The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-04-10

Of stocks or the thwarting of personal
schemes for glory.
what can be doneY Gordon asked
it, but had no answer. "Of what use
is our gift from Mrs. Effingham? Even
II Randall would sell the lots he has
bought he would demand outrageous
prices that we could not pay. 1t is
maddening to think that he has so cho-
sen the places for his tenements, his
saloons and vaudeville halls that even
If we owned all the rest of the district
we could do comparatively little to car
ry out our plan. The ward clubhouse
means, Of course, the intrenchment of
Tommy Randall in the heart of his ter
ritory. Can you think of anything ex,
cept a spider who has artfully spun his
web and sits waiting in it for victims?
o God Of the children, is there no way
In all this great so called municipality
that these wrongs can be rightedY
He had never expressed himself so
strongly. and Luella. looking at him.
had never felt so much real emotion
She was sitting by the window, and as
Gordon finished and slowly turned
away from Miss Andrews. to whom he
had put the question. Luella also
turned and glanced out the window.
why don't you put the law on him 2"
Mrs. Penrose exclaimed impatiently.
There must be some way of executing
the ordinances Of this cityw
Il have used every method within my
power during the last twelve years to
prevent the violation of these city orii
nanceS relating to the tenement house
construction. In every instance, with
out one exception, we have been thwart-
ed when the case came into court. Mrs.
Penrose, you have no conception of the
tremendous political and social power
back Of Tommy Randall. 1t is an abso-
lutte dicta torship. 1t is true, as he un-
blushingly says, he or the powers back
of him own courts. judges, juries, at
torneys. All our appeals to the people
themselves have been in vain. AS the
years have gone on my work has
grown to be that of some alienation of
it is not a contribution to the
on. The best we can do seems to be to
make life a little more bearable for
children, to put little light and good
cheer into these darkened. saddened
lives, to alleviate ever so little their
Sometimes have
thought this was all we ever shall do"
Miss Andrews spoke with her usual
quiet intensity. There was no whining,
not even complaint; simply indomita
BILE patience in the face of everlasting
and unrelieved defeat Of purposes by
a power so grimly fortified with money
and social entanglements and vice and
appeals to all human passions that it
seemed hopeless even to expect relief
from it's dominating grip on the situa-
lion.
'Do you know julius ChambersT'
Mrs. Penrose asked after a moment of
thoughtfulness. During that moment
she noted with a CLEAN of quiet salts
faction that John Gordon had gone
over by the window and was talking in
4 low tone to Luella, while Archie, who
unfortunately had seated himself the
other side of Miss Andrews. had the
length Of the room and the big library
table between him and the two at the
81 have begun to hear about him, as
most of us have done here" Miss An
1rews answered.
"Let Mr.. Gordon see him. There is
uoy,o, hnna In thof 6iroction I hnIiayn
Julius was peculiar fellow in college
and law school. He has got into his
present position. as you know. through
a very unusual set of circumstances,
and it would be just like him to do
At any rate he has the
ability to do remarkable things"
sit is worth considering" Miss An
drews looked thoughtfully at this wo-
man who had apparently come down
to Hope House, like scores Of other fine
visitors, just to look at a social expert
ment, but with no deeper or more seri-
GUS purpose. Would Mrs. 'Penrose go
any further than that? Would she use
influence and social place to put
leverage under a wrong and help over
turn It?
Mrs. Penrose slowly and carelessly
got up and said: archie and l would
like to look over the house, Miss An
drews, If you can show us. Can you?
Gene, Archie. Oh. Miss Marsh seems
70 be interested in her discussion with
Mr.. Gordon. He can bring her along
with him when they are through. What
a delightful. old fashioned hall you
have here. | remember hearing my
father speak Of the time when the Ross
family built this mansion. Very inter-
esting."
She preceded Miss Andrews into the
hall and beckoned to the Disguised
Archie. who did not dare disobey. She
slowly inspected the new coffee room
and then asked to be shown the recent
In the peoples assembly
hall at the top of the building. She lin.
gered over everything that Miss An
drews had to describe, and 1t was all
Of twenty minutes before she entered