The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-03-03
Richmond, Va, March 8, 1907.
ess nor hiatus during his drivelllng
\ech, so the steady brain had, on
kng, remorselessly told him OF his

word.
thirty years before, in drunken
spree, he had been seized with fervor
OF patriotism and had enlisted in the
army. On coming to himself 1t had
cost him nearly every dollar he pos
scssed to get himself free. After
similar revel, a year later, he had
stnmpcdcd meeting OF the local
'machne" by making .earfui speech
in favor OF reform and purity in poll
tics. The Grafton had cost him Ills inn
mediate chances of political prefer
rnent. After that he had done away
with this single weakness In his iron
nature and had drunk no more. The
sacrifice had been light for so strong
man. once he had forced himself to
make 1t.
Last night-secure in his mpregnable
sclf-trust-he had broken his invIola-
bic rtilc. Az result he had become
u laughins-stock for the people whose
favor he so unspeakably desired to
win. AS to his own adherents. he gave
their possible o. inions not one
thought. Whatever the Boss said
went" with them. Had he declared
himself candidate for holy orders,
or blurted out the innermost secrets
of the machine" they would probably
have believed he was acting for the
best But those others!
And, over and above all. his dccla-
ration of candidacy for Governor
A knock at the door of his study
broke in on the audible groan of self
contempt this last and ever-recurrent
thought wrung from his tight lips.
Caleb stopped midway down the room.
his short red hair bristling with fury
at the Interruption.
What do you want?" he snarled.
The door opened and Anice Lanier
came in. She was very pretty and
dainty and young, in her simple white
morning frock. She carried a set of
tablets wherein 1t was her custom to
transcrib4 notes OF Calebs morning in
structions for reference or for later
amplification by his two stenograph-
crs.
"well!" roared Conovcr glowering
across the room at her. what in hell
doYou want?"
"ToAtender my resignation" was the
unrufiied reply
..Your whnt?" he gasped, stupidity.
MY resignation" in the same level.
impersonal tones ITO take effect at
once. Good morning"
She was halfway out OF the room
before her employer could hurry after
and detain her.
"whats-whats the meaning OF
this?" asked Caleb, the brutal belligcr-
cncy trailing out of his voice. Then.
because I spoke like that just now?
Was that 1t? Because said--And you'd
throw over good job just becamse
-ne-e~r ou-- woutu. on u 90 u. > ls.
n BLUM. Maybe that's why you make
such hit with me, Miss Lanier. You're
not scared every time open my mouth.
And YOU stand up for yourself.
He eyed her in a quizzically admirinS
fashion. as one might beautiful but
uncIassined natural history specimen.
She made no reply. but stood waning
in patience for him to move from pe-
tween her and the door.
Caleb grinned. ~, ,,a
want me to apologize, pose 'to
grumbled. , -. wa,t TO
ask .,a,
wouldn't Of said what l did, In the
first place, eh! ..
yves, i do think SO. Don't you
well, I'm sorry. Let IT go at t,aa mai.
Now let's get to work. Say,'-as tney
moved across to their wonted places
-. tha hir centre table-"you oughtn't
n take offense at anything about me
this morning. You must know how
sore am.
whats the natter?"
"As IL you didn't know! You saw
how many kinds of a Wall-eyea 100,
made OF myself last nish.' -" 80 -
enough to make a man soreE ana y
think Of 1t being taken down by tnos'
newspaper idiots and printed al ove'
He gave the nearby chair kict
avalanching the morning papers 10 IN
floor.
.Have you read those?" auerie'
Anice.
mo. why should rub 1T in7
4 know what they
.Why not look at them before 20
lose your temper?
Caleb snatched UP. the Star, fore
most journal of Granite. lie glance
down the last column of the front pag'
and over to the second.
"Herc's the story OF the show Just
we dictated it beforehand" ne con-
mcnted. List of guests Where
thunder is that measly speech! LAY
thew given it a column to tFolf? on
wny down at the bottom IN a slhgt
lariy happy little informal address {;
the close Of the evening MT Conov'
~. <orthc0 ming caHQ1QaC