Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-17
CHAPTER VIII.
Caleb Conover Listens and Answers

Well began Conover. breaking the
short pause what do you want?"
Il want to speak to you--alone' answer
ed Standish.
Come up to my study. Gaines. tell the
groom to keep Dunderberg moving I'll be
down IN ten minutes
In silence the railroader led the way up
stairs. He passed into the study. leaving
Give to follow. Nor, as he seated himself
in his big desk chair, did he request his
visitor to sit down. Ignoring these Sights
Give took up his stand on the opposite side
of the desk,
Now. then. said Caleb, get through
your business as quick as you can. What
do You want?'
ITO speak to you in reference to this
campaign.
Had enough, eh?'
Altogether too much of the sort you've
inflicted on me-
Good, You've got more sense than I
thought. There's two kinds of fools; the
kind that put their heads in a hornets nest
once and then have sense enough to admit
theyve been stung, and the kind that keeps
their heads there because they're too daffy
to see the exit signs or too pig-headed to
confess that hornet stings amt the most
diverting form of massage. I'm glad to see
you belong to the first class. I'd place you
in the second
But you want to get out of this p'ticular
hornets nest, l spose. without giving too
life-like an imitation of man shining
down from a tree. Ell? Well. l guess that
can be fixed. Sit down. Well"
You're mistaken" broke in Standish re-
senting the more civil tone of his host he
had not resented his former rudeness, Il m
in this fight to stay. /"
Want your cash losses made good? If
you
Mr. Conover" said Give calmly, though
the knuckles that gripped the table edge
were white with pressure, when your
to me. he thought he was making a per-
fectly straight offer. And. judging by the
standards you've taught him, | suppose the
suggestion was almost holy compared with
the majority of his tactics. So l didn't
thrash him. He knew no Letter; for the
same reason 1 don't thrash you
That and maybe few Others laughed
Conover, in no wise offended. Il climbed
up from yard-boy to railroad president by
frequently jamming my fists IN where they'd
do the most good. l guess you'd have
faint s'spicon you'd been in fight before
you was through. But | presume you d dn't
come here tonight to give encore per-
Torrance of your grand stand play at Graf
ton 1t seems | started on the wrong idea
just now. You don't want to drop out
gracefully or to sell out. and you prefer the
soothing attentions of the hornets to"
Yes. If you put 1t that way, Mr.. Con-
over
Hold on a second
The raiIroader crossed to a screen at the
farther end of the room. Trusting it aside
he said 10 stenosrdpher who sat behind
il. pencil and pad in hand:
I'VE won't need you any longer. This
amt going to be that kind of interview
after all. You can so now Just little
precauticn of mine, he added to Clive as
he returned to the table. Now you can
go talking.
You were setting a spy to take down
what | sad?" gasped Give incredulous
,i,..,. 10
chat. We We're a bit short on campaign
ltterchoor. But | see it won't be needed
now. Go ahead.
I've just returned from tour of the
state" commenced Standsh. once more
forcing himself to keep down his temper.
Conover drew a typewriter bundle from
a drawer.
III YOU were counting on telling me all
( about it," he observed Il can save you
the trouble. Here's the whole account.
Does your account include the recital
OF mob melted to smash furniture, insult
women and attempt murder? Or OF sub
orned town officials. bought policemen and
muzzled editors? If not, 1t is Incomplete
| went on that tour prepared to meet all
legitimate obstacles. / met only fraud
violence and the creatures of boss-bought
conspiracy. 1t Is to call you to account
for that and to ask how far 1t was done
by your personal sanction that l have come
to see you. Also to ask If you intend to
give me fair play in future"
Fair play?" echoed Conover in genuine
bewllderment Son this is politics, not
| ping pong.
Every one in Gods world is entitled to
| fair play. And I'm here to demand it,
" Gods world. Ell? My friend, when
you've travelled about it as long as | have
you'll find out that the original owner sub
let the premises long ago"
1T looks so, in the mountain state, /
agree But I'm trying to act as local dis
possess agent for the present tenant All
men are born equal, and some of US are