The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-10-16

| her tho life she deserved. That had been
| all argued out and scttled-by Shacklett-
Itin spite of the views OF the girl herself. N.
He had left what some Of his friends
| had thought a Very fine position back IN
| illinois TO come West nnd take the.
chances of politics and incidentally Of the
| procession Of law, with wcll-worked-
out plan In his head He came deter
! mined 10 be senator from the State that
| had attracted him us affording he best
! opportunities for a skillful manipulation
! of politics; but that, after all, was only
incidental 10 becoming able to marry
| the girl, with whom he had complete
/ understanding. withal one of his own
creation.
When he had gone to bed at 3 o'clock
| that morning, Shacklett knew the sena-
| 1o1 :a1 dignity would be his within a week;
| but he did not feel the toga on his
| shoulders-he felt only the hand OF the
| girl upon his hot forehead. lie did NOT
imagine the cheers Of his party when
I! the final vote should be declared lie
| heard only the words of the young Pres
| ~; crian minister back in the Illinois city
| saving the simple marriage service
| When Shacklett arose, at Z O'CLOCK the
| same morning, the first thing he picked
| Nd was the letter from the girl winch he
was reading in the room az the ho.el
| while he was waiting for answers TO ms
| notes 1t was a warm carefully writ
! ten letter. sensible enough no doubt, and
!, showed the greatest faith III Snacklett.
| 1t said: z754
| have Just heard from a man. whom
i shall hate to my dying day, that you
| were part Of the gang which bought up
| the Legislature for the notorious chicago
| bills \ that you were given $50. CcO to get
| the vote Of a senator named Mcnamara
from down in the State, but he was so
honest that even that fortune could not
touch him, and you failed. Do not ina
CINE that | believe this. If did would
/ not tell YOU But the evidence Is SO
strong that must ask you about It, DID
you approach Senator McN IAN ~ win
large sum of money in the interest OF
the bills in that Legislature? II your
answer is no. wire it to me quick, for
| i shall die If that state OF mind con-
tinues much longer.
| II you cannot answer no, you had best
] not answer at all. You will receive this
on Monday morning. Your telegram can
! reach me by noon In any event. II 1t Is
! not here by Monday noon shall kno"
/ that yol, cannot say no, and
do not know just what will become OF
!! me for unfortunately people do not die
K wnen they ought to. ! suppose 1T VIII
!; be like bad wound thai finally gets
! Te!l. but always leaves scar. do not
/ sec how mine can ever heal. but they
| II Is not that / am afraid for myself
/ entirely The essential question is whe-
i tne- could love you then. J. love the
/ man learned 10 know here; but could l
! .oye the other man found ater on l
4 rad married, az development would come
4 along Inc lines of character he chose?
1 THAT is the great thing, for. If l did not
{ love .ny husband, both Of US would be
| driven farther into the whirlpool and
i both OF us be more unhappy than II We
| separate now.
Il seems q sensible letter, but Shack
lett had another viewpoint. when the
/ police have nabbed the stakes, what's
i the use Of keeping on playing the gamer
were his first words after reading the
letter His next thought was being work
/ ed outiJy his presence al this downtown
/ hotel where ne was seldom seen: now as
lie read the letter over yet again, he was
revolving other plans In his mind. The
1 thought OF telling the truth, which would
Il place him on pedestal never entered
I. his head And although this fight was
1 finished, he began 10 plan for the next
one as naturally as clerk takes up an
4 other letter when t he first Is written.
A few taps on the door changed the
trend of his mind instantly, Shacklctt
Gated ont an invitation TO enter, without
taking his leg off the arm of the chair or
; tlo,sing UP. Not un,sl the door was fully
t.pcn did he slowly rise and greet his
J VISITOR, He had none OF the air of a
l host he was rather the man who has
J casually met another on the curb and
7 stopped for a moment 10 chat about a
little matter stlll unfinished
1t was Galloway who entered, and be.
J, fore he had closed the door Sommcrs
arrived looking furtivcly up and down tho
!. hall. Both had been followed by the re-
: portcrs for some distance. but Galloway
y had dropped his squad in the nazes oil
- tho park through which lie drove slowly
= greatly enjoying the freshness OF the
: morning, while Sommers had passed
!, through one of the other hotels too swift.
:, :, ~ for his shadows Nothing ever hap,
), pened ont West of such moment to the
: writer's on the newspapers as this meet,
ing OF the three candidates for senator
a who had been fighting so bitterly for sc
u long; hut this is he first authentic ac
! count Of what occurred, and indeed tn
s. first direct statement of the fact tina
y such a conference occurred at all. Once
n in while something escapes the re
ID portcrs
is Shncklctt had arranged the chairs AM
t, the table, and when he mo,ioned each /,
le seat and SAT- down IN the only remain
& ing chair, it happened that they wer
ID seated with the table between thom
ID Sfacklett bega,t to speak at once an,
II | his tone was low and clear, his word
&c o.ear-cuf, but with an apparent sigii
ID drawl on each that Indicated little gen
Ct ulne interest in the first sentences spoken
ne Gentlemen he began, nbefore saw
r the Times this morning, | had made u,
ry my mind to Il certain linH OF action. an,
We do moi feel like Ia Vim, my ,,l,,si ,iic