La Junta tribune., 1908-07-18
ASinlpleMan.
3, MADELINE LEWIS

., MADELINE LEWIS.
copyr=h,ea ics by ,~.-,- Morgan.

tended to b.. u candidate fof The lesi.-
larur.. in the Fourti, district. lie had
ri. reputation OF being sharp. keen
to ~nufr Others said THAT he would
sec that the interests Of The district
werc not overlooked. Som. Thought
he ought 10 l,av. the nomination be-
cause he wns just ia.sinnin. hS career.
aud this would give him a bo,-i The
Young man had i-.'.n in Nstersale
only year lnI AZ he Vas ouly twen-
ty-scyen. good booking aud Salti tn
sri,t,-..d he had made a place for him
self In society lie could fiait.r hiInr
srii that be had tnadc progrc>- IN -y-
ery family but o,c. ti. Thompson
family.
They called John Thompson Honest
John" That had been his appcliatlou
for years II. was part farmer and
part citizen sui no, we'll on ia this
worlds goods. and yet he had u repu-
tation that plcnty of m.u might envy.
HI, daughter Minnie. an ONLY child.
was neither n belle nor a leader Of so
c!sty. but she was fair looking and
possessed OF strong character aud not
at all the young lady to h. captivatsd
by the personal advantages of the
young Mr.. Trass.
They bad met socially, AMI she had
not at ali b4-.n taken with him On
the other haud. he had been greatly
impressed Intuition told him that
he was not in favor. bnt the opposi-
lion oniy stimulated him He had eas-
ily uinIi. friends with the father. but
he found that TO win The girls interest
would b,. Il far different thiug.
For wecks IL had been rOrrEone
conclusion that MIR Trask would l-
nominated aud elected. hu; when the
convention was iiuaily called Il de-
yelopcd that the ring I.pliti.'ians had
not cOlntc4l on the farming gorEAni-
~ The meu af The Plnw Ind become
ilrs-l 81 he politicians aud their tricks
--of the Promises 80 freely niadr aud
so often brpkcii-aui when th- mo-
nicut caine they brok. away and made
surprising nomination.
Honest John~'wns the nomine,,. lie
had never held political otti,,. Iu hls
iAir. ff' NaN Hpiht aht a. N'lh az
stead Of being at the convention hut
his friends pledged him ;o stand aud
he accepted H. Only one inanrnce de-
ci,icd him IN this matter. and thai was
tie advice of his daughter
Father sh. said to him ~ben the
news came. YOU are not politician.
aai You are not a s..hrmsr. fo,l can't I
make speech. aud yon won. b.. b,rard
" In that body. You are simply q
t,ier~ to represent others of the same
Ik II Il time when plain. honest
men are wanted at the froni. 10 there
aud do yonr duty as best you can.''
II wish LAWYER TrsSl had got IT.
be sighed lie can make speeches
and mix In with the b.,st of 'em and
come home To be talked VI In the pa
pers. shall i-. only . toadstool on .
stump BY the way, bain't he coming
her, pretty often?''
Yes: he calls ccasionally.'
"I though, 1t was little oftener
than occasionally
.'If II Is. he Il wasting his time.
Father. 1 don't Ike Mr. Trask. He IL
too ambitious to get ahead He Is 50
ambitions that be- loses sight of the
scr1ipics that should guide all honest
men. He wanted to 20 TO the legIsla-
ture simply as means TO advance his
own Interests"
.'But took him TO be young man
OF good principles"
Politics has no principles. aud he
seeks 10 h.. II politician. There IS but
one watchword with them. and that Is
10 win Yon viii he elected rs an hon
est man and not As politician
-oh. shan't do any stealing
smiled the father. but rm thinking
that I'll feel like cat In strange
garret up there. I'D heap rather
they had sent some one else but IN
try IL for term II you say so. Fer
haps thcre'll he three or four other old
cpigers like me to get In with"
There WAS no question about the
chagrin and disappointment OF the
young lawyer over his defeat. but he
dissemblcd fairly well before the girl
when he made his next call lie &C.
knowledged thar 1t was something Of
u setback. but rejoiced that II was her
father who had secured the nomlna-
tion.
Before departing he grew sentimental
and might have made declaration Of
his love II he had not been checked.
He must have plainly understood that
he had rs yet created no interest. but
In his pcrversity he determined to COZ
flnue
The farmer had hardly been settled
In his seat at the state capitol when
Trask appeared. He was more than
usually defcrential and friendly. He
could and he did give the honest man
many helpful pointers. and II was I
fortnight before the errand thar brought
him there was stated. He WAS lob.
byist FOR certain corporation which