Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-17

! can look down on you for the same reason
any square American can look down on
political boss. Because We are honest ana
You are not"
We'll" vouchsafed Caleb, grudgingiy.
that's an answer anyhow, and 1t comes
nearer being sense than anything you've
said so far. But you're wrong for all that
You talk about honesty. What's honesty?
The pious Pilgrim Fathers came here and
country in a blamed sight more raw fash
ion than I've ever bamboozled the people
OF the Mountain state. And the Mountain
staters were willing. while the Indian
wasn't. Yet the old settlers are called ma
ton builders and martyrs and lot of
other hot-air titles. and they get statues
put up to their memories How about the
Uncle Sans buying a whole nation of Fill
ipinos and coolly telling EN-: I'm bossing
your islands now. Listen to me while l
soften your rebellous hearts with the
of the sans ebp gn nse
done the same trick, only worse. in India
and Egypt. No ones going to call America
or England or the Pilgrim Fathers dis
honest and crooks, Is there? Then why do
you call Caleb Conover dishonest for doing
the same thing only a lot more squarely
and mercifully? The crook of today is the
hero Of tomorrow. And I'm no crook at
that. Why son, hundred years from now
there's liable to be a statue stuck up some
where Of Caleb Conover. Railroader. Cham
pion of the People Honesty. Ell? What
you call honesty Is just a sort of weak
kneed virtue meaning lack of chance to be
something else. 'Honester than me- means
less chance than me- The honestest COM
munity on earth. according to you reform
ers' way of thinking. Is in the state peni-
Tertiary. For not crime of any sort
committed there from one years end to the
other
continued:
And there's something else about me
that ought to make 'em sculp halo onto
that same statue What I've done to build
iIn dam nd wi
the cards on the table. I have called a
spade a spade. and 1 haven't referred to it.
vague-like. as industr'l utensil.' L
haven't took the Lord IN as silent 1, part ,.
and I've said. Whatever going to do about
it?' I've won out by strength and | amt
ashamed of my way of playing the game
haven't talked through my nose about
being one of the noble class picked out by
Providence to watch over the wealth that
poor folksd have had the good of if
hadn't grabbed 1t from EN-. And haven't
tried to square myself On High by endoW-
ing colleges and heathens and libraries and
churches. | guess a sinners hush-money
don't make so much of a hit with the Al
mighty as these phlanthropist geeZers
seem to think it will. What I've given I've
given on the quiet and where it'd keep
folks from the poor house. When it comes
to the final show down on Judgment Day,
I've sneaking notion the out-and-out pi-
rate-ne if you lke-will win out by about
seven lengths over the holy hypocrfte.
That's another reason why tell you
you're wrong when you say i amt hon
est. I don't hope to convince YOU by any
of the words I've been wasting. If YOU
were the sort of man reason could reach
you wouldn't be a reformer. I've sauan-
dered enough time on you for one evening
Save all the pat replies that [ can see
you're bursting with and spring EN- at
your next meeting. I've no time to listen
TO EN-. Good night
Unceremonously as he had entered the
ha amt cd
he would.
Il talked more'n I have since that fool
speech of mine at the reception mutter-
ed the Railroader as he clattered down the
broad staircase. But l steered him off
from the chance to say what he really
| wanted to, and l lodged any scene that
would be of use to him in his campaign.
Too bad he's a reformer. He's got red
blood in him, the young idiot. Yes. and
he's not such an idiot either if it comes to
that
Give standish, descending the stairs mo-
ment later, puzzled. disappointed, vaguely
aware that he had somehow been tricked,
heard the shout of a groom and the thun-
dering beat of Dunderberg's flying hoofs
along the gravel of the drive.
IF he was much master of the sit
uation and as content with himself as he
| tried to make me Think reflected Give as
he passed out into the darkness, "he'd
| never ride like that
| Standish went to the leagues headquar-
| ters, where for two hours he busted him
| self with routine affairs, and tried to shut
| out memory of the deep, haunting voice
| and rnasterful, amused eyes that had held
him captive and had turned him from the
| real purpose of his visit. And in time the
| light, sneering eyes deepened INTO Hqulc
| brown. and the sonorous voice INTO Anlce
| Ianier's For whatever theme might form
any particular verse of the days song fol
| Give he noticed of late that Anice was
| certain to be the ever-recurrent refrain
| Wearied with his evenings work. stand
ish returned late to his own rooms His
man said. as he helped the candidate of
| with his light covert coat:
"A messenger boy brought a letter fol
| you sir, about an hour ago. He said there
| was no answer. I left 1t on your desk.
| Give picked up the typewriter envelope
listlessly and tore it OPEN 1t contained
| a note, also typewriter, ana d thlckeI ell
| closure. He read:
| ANONYMOUS letters carry stigma Per-
| haps that is why you did not profit by my
last one. I have good reasons for not sign
| ing my name. And you have good reason
| to know by now that what l write Is the
truth Be wiser this time. 1 inclose list OF
| the county chairmen who have sold out
to Conover. the name OF the chairman 10
| ton and rough draft of the plan to be
| used for your defeat. Next to each detail
| YOU will find my suggestion for blocking it.
! You owe 1t to yourself and to the people
| ta take advantage of what l send you
| Hes right whoever he is" exclaimed
Give. half-aloud. Its the only way can
fight Conover on equal terms Iheres no
! sense in my standing on foolish scruple
| when so much hangs on the result OF the
| convention"
| He snatched up the enclosure which had
| slipped to the floor. Irresolute he held 1t
| for almost a minute. his firm lips twitch-
| ing his eyes cloudy with perpleXlty Ihen'
| with sigh of self-contempt he slipped note
| and enclosure in a long envelope, addressed
| it and rang for his man.
! See that this is delivered tonight he
I ordered.
| The valet, as lie left the room. glanced
| surreptitiously at the envelopes address.
| To his infinite bewilderment he saw the
superscription:
| Caleb Conover Esq, 167 Pompton Ave-
| nue. Personal.
| There was a terrible half hour IN the
| Mausoleum that night.
| CHAPTER TX.