began to dawn
upon him. He experienced a new and
strangely sweet access of virtue He uuit
sporting and became honestly exact
In his dealings with men and women.
lie did not prosper financialIv but he
was content. He began to realize that
il-gotten money is unlucky Believing
that, he became more philosophicaI
calmer, better poised. He noticed tina t
his hair was getting gray. but he was
yet IN good health and only So Some
times he thought of Anne and honed
that she might have been hapDilv mar
ried. once he caught himself saying.
God bless herr" He had a fair Dosi-
ton, was in the confidence of his en-
ployers and lived quietly and with
dignity among the best people of the
town. But one day in the newspaper
he read that certain members of that
city council in which he had served bsd
been suddenly indicted Bribery. cor
ruption, the sale of franchises and bin+e
of coming sensational disclosures filled
the columns He began to scan the
dancing pages of print for his nan ne
There it was! His past was rising IN
He meant to run away and hide. bIIt
before he could form plan he was ar
rested and taken back to the old scenes