Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-03-03

Everybody read the campaign edi
! torials and found them interesting, al
| though there WAS no one who did not
perceive the utter absurdity of a young
stranger dropping into Carlow and
involving himself in party fight
against the boss of the district. 1t was
entirely a party fight, for by grace OF
the last gerrymander the nomination
carried with it the certainty OF cleo
ton.
! A week before the convention there
came provincial earthquake. The
news passed from man to man in awe
struck whispers--McCune had with
drawn his name, making the shallow
est of excuses to his cohorts. Nothing
was known of the real reason for his
disordered retreat beyond the fact that
4 he had been in Plattville on the morn
ing before his Withdrawal and had is.
sued from visit to the Herald Office In
state OF palsy. Mr.. Parker, the
Rouen printer, had been present at the
close Of the interview, but he held his
peace at the command of his employer
! He had been called into the sanctum
and had found McCune, white and
/ shaking. leaning on the desk
Parker" said the editor. exhibiting
1 a bundle of papers he held in his hand
II want you to witness verbal con
| tract between Mr. McCune and myself.
These papers are an affidavit and
copies of some records of a street car
company which obtained charter
while Mr.. McCune was in the legisla-
| ture. They were sent to me by n man
/ do not know, an anonymous friend of
Mr.. McCune-Ain fact, friend he
seems to have lost. On consideration
of our not printing these papers Mr..
McCune agrees to retire from politics
| for good. You understand, il he ever
| lifts his head again politically we pub
/ lish them, and the courts will do the
rest, Now, in case anything should
/ happen to me-
| Something will happen to you all
/ right!' broke out McCune. you can
bank on that. you black'-
/ Come" the editor interrupted not
unpleasantly. "Why should there be
anything personal in all this? l don't
recognize you as my private enemy
not at all-and l think you are getting
Off rather easily. aren't you? You keep
| out of politics and everything will be
comfortable You ought never to have
been in it, you.s see. It's mistake not
to go square, because in the long run
somebody is sure to give you away,
like the fellow who sent me these.
You promise to hold to a strictly pri-
vate life?''
you're traitor to the party" groan-
ed the other; s'but you only watt
The editor smiled sadly. "Wait moth
ing! Don't threaten, man. Go home to
your wife. I'll give you three to one
she'll be glad you are out of it."
'I'll give you three to one" said Nc
Cune, that the White Caps will get
you IL you stay In Carlow. You want
to look out for yourself, tell you, my
| smart boy"
Good day, Mr.. McCune," was the
answer. Let me have your note Of
withdrawal before you leave town this
afternoon The young man paused a
moment, then extended his hand as he
said: "Shake hands, won't you? IL
haven't meant to be too hard on you.
hope things will seem easier and gay
err to you before long, and if-if any
thing should turn up that can do for
you in a private way I'll be very glad.
you know. Goodby."
yja%<x
went over the state. The paper came
out regularly. The townsfolk bought
it, and the farmers drove in for it. Old
subscribers came back. Old advertiS
ers renewed. The Herald began to sell
In Amo, and Gaines county people sub
scribed. Carlow folk held up their
heads when journalism was mentioned.
Presently the Herald announced news
connection with Rouen, and with that
and the aid Of patent insides" began
an era Of three issues week, appear
ing on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Satur-
days. The Plattville brass band sere-
naded thu, editor.
During the second month of the new
regime of the Herald the working force
of the paper received an addition. One
night the editor found some barroom
loafers tormenting a patriarchal old
man who had magnificent head and
grand white beard He had been
thrown out of saloon, and he was
drunk with the drunkenness of three
weeks steady pouring. He propped
himself against wall and reproved
his tormentors in Latin. I'm walking
your way, Mr.. Fisbee," remarked the
Journalist, hooking his arm into the old
mans. Suppose we leave our friends
here and go home"
Mr. Fisbee was the one inhabitant of
the town possessing an unknown past.
and q glamour of romance was thrown
about him by the gossips, who agreed
that there was a dark, portentous Sc
cret in his lfe an opinion not too well
confirmed by the old mans appearance.
His fine eyes had a habit of wandering
to the horizon, and his expression was
mild, vague and sad, lost in dreams.
At the first glance one guessed that
his dreams would never be practicable
in their application. and some such i'm
preston of him was probably what
caused the editor of the Herald to nick
name him, in his own mind, 1.-THE White
Knight"
Mr.. Fisbee. coming to Plattville from
nobody knew where, had taught in the