Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-04-14
CHAPTER VII.
THE SENTIMENTALISTS.

but he might nave spared lne
horse and saved the double
fee. On the broad steps Of the south
portico he, uprushing three at bound,
met the advance guard of the gallery
contingent, down-coming. The house
had adjourned.
"One minute, Harnwicke!" he
gasped, falling upon the first member
of the corporations lobby he could
identify in the throng. Whats been
done?"
= They've taken a fall out Of us"
was the brusk reply. House Bill
Twenty-nine was reported by the
committee on judiciary and rushed
through after you left. Somebody en-
gineered it to the pairing Of finger
nail: bare quorum to act; members
who might have filibustered weeded
out, on one pretext or another, to a
man; pages all excused, and nobody
here with the privilege Of the floor.
It was as neat q piece Of gag-work as
ever hope to see If live to be a
hundred"
Kent faced about and Joined the
downward dispersal with his inform
ant.
They parted at the entrance to the
Camelot club, and Kent went two
squares farther on to the Wellington
Ormsby had not yet returned, and
Kent went to the telephone and called
up the Brentwood apartments. 1t was
Penelope that answered.
"Well, I think you owe it" she be-
gan, as soon as he had given his name.
what did l do at Miss Van Brooks
to make you cut me dead?"
'Why, nothing at all. I'm sure. l.
was looking for Mr.. ormsby, and"
mot when I saw you," she broke In
fiippantly. "You were handing Miss
Portia an ice. Are you still looking
for Mr.. Ormsby?"
81 am-just that. Is he with you?"
"No; he left here about 20 minutes
ago."
Kent hung up the receiver, and
when he was asking second time
at the clerks desk for the missing
man, Ormsby came In to answer for
himself. Whereupon the crisis was
outlined to him in brief phrase, and
he rose to the occasion, though not
without a grimace.
"I'm not sure just how we'll you
know Mrs. Hepzibah Brentwood" he
demurred; "but 1t will be quite like
her to balk. Don't you think you'd
better go along? You are the COM
pany's attorney, and your opinion
ought to carry some weight"
David Kent thought not; but eau
tious diplomatist, having got the idea
well back into the back part OF his
head, was not to be denied.
"Of course, you'll come. You are
just the man III need TO back me up.
] sha'nt shirk; III take the mother
into the library and break the ice,
while you are squaring things with
the young women. Penelope won't
care the snap of her finger either way;
but Elinor has some notions that you
are filter to cope with than | am.
After, II you can give me lift with
Mrs. Hepzibah, III call you in. Come
on; it's getting pretty late TO go visit
ing"
Kent yielded reluctantly, and they
took q car for the sake OF speed. 1t
was Penelope who opened the door
for them at 124 TETON avenue; and
Ormsby made it easy for his coadjutor,
as he had promised.
81 want to see your mother in the
library for q few minutes" he began.
"Will you arrange it, and take care of
Mr.. Kent until come for him.?
Penelope arranged" il, not without
another added pang of curiosity,
whcreupon David Kent found himself
the rather embarrassed third OF a ST.
lent trio gathered about the embers
Of the sittinG-room fire.
'Is II to be a Quaker meeting"
asked Penelope, sweetly, when the ST.
lence had grown awe-inspiring.
Kent laughed for pure JOY at the
breaking Of the spell.
"One would think We had come TO
drag you all off to Jail, Ormsby and l. y
he said; and then he went on to eX-
plain. Its about your Western Pa
cifc stock, you know. To-day's quota
tions put it point and half above
your purchase price, and we've come
to persuade you to unload, pronto, as
the member from the Rio Blanco would
say"
rs that all?" said Penelope, sitting
a yawn. Then I'm not in it: I'm an
infant" And she rose and went to
the piano.
You haven't told US all of it: what
has happened" queried Elinor, speak
ing for the first time since her greeting
of Kent.
He briefed the story Of House Bill
Twenty-nine for her, pointing out the
probabilities.
"Of course, no one can tell what the
precise effect will be-" he qualified
But in my opinion it is very likely to
be destructive of dividends. Skipping
the dry details, the new law, which Is
equitable enough on its own face, can
be made an engine Of extortion in
the hands of those who administer
1t. In fact, l happen to know
that it was designed and carried
through for that very purpose"
She smiled.
81 have understood you were In the
opposition. Are you speaking politi-
cally?"