Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-11

fighting the suspicion that his friends, and
not his enemies. were best served by his
Imprisonment. AS the opposition papers
more and more boldly accused them OF
tricks he wrote vehement letters and made
all possible efforts to reach them. in vain.
His letters from Barnaby Gibbs were puz-
Zhng. They pictured just such an honest
open fight as Vaughn himself had planned
no promises, no secret deals, no tampering
with Canters friends.
Its Just IDEAL Gibbs wrote Were
all learning that honesty Is the best pol
itics. 1 wish you had been mouse in the
wall yesterday. Old Doubleday dropped in
to see how you stand on the C. and Y.
franchise. l played him awhile, and he
rose beautifully; said had always beei
your friend. but-well, l can't honestly say
he was easy, Dut | won, and he wrote a
check for a thousand dollars There's
where your influence came out. l handed
Back that check, swelling with honest pride
(as we'll l could remember how you do
10. and l said: Major. 1 represent Mr.
Vaughn, he would say, Sir, you may help
to elect me- but your money can't He had
to be revived, but he left the check for
legitimate expenses
Another letter contained information that
"Jurgens dropped in yesterday and / net
ted him. Gave me touching tale of how
you had broken his heart by stirring UP
the council to extend the city boundary
past his plant. Said he admired you i'm
mensely and couldn't understand why such
an all-round moral prodigy should want To
increase his neighbor'S taxes. I set you
up on your pedestal again. and there you
are; for goodness sake don't wabble and
lose us two hundred votes: l tell you
they're worth anything to u.s., Lyn."
The candidate folded the letter with a
sigh-he had fumed his anger out and
realized that he was helpless.
I'll venture Jurgens came high" he
saad- TN have no reputation left by the
end OF this campaign, and when get Off
ha lyn1 ,ft, -,
worse than smallpox. 1 wish she could
know how contrary this Is to my way OF
doing things! But 1t isn't likely that my
honor Is of the slightest Importance 10
herr"
He did not know that Mabel Rothven
had really developed a deep interest in
politics Not only did she read the papers.
but she got all the information she could
out OF her brother-in-law, Dick Thomp-
son. who was secretary OF Vaughn's cam
paign committee. She had lived with him
since her sisters death, and was so sim
cere and transparent girl that he easily
read her heart, and he answered her ques-
lions with sympathetic openness.
Pm going to have a meeting here to-
night" he said one evening at dinner II
guess We'll use the den, where we can
smoke. wish you'd fix up something
pretty hearty for lunch. with good coffee;
they will stay late; some Of them won't
come till II"
'Is 1t a political meeting?" she asked
We'll, just the very innermost tnsdes OF
politics. And not slow a party, either
for all the gamblers and barkeepers OF
high class will be here. Wish you could
see them. May: some swell-looking men. 1
tell you! But I'm nervous about Vaughn
'twould be just like him to burst out OF
quarantine at this critical moment and
spoil everything. II he'll only stay on the
Rosy Belle twelve hours longer, We'll cinch
the deciding vote for him.
Canter Is getting weak on the quaran-
tine. the boys say: thinks It's reacting
against him: but the Clarion keeps him
from backing down; they know IL Lyn
were out and running things there'd be no
use In crying bribery and corruption any
longer. Everybody knows Lyn would never
stand for that kind Of thing"
All this was startling to Miss Rothven.
Not that she was In the least distressed at
her brother-in-law's seeming slackness OF
morals She knew that he was one OF the