The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1907-03-09
BRIBERY SCANDAL.
Franchise Grab Exposed.

BRIBERY SCANDAL.
Franchise Grab Exposed.
Assemb]yme1 Threa tened with Arrest.
Her husband was in the assembly!
The very next line had her hus-
bands name in capital letters. She
read en-, but the type blurred before
her eyes. No, she would get off, buy
paper and read it without preju-
dice or bias.
The account was given with great
detail. The ring of contractors and
promoters had thrown hundreds OF
thousands of dollars into the legisla-
tive house. The money, was to have
been distributed by their most able
representative and champion, Andrew
Ferguson, who, at the moment of vic
tory lad turned it into defeat BY
"fraudElent" disbursement of the
bribe entrusted to him. Greed, it was
claimed, had made him shave" the
individual allOtments, thereby increas-
ing his to the lions share. The de
frauded' patriots had bolted, and, in
the It'll moil ensuing, the "deal' had
been dragged into publicity-for which
noble deed every newspaper and ''un-
defrauGed'' statesman was claiming
the credit. 1t was rumored that indict-
ments were being prepared, :.
How Mary got home, and now she
spent the interval until her husbands
homecoming, no one, not even she,
could tell.
A late train brought the legislator
to the city.
Ills wife, pale and silent, rose from
her seat at the window as he came in,
sway!ng between contempt and loyalty,
not ye1 knowing whether to reproach
or pity him.
Andy, 0 Andy, tell me it's all a
mistake, isn't it? You had nothing
to do with it; you're not implicated
in this-in this-oh, I can't even men
ton :t!''
"Fo- heavens sake, what is the mat
ter with you, Mary?" Ferguson was as
self-possessei as ever. What are you
talking about? That garbled and SEN
| sational account in this afternoons pa
per? You ought to have. more sense
| than taat. 1t won't amount to any
| thlnS-it's nothing. We fixed 1t. to-
night, as soon as got back to~town,
and in a day or two the whole thing
will be forgotten. These things viii!
happen sometimes, but they always
make more smoke than fire.
His wife remained silent, Ferguson
permitted an expression of deep injury
to creep over his features. -
But it's nice to find out what kind
of wife I got" He stepped close to
her. Say, do you know how you act ?
You act as if were thief and
| What are you, if not that?" cried
Mary, and Ferguson realized that his
fool wife" had changed to wise
woman
"'Oh, so am thief, am I?' he
sneered. well, if stole, for whom
did steal? l stole for: you, because
! loved you and want to make you the
lady Of the ward" I wanted to make
money, lots Of it; because wanted
you tc be envied by the others: What
do yen think 60 to the assembly for ?
| Men don't so into politics for their
health. That's where the; "invest-
ments'' are. And you, as to iyou-do
you think you can make anybody be-
lieve chat you were so soft. you did
not know where the money was COM
ing frcm? might believe. IT,, but
they won't. They know; you handled
: most of the money and got diamonds
bought with it, and-ah, don't be fool
ish,~ Mary! :, Have a little sense. I'm
no worse than the others and =.
81. Ferguson had. been so intense In. his
.harangue that. the collapse Of his wife
had *been unnotfceds. by. him. and: be
barely had the time to catch her in
his arms. .:s>I It was the beginning Of a
long illness. 49, ~ = -; <'.s /: ?
Weeks passed, and the4relations OF
+ wife and husband were still :: unde-
+ fined. Mary never asked for him and
would not see him.. unless the nurse
I or: Mrs Landishs were present. 50 ... ]: :::. !:
The liking of Mrs. Landishs for. Mary
SWas: Of many years, standtn ing: He1
5husb and, too, was a leg1sla tor..iss:ii THE
older woman had had her experience
and could ympathize: 81 81
'S5H5:.';Ye Yes.s dear; it,,s bad and wicked.
used Ito feel the sans zWay about .it
just the butt