The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-05-11

OO1Ay dDOut ludI mdttSA SnAo
morning |"
The Major had himself well in
hand. He never got ratified when it
was time to keep cool.
You would not have had me do
anything different, would you? Ifit
had been our town, we would want
TO know just what there was about
It, wouldn't WEI"
T There was something aboNt the
vim that Sam put into his question
that the Major did not like. He sim
ply answered
''Of course not, only"
II knew it. You never have ask
ed me to do a mean or underhand
thing yet, that I know of. I hope
you never will !"
'Certainly not Certainly not p
The Major hastened to say. He net
tied about in his chair, though, and
showed some signs of perturbation.
"It will come out all right, of
course. We shall go before the COM
mitteea and show that the bill is in the
interest of the people. It must be.
The organization is behind it. It's
got to go through r
The decision IN the old man voice
left no room for doubt in the mind of
Sam that he meant war, if the knife
had to be buried half way up.
They talked it over for some time
and then the Major quietly remark
ed: ''You will be in when the bill
has its hearing?"
ct certainly will.'
"And you will support the bill be-
fore the committee ~
That was another question. Sam
took time to think. That was the
time he lost.
Naturally you would, the Major
went on, paying no attention to Sans
hesitation. "As the introducer of the
bill you could not do otherwise.
Some were a bit surprised when you
voted to send the thing back but I
told them you were fair man, ready
to do all that is right. If they want
a hearing we'll give it to them. And
still, you naturally expect in the end
to stand by the BILL"
TLis was cold logic. A man can
hardly be expected to desert the child
of his loins. Sam must admit that.
He was, in political sense, sponsor
for the bill And yet
But the Major kept up the pursuit.
He knew when to press sharp on the
heels of an advantage.
Don't worry about what I said
just now. A man must always have
time to get his sea legs on. The boys
that criticised you simply did not
know you as we'll as I do. They
thought for the moment that you were
going back on the organization in
voting to re-commit the bill. 1t did
look SO at first sight but you will
understand better about such things
next year. Of course, you will leone
back another term. "
Another year. Next year. Oh, the
havoc those words work in the lives
of men
"We'll take care of that, Sam.
Next year you will begin to get into
the game, and you'll have chance
to make something then."
Sans head felt dizzy just then,
somehow. He was getting some de-
cidedly valuable lessons in practical
politics. 1t does not take long for
man to do that when once he is in. !"
Pretty soon the conversation drift
ted back home. This pleased Sam
better. He knew great deal more
about home and Molly than he did
about politics.
Pretty little place you have there,
SAM"
The young mans face lighted up.
1--WE like it."
A moment of silence.
"All paid for, I suppose 7"
"Well, no I; not quite a little back
on it yet"
"Oh, well, you'll clear that all up
if YOU come back another year.
Again that nightmare chased itself
through his brain. Did he really
want to come back? This was no
place for an honest man, Sam thought.
He wondered if he would get through
and not be swamped in the whirl-
pool. He pulled himself together and
determined that he would tell the
Major and tell him so that he would
understand what he meant, that this
year was enough for him-all he
could stand. But the Major knew
when he had said enough. He went
out and left Sam to think it cut
alone.
The bill went back to the commit
tee. Sam was there to watch the
course of events. The little town
whose interests were involved crowd
ed the committee-room and made
strong plea against the measure. 1t
would be nothing less than highway
robbery, they declared, to pass the
bill granting this right to the railway
company. Sam sat there, feeling in
his very heart that these people were
right, dead right. Any man that
would vote after that to pass the bill
certainly would be thief.
Still, when the hearing was all
over, and Sam was called in before
the committee privately and the ques-
ton was asked him, "Does the organ
ization want this bill passed or not :"
he weakly answered:
''I suppose it does"
"Then that all we want to know"
was the cool rejoinder of the chair
man of the majority side of the COM
mittee. eve will report the bill
again favorably and LET the House
settle the question.
So the bill went back on the calen-
dar the next day, and Sam Markham
went out of that room feeling as Judas
must have felt when he went out OF