The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1906-07-29

hAh AtA - Nt 11 ~ sshNhhg WV vs. Nftftf
ago In Cairo aud elsewhere. \ don't
know what 10 do"
II do. answered Guilford Duncan
resolutely. "A year ago you aud Ober
wanted TO make mo mayor Of this
town. explained to you that was
ineligible then. not having been long
enough d resident Of tho state. | nm
eligible now, and | shall announce my.
self today an candidate"
"what good win that dor
ut will give the people OF the city
a chance 10 pass upon my integrity
10 say by their ballots what they think
OF mo. and incidentally II may give mo
an opportunity to say what | think
end know Of Napper Tandy."
Il don't know no well about that
You see. people don't always express
their opinions by their votes They
iet their politics and their prejudicas
have d aay. and you know you have
made good many enemies. Then,
again, what good will 1t do you TO tell
tho public what you think OF Tandyf
That won't convince living soul who
isn't convinced already. Tho rest will
any you are naturally very angry with
the man who found you out.-the man
from whom you unsucceasfully tried to
sxtort a bribe,
you SEQ there were no witnesses
present when your interview with Tan.
dy occurred. That was a capital mis-
take on your part. Then. too, you
went to bits house for this business.
and people viii say that that, too. looks
bad. You have destroyed tho invita-
ton he sent you. and 10 you have moth.
ing 10 show that you didn't 40 10 bis
house, an BIO says you did, without In.
vitation In order to extort bribe. It's
q bad mixup. but for you to 10 into
politics would only make II worse. We
must hnd another way out. Keep per-
fectIy still and leave the matter TO me.
I'll plan something" Then suddenly q
thought flashed into Captain WIN Hal
lam's mind.
"By Jove! I've got Il. believe. Go
down TO our bank and ask the cashier,
Mr. Stafford. how many shares We can
control In the X -Tandy's
bank. He's president. you know"
without at all understanding Captain
Hallam's purpose. Duncan went upon
this mission. returning presently with
the Information that In one way aud
another the Hallam bank controlled
forty.cIght shares OF the \ Nationals
stock, or three shares less than ma
jority Of the whole He brought also
the message from Stafford that "a Tan
dy himself controlled the remaining
tifty-two shares II would probably be
impossible al present 10 buy any more.
II don't know 20 well about that"
said Hallam retlectively. 'T've man
aged In my time to get a good many
impossible things done. I'm not a very
Arm believer In the impossible" Then
suddenly be turned to Duncan and
fired question at him:
"Have you friend anywhere whom
you can trust--one not known In
CairoYt
'Yes. one"
'Yon are sure you can trust himf'
"Yes. absolutely"
"You wouldn't hesitate to put pile
Of money into his hands without a
scrap Of paper to show that the money
was yours, not hisf'
II would trust him as absolutely as
| would trust you or you me-"
"All right, who Is hef''
"Dlck Temple, the mining engineer
and superintendent"
Telegraph him at once. Ask him to
come down on the evening train. Tell
him to say nothing about knowing you
or me, but to come to your rooms this
evening. I'll see him there"
Duncan took up pad of telegraph
blanks and pencil. He had scarcely
begun to write when Hallam stopped
him.
"Neyer do thatr' he exclaimed.
"Never write a message on pad,
especially with a pencil"
"But why not?"
"See! answered Hallam, tearing OFF
the blank ON which Duncan had begun
to write and directing attention to the
blank that lay beneath. "The impress
sion made by the pencil on the under
sheet Is as leglble as the writing above,
1t would be awkward IL Tandy should
pick up that pad and find out what
you had telegraphed. Always tear the
top blank off the pad and lay It on
the desk before you write on IT,
"Thank you! That's another of your
wise precepts. wonder didn't think
of 1t before"
"0h, hardly anybody ever does think
OF such things, but they make trouble" !"
That night Hallam, Duncan and Tenn
pie met in Duncan's rooms. Hallam
promptly took possession by request
Ing Duncan to 'go away somewhere
while explain matters to Temple"
When Duncan had taken his leave
Hallam plunged at once into the heart
OF things,
Duncan tells me you're his friend
one who will stand by him."
~ am all that, you may be sure,
! -