The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1903-07-03

ulednico II warranted.
Hes. got to be headed off or he'll
bust the combination" asscnted Mai.
Buck, with profane emphasis.
We'll, you cant brighten him Off"
replied DR.. Jackson.
Nor beat him, apparently" added
Tom Lurch.
No. said Judge Belknap, the real
boss of the county. We've got to
take care of him. Being a business
man gives him a standing hat is
hard to knock. I've been thinking
that 1T would be a good scheme to
have Dustin appoint him commission
er of public works"
"Heavens,' exclaimed the major;
that's too good a job. It's worth
$4,000 a year in salars- and five times
that in graft in ordinary years, and
tins year 20 times as much with the
new water works to be built"
"That's just it," replied the other
quietly. I've studied the man. He
won't take a cheap office. We've got
to sacrifice something to get him
and I'm convinced he can't be depend
ed on after we get him. He's too am
bilious. He'll take the commission
ership. He needs the money. Then
we'll see to it that he is offered
enough On the water works Job to
tempt HIM and then wen raise a row,
have an Investigation and pose as
purists aud reformers and he'll be
eliminated from politics forever ever
If he escapes the pen"
"But it is a banked shame to let go
that water works graft after all the
work we have done to get it framed
up"
He accepted the appointment and
plunged into the added work with
enthusiasm.
hen came the great temptation.
When the bids for the new water
works came up he was delicately
shown where he could clean up $50
600 by favOring a certain contracting
concern i'll a way that apparently no
hint of crooked work could leak out.
Then indeed did Duncan wrestle
with the evil one. The price was SO
high. his necessity So great and his
desire to achieve some sort of indie
p~endence so he could marry Alice and
begin a career apart from the bust
ness he despised SO heartily that he
was swept off his feet. After a long
wrestle with his conscience wherein
he succeeded in downing the trouble
some member, he went to call on
Alice. OF course he said nothing of
the matter to her, but when he left
the house he was all at sea again.
The conversation had turned on eth
les and the high stand she took and
the glimpse she gave him of her
great oul brought it home to him
that he never could lay down to her
the spoils of corruption.
The next day the gang was as
tonished to learn of his refusal of the
offer. The situation then became des-
perate, because the construction com
pany played an important part in the
plans of the party leaders, that if the
contract went elsewhere their hold
on party workers would be weak
ened to an extent that their suprem-
acy would be weakened and ever
party success imperiled. Another
card must be played and played
quick. So the mayor was again
called in and Taylor was summoned
to his office and informed that the
contract must &c to this company in
order to keep things together" Dun
can was told that whispers of the dis
graceful offer made him reached the
"a ynaJ,tiuo orI No II
on his integrity. The bid now to be
made. however, was to be absolutely
"on the square" the mayor had been
informed, and must be accepted for
political And his honor
pointed out that Duncan's political
future was identified with that of the
administration and limited at high
honors ahead for the young man if
he were wise"
But when Duncan thought it over
he decided that he would not be a
party to the deal and would run his
own office. So he informed the mayor
in a note in answer to which he re-
celved a prompt request for his resig-
nation. This aroused his fighting
blood and he promptly published the
correspondence in the newspapers,
together with a statement of the case
and his determination to retain the
office until the water works were
built, unless he was removed. This
took the underpinning from the
gang for they knew the council
would never dare approve of a
change under the circumstances.
Well, that's about all there is to it.
The water worries were honestly built.
The powers behind the construction
company threatened the overthrow
of the party and the dominant fac
ton were so impressed that they
the nomination. Duncan saw
his opportunity went after the nom-
.inatian and got it easily as the
gang" saw an easy way to eliminate
him from politics through the defeat
that they SHE'D at. But they reck-
oned without the people and Dun
level head. He was elected and
On the reputation and %notoriety ac-