The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-08-05

OF Seauoie, and opened headquarters at
the Ladoyan House. Besides being o po-
itical centre, Tobula was also the great
railroad town Of the State, the main ofitces
OF the T1ansmontane Railroad under the
superyision of our new Senator, Hector
Cabaniss, being situated there. Thus Mr..
Savage rould be In constant to ioh with all
the forces upon whose aid he counted 10
secure a triumphant return to the lniteo
States Senate.
There was nothing slow politically aoou.
Tobula. For forty years 1t had waAed
In wisdom from the object lessons OF sue
cessive Territorial and State Legislatures
Tobulians assorted political tickery
with their mothers milk. They played at
caucuses before they were out OF long
clothes. They pulled wires for appoint
ment to office in their childish games.
Long before they reached maturity
politics had become their meat n drink
especially the latter, Thenceforth they
breathed politics, and when they eiept'
which they never did except with one eye
open, they dreamed politics.
The Sequo,a Leaf, the party organ OF the
State, was published at Tobula, and m
where in the dingiest and most emote OF
its dingy and enote Offices lurked Bliss
Adsit, editor and proprietor, millionaire
and boss, as familiar with every flament
and mesh OF the web as the grayest OF old
gray spiders. 49,,
For years it had been generally conceded
that the conn lexion Of any new Legislature
der ende uI on the manipulations OF Boss
Adsit. He controlled the Assembly nomi-
nations from Tobula, holding the four dis
trict conventions In advance OF others In
the State. These nominations pointed the
a and as they were pronounced strong
or weak in the Leaf, they informed the know
ing throughout the State whether the Boss
intended to carry or throw the oomir g
election.
Past favors bound Adsit to the two sena-
tors from Sequoia. Senator Savage had
been his attorney In the deal whereby he
acquired a majority OF the stock OF the
Leaf and shut of the family which for
generations had PASSED tho rarer down as
an heirloom in minority cold storage. 1t
was a part Of that common knowledge
which EXPLAINS but does not accuse that
many of his millions had come from lobby
irg through the schemes that Senator
Cabaniss devised for the advantage Of the
Transmontane.
Naturally. my Senator reckored Adsit
as a lieutenant in the comirg fight sGainst
former Senator MeIrifeld; not choosing to
recall that a favor. while standir G perforce
on the present, looks eagerly toward the
future, and turns its back resolutely on the
past. 1t was on the evening Of our arrival
that Senator Savage expressed such a con-
fdence to his collee que.
l--.- -A,o~AI ht1 yraA = QhNytlHara
and his black wisp Of a mustache twitched
in unison.
When Adsit is under your thumb, he Is
there he said. If you raise 1t to look for
him he is Things have changed in
the last month. Haven't you heard Of his
marriage9'
.-Marriage7 You don't tell mel cried my
Senator. Il took him to be a confirmed old
bachelor
Confirmed and old, all right, but no
longer a bachelor. He married Mollie
Merton"
impossible! Why l can remember when
she sang in her brothers saloon and then
sat out at the tables. No wonder he didn't
send cards."
.Ah, but he did send them broadcast;
there's the very rub. Mistress Mollie has
social aspirations, consequently social re-
sentiments"
"Adsit surely doesn't think that I would
81 GIT"
oh, no; your state OF single blessedness
let's you out all right, Savage. 'Tis a femi-
nine war; that's the reason why it is 30
bitter
But Gov. Schrigley, your man Friday,
whom you own body, soul and breechee-he
has a daughter, Geraldine, II you please.
And Miss Geraldine is 30 high and mighty
that she wouldn't condescend either to
acknowledge the wedding invitation or to
invite the bride to her garden party last
week.
Big Tom Merton told me all about it.
The word has gone forth. It's anathema
against all allies Of the house Of Sohrigley
and that takes in us BOTH
Mr.. Savage looked vexed.
If there is really anything to the matter,
Cabaniss," he said, you take it o lightly.
Merrifeld is so strong in the city that he will
be satisfied, and with good reason, II Adsit
only keeps his hands of.
-You don't want a popular contest, q
real show Of hands, do you? Well, that's
what we must accept unless Adsit agrees
to fight it out for us on the old lines.
Think OF his machine "a Pretorian
Guard in every precinct, by Jove. And il,
instead, we must 60 rellmell into a scrim-
mage-why it makes me sick!"
The situation stands, whether I fribble or
you get sick. interposed Cabaniss doggedly.
Mrs. Adsit is a versatile, audacious woman,
who will low nothing to interfere with her
ambitions.
"She has already been remarkably sue
cessful. The very fact that she Is Adsit's
wife shows how supreme her influence Is
with him. What can we offer to Offset it?
He has more money than he knows what to
do with.
-On the other hand, pretty Geraldine is
Just az ~resolute and fearless. She has
been mistress Of the Governors mansion
since her mother died, and ia kes pride In
making its hospita lily a guara nty Of charac-
ter and worth. She will never give qua rter
nor cry il. Why
Senator Sa va &c looked up suspiciously.
You number yourself among Schrigley's
allies, Cabaniss. " he said; but I never knew
you were close TO him."
Il am recognized as a pretender TO the