The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-04
CHAPTER XVII.

Just now Shacklctt was under the infiu-
ence of this plan drawn for him by the re-
ligious girl. as her creed taught her omnip-
otence had fixed the life and end Of all
men, or, as the old pagans thought, the
fates wove ones influences into a web that
human power could not unravel He was
influenced by 1t without knowing it. and
he did feel something of its power over
him. But he was always frank with her,
and, while he wished he could measure up
to her standard, he never tried TO stretch
up on his toes TO reach the mark she set
for his head.
II think shall be busy next winter" he
told her on one of his visits. "for it looks
like 1 shall have number of clients whose
interests will need attention In the Legisla-
ture. The street railways are to be sand
bagged in great shape, and somebody will
have 10 look sharp or their franchise priv
ileges will be clipped so much that it won't
pay to clip coupons from their bonds.
1T doesn't always seem right to go into
the laundry to work when other men are
handling the clean. new linen in the stores,
but 1t seems rather hard to get position
as lady-killing clerk just now, and the
wages paid by the people who make BUSH
ness of washing dirty linen are very sat
isfactory. After all. it's much like being
lawyer before jury; the other sides try
ing to slug your client without being made
TO suffer for IL, and you're hired to make
him suffer for his rashness. You rub up
against all kinds of people and all kinds of
wickedness. and you're bound to lose the
bloom CT the peach in the scramble. But
IL seems the proper thing for me just now,
because the only thing that can get to do
H~. - MITE 1r afrf
OF harmony with being engaged to a girl
like you"
Which argues that I'm a very weak
GIRL she INTERCEPTED quickly. land no girl
considers that a compliment II you allow
the work to pull you down to a level with
the worst men you meet you are not the
man 1 think You're engaged to me be-
cause 1 think you have force of character
enough to walk through a marsh without
tramping knee deep in the mud and slime
there"
II have force and character enough" he
unused aloud, but the trouble is that my
character has as much force on my fathers
side as on the side of my mother. I've got
the nerve to hold up the State of Illinois
IN a dark Official alley. and I'm just as apt
TO do that as to fight off the sandbagger
who attacks my friend or my client"
I'VE used TO have the funniest discus
sions at school about whether heredity or
environment is the greater force" she
smiled, land now well see what effect this
'environment-to wit. myself-will have upon
you in conjunction with the heredity for
good you get from your sainted mother
You bring up more interesting prob
lens for solution than all the other men
ever knew combined"
And like this they talked beginning with
persihage, perhaps. and nearly always end
ing in jest, but with some interlarding of
ethics and philosophy, on each of his visits
TO her. When he was in Chicago Shacklett
sat for hours thinking over these things.
u he had been a savage recently intro
duced to missionary he would have pom
dered on them and finally taken them to
heart to the betterment of his moral nature
and the salvation of his soul; but, being
only young man of affairs getting ready
TO qualify as a member of the third house
st one Of the most dangerous state capitals
I'm the country, he had a different view
point
his reveries nearly always ended in the
conclusion that he could not consider any
proposition involving giving up that girl,
because he absolutely needed her in his
life. There was no present prospect of be-
ing able 10 marry her, but there must be
increased watchfulness for an opportunity
to reach that position. 1t would be worth
while to blow up the vaults of the state
treasury 20 get money enough to marry
such a girl. If only they would leave the
vaults so that ii could be done without de-
lection. How she was going to make a
pious man out of him he could not see, but
he felt the sooner she had the opportunity
as his wife the better 1t would be for him.
In the meantime he found he had more
nerve since he had more OF an object to
work for; and he learned the greatest les
son, reserved for the select members of
the thirty third degree In the Ancient and
Honorable order OF Lobbyists, that the
highest success lies in resolving the para
dox of being perfectly honest. trustworthy
and true to ones friends while engaged in
the business of influencing legislation with
other peoples money.
The county seat OF Davis county was fur
Their mystihed when the Legislature met
and Shacklett was found In Springfield
without any visible means of support The
rnenoer of the House from the county seat
lroiCssed dense ignorance OF what Shack
lett doing, and showed intimate knowI-
edo. of his daily whereabouts. He con-
stahtiy praised ShackIett, and bought
large lot of bottom land on speculation,
which was surprising to his neighbors who
had been loaning him money before and
now were able to borrow money from him
when necessary. ShackIett was not seen
at his legal home except at Christmas for
day. ard when the member of the House
came home at the end of the session he
brought the news that Shacklett was ap-
pointed to clerkship in the Office OF the
secretary of state. About this time Chi
cago street-railway magnate dictated let
ter as follows:
zion. ". c. Shacklett, Springfield. Ill.
MY Dear Sir: Allow me TO express 70
you my qualification at the manner i'm
which you attended 10 our legal business
intrusted to you during the past winter
and TO assure you that should we have need
for similar services in the future we hope
to secure your efforts in our behalf. Yours
very truly. --. President
Three years later, when Shacklett burned
this letter. he smiled at the recollection OF
the qualification 1t gave him when 1t was
received The irony went out OF his smile.
and was replaced by something of tender
ness when that letter made him think OF
his early life down in Egypt and its crudi-
ties. Crudity was the thing farthest re-
moved from Shacklett by this time. He