The daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 190?-1908, 1907-08-23
A@An@mA o.,
The Girl in the Gallery
By Ex-Congrss,man W. H. Buck Hinrichen
Copyright, by DAILY story Pub. Co)

ly Story Pub Coz
alone, I'VE must do something with
York county"
Hardin shook his head despond.
emily
1T seems to me-" said Jones, sig.
nliicantly, that you ought to be able
TO do something with French Isn't
there a gentle influence that could be
used?'
81 do not understand your" said
Hardin
There was a time" said Jones,
when French came to this house
very often and It was said that he
was engaged to your daughter.
Hardin frowned. My daughter has
been in Europe for a year.
But she returned today" said
Jones.
Il shall not permit her to have any
part in my political affairs said
Hardin, haughtily. Besides, she and
French are no longer friends They
quarreled before she went abroad" J."
Have you talked to him about this
nomination. asked Jones.
mo- / knew it was waste of time
and words"
Suppose I telephone him to come
here now," said Jones. 1T will do no
harm"
And no good, either" said Hardin.
Jones telephoned to the hotel at
which the York county delegation was
staying. and in a few minutes French
was in Hardin's library.
Hardin received him cordially. and
explained that they had sent for him
to discuss the situation and expressed
hope that a compromise between
the factions might be effected.
The young man listened politely.
"Mr Hardin" he said respectfully,
there can be no question of com
promise. My county is pledged to
Mr.. Stevens and we shall nominate
him tomorrow. l regret that this
means your defeat, for personal rea.
sons | should be glad to do anything
in my power for you. But this is a
political matter, and l must support
Stevens"
Mr.. French said Jones slowly
"our people can do a great deal for a
young man. We are rich, and We
never forget favors."
For a moment French looked at him
with a cold contempt in his strong
honest face that embarrassed even
the hardened politician. Then he
bowed to Hardin and left the room.
The convention met in the court
house at noon the next day. The great
hall was filed with people assembled
to witness the downfall Of the Sill
Stockings and the nomination OF Mr.
Stevens. The usual preliminaries
were disposed of and the chairman or
dered the secretary to call the roll oi
the counties.
ALLEN county" called the secre
tary.
'Twenty-one votes for Hardin" re
sponded the chairman of the Allen
county delegation.
Blaine county" called the secre
tary.
Ten votes for Stevens" said the
Blaine chairman.
Morton county"
Sixteen votes for Hardin"
Sherman county"
"Twenty-seven votes for Stevens
York county"
Mr.. French rose In his place to cast
the vote of his county, the vote that
was to nominate Mr.. Stevens.
Twelve votes for"
He stopped suddenly In the gal
lery above the secretary's desk sat q
girl. She was leaning over the rail
ing looking down at him. 1t was the
girl he loved. the girl who would have
been his wife had not a misunder
standing come between them, the girl
he believed was in Europe.
Vote" whispered one OF his dele
gates excitedly. Vote"
The room was very still but he did
notice 1t. He saw only the girl in
the gallery and unconsciously the
words came from his lips.
Twelve votes for Hardin"
The roar that went up from the en-
tire audience showed what he had
done. He realized that without inten
tion he had nominated Hardin and be
trayed his own candidate. The face
OF the girl told him that she knew Il
was mistake, and 1t also told hin
something that made even the angry
denunciauons and accusations sound
to him like sweetest music.