The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-10-27

as the -isar place"
"Yes'hi," said the mayor.
am poor woman" she went on.
a self-supporting one"
A widow--or did her husband de-
sert her?" inwardly questioned the
mayor in perspiration of fear.
My husband died thirteen years ago,
ana have got along pretty hard until
now, when l come into possession of
this property
1T couldn't come to better hands"
declared the mayor, bowling his best.
But his visitor seemed not to hear, and
he felt himself all at once absurd and
small
1T isn't much of a place now" she
said. "Of course l didn't know or
wouldn't have moved here clear from
Illinois. However, I'm here. And l
mean to stay. And l mean to open a
boarding house there, for the house is
as big as barn, and I'm used to the
business. But the road to it has TO be
repaired. Mr.-Mr.-'
"Hennessey," supplied the mayor.
Mr.. Hennessey. No one would trav-
ell over such a road to get anywhere.
There ought to be n breakwater all
along the river edge there" she fin
ished severely.
Inc ludyOI D6Sdn 10 recover 0lfnSell.
''Oh. my dear madam" he said in the
ford political manner we're not a
rich community like the city over
there. Ours is a workin' population. A
breakwater is an expensive luxury for
which our taxpayers would be unable
to pay"
The widow gazed at him steadily.
I've read all about Crowley" she
announced.
Il suppose you mean in them black
guardin' papers across the river he
returned, stirred to an unwOnted heat.
Again the widows soothing, radiant
smile appeared.
II suppose they were opposition pa
pers," she conceded. But that River
Way is a disgrace and danger. And
ii is in the city, you know
Charmed by her amiability. the may
or FASTENED to concede also.
TT has been somewhat-er-neg-
lected in the press of other matters,
but now that we seem likely to have
a-er-population out that way-some-
thing will have to be done"
THE street lamps do not seem to be
lighted out there at nigH.- IT'S rather
gloomy if ones a stranger" she said.
Never a whimper about bein a WOO
man. thought Mayor Hennessey
proudly, while he proclaimed aloud
IF the lighters amt doin' their duty,
ma'am, We'll soon know the reason"
The lady rose to go. Her face was
divided between its grim resolution
and its sunny confidence.
You will do something, them" she
said. You see I'm ignorant. Maybe l
ought to have gone to some one else.
but l said to myself-1'll go to the
Oh hos to
straight to headquarters. Why.
broke half my furniture yesterday. And
was a little-desperate."
whenever anything goes wrong
with you in this town. ma'am," an
swered the beaming mayor, you come
straight to me. And if our broken road
was the cause of your broken furniture,
you send in a bill. ma'am."
She looked dubious.
Send in a claim. ma'am, and don't
bring a suit for damages" begged the
mayor in sounding terms. And to ia
cilitate her progress he placed official
foolscap by the pens and ink ready on
his desk.
When in neat. unSccustomed Chi
Biography she had made out the bill
against Crowley for a broken piano. a
bl oxen what-nOt and a broken case
of crockery, Mayor Hennessey had
the satisfaction of learning that her
name was Martha Downs. And ne felt
that the twenty-eight dollars at which
she estimated her loss was a small
price to pay for the information
since it should be the city that would
pay it. Mrs Downs departed bow I'd
out of the outermost door of the city
hall by the mayor, to the marveling
delight of the clerks and hangers-on.
Then he departed to see the chief of
police.
They talked of many things-of the
mayors horses and of the chiefs son
who had inopportune yearnings to go
to Annapolis in spite of the fact that
his father had quarreled with the
recommending congressman. But May
or Hennessey had not Quarrelsd. He
would speak the word in due season;
and-by the way, would the clief see
to it that the River Way was diligently
patrolled for while until the young
toughs of Crowley had it firmly fixed
in their minds that the River Way was
not for them? The chief would!
"a man that never forgets lis
friends" commented the chief warmly,
picturing his son a naval ,nsiyn as he
looked at the mayors broad back in
its placid retreat from the office.
Daniel Hennessey, as he strode along,
banished hereby sentimental rehec-
lions. He had work TO do, reforms to
undertake, a bill to have paid audi
tors and treasurers to manage. And he
managed them so easily that it was
but a short time before re found a
neatly written, but il seemed to him
unnecessarily brief. note from Maria
Downs acknowledging the receipt of
twenty-eight dollars, and thanking
him for the trouble he lad taken in
her behalf.
The campaign went on; and the re-
suit was the usual one. The mayor was
triumphantly reelected. The returns
reached him at the party headquar-
tiers. conveniently adjacent 20 Caseys
saloon. He and his aides sat about
long table in an upper room, dimly
perceiving one another's good-natured
faces and litter hats through a haze
of smoke. There was plenty of laugh
ter during the evening and when the
last district had been heard from, the
mayor, according TO his time-honored
custom. invited bis friends to remain
until Casey sent up a little something
to drink success to the government.
They all waited except young Donahue,
the new alderman.
You'll excuse me, Mr.. Hennessey,"
he apologiZed, slipping into his over
coat, "but there's little woman at
home thatll be sittin' UP to hear the
good news"
He gripped the mayors hand. He
was the mayors man, and there was