Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-03

address at the close of the evening Nr.
Conover mentioned his forthcoming 4 In
didacy for governor Is that all a1 Of
them have got about IT %
| They have your pledge TO run tn gov
/ ernor blazoned over two column& of the
] front page of nearly all the paDers. But
nothing more about the speech itself
| Il took the liberty of stopping the re-
| porters before they left the house, and tell
| ing them it would be against your wish for
1 any of your other remarks to be quoted.
! You did that? Miss Lanfer. you're fine!
| You've saved me q guying in every out-of-
state paper In the east. want to show my
| Appreciation
{! salary, l am very much obliged. But as
| I've told you several times before. I can't
accept it. Thank you just the same
| But why not? | can afford
please"
"And every other soul in my employ
! spraining his brain to plan for a raise! The
| man who understands women-if he's ever
| born-won't need to read his Bible. for
there'll be nothing that even the Almighty
! can teach him..
| nier matter. He refuses to pay the $4,000
and We cant even. get him to admit he
owes it. Shall l.
| Write and tell him unless he pays that
| $41 500 within thirty days
| Put it's $4,000, not $41,00O. He
| Il know that. And he'll write US 50 by re-
| turn mail That'n give US the acknowledg-
| ment we want of the $4,000 debt. What
| neXt?"
'The Curtis Bayne people of Hadley are
falling behind on their contract with the Z.
II guess they are" chuckled Caleb
| They're beginning to see a great light
| just as 1 figured out. Well. let 'em squirm
| bit"
But the contract-you may remember Mr.
| Curtis asked to look at our copy of 1t when
he was in Granite. He said he wanted to
| verify a clause he couldn't quite recolect
| You told me to send 1t to him, ana ulo
| Yes, I remember
| well, he never returned it. And this
| morning we get this letter from him: In re-
| gard to your favor Of the 9th inst, In when
! you speak of contract We beg to state you
must have confused US with some other or
| your roads customers. The Curtis Bayne
/ Company has no contract with the G G q
x. and can find no record OF one. II you
| We'll, well, WE'LL" gurgled Caleb. TO
think how that wicked old Curtis fox has
imposed on my trust in human nature!
| He's got us. eh?'
| TT looks so, I'm afraid"
! Looks so to him, too. It'll keep on look
| ing so till 1 shove him into court and make
him swear on the witness stand that no con-
| tract ever existed. Then it'll be time enough
| to produce the certified copy l had made
| just after 1 got his request to send the
| original to his hotel Poor old Curtis!
| Please write him very clustering, scared,
| appealing kind Of letter. Next?'
| "OFlaherty's sent another begging note,
| about that claim of his against the road. 1t
begins: Dear Mr.. Conover: AS you Know
I've seen better days.
"Tell him / can't be held accountable for
the weather. And-say Miss Lanier. let all
| the rest of this routine go over for today.
I've bigger game on. ana I've got 10
hustle. That governorship business
| "Yes?"
That was the foolest thing I ever did. 1t
| seemed to me at the minute grand idea as
/ e..
| guess I'll have to pay my way all right pc
! fore I'm done with last evening. The free
lists suspended as far's I'm concerned
| You mean there's some doubt of your
| getting the nomination." she asked. sud
! den hope making her big eyes lustrous.
Doubt? Doubt? Say, l thought you
| knew me better than that Why, the nom
| nations right in front of me on silver
salver and trimmed with blue ribbons. And
| the election too, for that matter.
"Then"-the hope dyng--.'why do you
| speak you did just now?
ITS this way: I've held Granite and the
| Mountain state by the nape of the neck for
| ten years I'm the boss. And when | give
| the word folks come to heel. But all TINS
! time I've been standing IN the BACKGROUND
while 1 pulled the strings. 1t was safer
| that way and pleasanter. I'd a lot rather
| write the play than be just a paid actor In
| it, But now I've got to jump out of my
| of the stage There's lot more glory on
! the stage than in the wings, but there
! lots more bad eggs and decayed fruit drift
ing in that direction, too If the audience
| don't like the actor they hiss him. The
man in the wings don't get any OF that.
! All he has to do is to call off that actor and
| put on another the crowd'll like better, or
maybe a new play If it comes to the worst
But here I'm to take the stage and get
| the limelight and the newspaper roasts-
outside the state-and not an actor can 1
| shunt it off on. That's why I've never
! took public office since 1 was mayor. And
| then it was only stepping-stone to the
background and pose in the capitol. There's
| nothing in 1t for me except a better social
| position. That's a lot. l know. But I'm
| not so sure that even such raise IS worth
| the price
Then why not withdraw"
mot me! Withdraw. and be laughed at
by my own crowd as well as the society
| click? It'd smash me forever. It's human
nature to love a criminal and to hate a
! four-fusher And cold feet amt good for
the circulation of the body polite. IT. apt
to end by freezing Its poSseSSor out. NO,
| sir! I'm in 1t. and 1 got to swim strong.
| The nominate and the elections easy
All the bill. I've got to sweep the state
with the all-firedest landslide ever s!idden
since o. S. Grant ran around the track
twice before Horace Greeley got on speak
| ing terms with his own stride. It's got to
| be a case of the all-pOpular Gov. Conover
rye got to go in on the shoulders Of that
rampant steed they call The Hoorah!
That,Il settle forever any doubts of my fit
ness, and it'll stop all laughs at what l said
last night. When mans the people 8
unanimous choice, the few stray knocks
that happen at intervals do him more good
than harm. But If it was just touch-and-
| CO. everybody'd be screechng about fraud