The Washington herald., 1906-11-25
CHAPTER K.
The "King's" Request.

An hour later the candidate. Harley
and the driver were on the way to the
town at which they had intended to pass
the preceding night. With ample instruc-
tions and brilliant morning sunlight
there was no further trouble about the
direction. and they pursued their way in
peace.
The cir was crisp and blowy, and the
earth, new-washed by the rain, took on
some Of the tints Of spring green, despite
the lateness Of the season. Harley. re-
laXed from the tension Of the night be-
fore. leaned back in his seat and enjoyed
the tonic breeze. No one Of the three
had much to say; all were in meditation,
and the quiet and loneliness of the morn
ing seemed TO promote mUslng. They
drove some miles across the rolling
prairie without seeing single house, but
at last the driver pointed 10 a pickering
patch of gold on the Western horizon.
That" said he, is the weather-vane
on the cupOla OF the new courthouse. and
in another hour Wen be in town. I guess
your people will be glad to see you, Mr.
Grayson"
And I shall be glad to see them" said
the candidate. 4 few minutes later he
turned 10 the correspondent.
Harley he asked, will you send
anything to your paper about last night?"
Il have TO do So" replied Harley. with
slight note Of apology IN his tone-this
had not been his personal doing. For
Presidential candidate TO get lost on the
prairie In the dark and the storm and
then spend the night in a house in which
only his presence OF mind and eloauence
-rrgr
the first Importance and the deepest in
terest. I am bound not only to send a dis
patch about It. but the dispatch must be
very long and full And I suppose. too.
that / shall have to tell it TO the other
fellows when we reach the town"
The candidate sighed
Il know YOU are right" he said. but
wish you did not have to do it The story
puts me in a sensational light It seems
as II I were turning aside from the great
Issues Of campaign for personal ad-
venture"
1T was forced upon you"
$50 II was, but that fact does not take
from It the sensational look"
Harley was silent. He knew that Mr..
Grayson's point was well made, but he
knew also that he must send the dis
patch
The candidate made no further refer
ence TO the subject, and FIVE minutes
later they saw hOrsemen rise out Of the
plain and gallop toward them. As Harley
had said, q Presidential nominee was not
lost in the dark and the storm every
night, and this little Western town was
nightly pertuFbed when Mr.. GraysOn
failed 10 arrive. The others had come in
safely, but already all the morning news
papers Of the country had published the
fact that the candidate was lost, swallow
ed up somewhere on the dark prairie
And Mr.. GraysOns instinct was correct
too, because mingled with the wonder
and speculation was much criticism. Il
was boldly said in certain supercilious cir
cles that he had probably turned aside on
an impulse to look after some minor mat
ter, perhaps something that was purely
personal that had nothing to do with the
campaign. Churchill, late the night be-
fore, had sent TO the Monitor a dispatch
written in his most censoTiOus manner
IN that vein of reluctant condemnation
that so well suited his sense Of superior
ity- He was lOath to admit that the
candidate was proving inadequate to his
high position, but the circumstances in
dicated II, and the proof was becoming
cumulative. He also sent telegram to
the Hon. MI Goodnight. in New York
and the burden OF It was the need of a
restraining force, a force near at hand
and able 70 meet every evil with instant
cure
But the Western hOrsemen who met
Jimmy Grayson-they clung to their af-
fecdonate Jimmy swayed by no
such emotions. They repeated a shout
Of welcome. and wanted to know how and
where he had passed the night, to all Of
which questions the candidate. with easy
hum0r. returned ready and truthful re-
plies, although he did not say anything
for the present about the adventure Of
the old man and Of the young one who
was now the old ones sOn-in-law
The driver took them straight toward a
large and attractive hotel, and Il seemed
20 Harley that half the population of the
town was ont to see the triumphant entry
OF the candidate. With all the attention