The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1906-01-06

| Win JOIN VI iltS lllIulD Al lhS OllCCtlOu
Of, the Capitol.
Tanning drew long breath and his fine
white teeth came together with little
snap. $50 you Il fight for us, viii you I?
Listen, and I'll tell you what's got to be
! done
The low-toned conference over the corner
table in the cafe was protracted until the
latest of the late diners had come and gone.
At its close, Teppenpaw rose and held out
his hand to the manufacturer.
'Itll go; as you say, it's got to go.
You get Burbank to keep it from coming
to a vote too soon--T m no good at chockin'
the wheels-and I'll work on the farmers
Good night
Two days later-the delay.having been
purchased for vote-swaying purposes by the
most strenuous flibustering on the part of
its opponents repeal measure was lost
by the narrowest possible namely,
by, one vote.
Representative Teppenpaw found that
he had a small war on his hands when he
went home after the session; but he fought
its opening campaign in the strength of
conscious rectitude
1t was luke Luttrell who precipitated
the conflict, and the battlefield was Big
gers store in Trego, with group of cold
weather stove-huggers for onlookers. Tep-
penpaw had been home long enough to get
the early plowing in train, and he came to
town late one afternoon to lay in supply
of groceries. Biggers was filling his order
when Luttrell entered
"Howdy, Luke? said John, offering
to shake hands.
Luttrell backed off with an oath and
showed his hands in his pockets.
Il ain shakin' hands with no damn
vote seIlin' scabr' he retorted; and the
men around the stove sat up and took
notice
Teppenpaw came of fighting stock, and
the veins in his forehead began to swell
That toler BILE hard word, Luke.
Maybe you wouldn't mind tellin' these
gentlemen here what you re a meanin' by
it, he said in his quietest tones.
''-l'' said the labor boss, they all
know mighty well; there amt a man in
Trego that don't know
II IN in Trego, and I don't know.
you don hey? reckon you done
forgot about that promise you made to the
Miners Union in the Convention when
you killed that convict labor bill in the
Legislator How much did ye git for
scabbin' that time?'
There were enough Of the stove huggers
to spring up and get between and drag
them apart, but they could not stop the
war of words.
s'You re a liarr' painted John. II
made no promiser
You did You told Bill Nevins that
it was an outrage to make free men work
in competition with criminals, If you
hadn't made that promise, you'd never
cot the nomination this side of -. |
want to know how much you got for sell
in US out
Teppenpaw shook himself free of the
pacemakers and began to gather up his
purchases.
Il dom have, to answer any such ques-
ton as mat, he retorted Greene
County knows me better.
Does, hey2 Well, you'll find out
what Greene County knows, next time you
want anything. That's all I've got to
say.
But Teppenpaw found out earlier.
The whisper began when he paid off his
mortgage in June, and it became audible
even to him when he bought herd of
Jerseys in July and paid cash down. 1t
shook him little. Distance and time are
great CHARTERS of the mental and moral
atmosphere, and the spell of the strenuous
six weeks was no longer upon him. What
if-2
He sat down that night and wrote a let
ter to Tanning II was bare question,
but its answer would clear the air. When
would he be expected 70 report for duty?
He got the answer one evening at the
hands Of Biggers, whose store was also the
Trego postofhee. 1t was cold business
letter, breathing fnality in every line, and
it was signed by the president Of the South
ern Implement Company ia person. Owing
to changes in the company plans, there
would be no specials sent out during the
coming season. But since he-Tappen-
paw-was in no wise to blame for this
change, he was to consider the twelve hun
dred dollars advanced as forteit-money and
keep it. The agreement was cancelled and
the account was written off the books.
Teppenpaw hands were trembling when
he finished reading it, and the soul in him
went sick 1t was plain enough now-he
had been Aribed, and ii had taken him six
months . find it out. All the friendship,
all the kindnesses, had had but one object
the hoodwinking of man with vote;
no, the buying Of the man. He crushed
the letter in his hand, and the wild blood
of his mountaineer forefather spoke in the
sobbing oath. 1t was well for the tempter
that he was not within arm s-reach Just
then.
What the matter, John? Somebody
dead y said a voice at his elbow.
1t was the young farmer who had once
earned rebuke for asserting that every
man has his price Teppenpaw remem-
bered,
''No; there's nobody dead-not in the
way you mean, Hank But allow to take
back what l said to you over Tarkins'
table that day last fall | reckon every
man has got his price, after all. >
The young man laughed triumphantly.
''What's your n, John ?-or haven't ye
found out yet?'
eyes, I've found out and you can tell
it wherever you go in Greene County,
Hank. It's just twelve hundred dollars
paid in advance And he turned alb
rupty and went out into the night, with
the letter still crushed in his hand