The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1908-06-19
"a woman? / don't understand"
"Miss Wainwright"


! But
} Listen here Benefits in love wit
Wainwright's niece. You've cut hin
, out Go and tell him If he'll let on
bill alone you'll smash the engagement
and leave her free to marry him
Seer
81 can't! hold on, though! After
couldn't L? It'd be his word agains
mine, and she'd never believe | coulC
do such a thing. II might try"
Eyes" growled Horrigan. you might
A cur that's lost all his nerve can try
things that even an ordinary crool
would balk at"
But Gibbs did not hear. He had re
turned to the corridor in search Of
Bennett The man scarcely deserved
the opprobrium heaped on him by Hor
rigan. A brilliant daring operator, he
was, unknown to himself, rank COW.
ard at heart. For the first time in his
life the cowardice had cropped out
and, to do Gibbs justice, it had driven
him temporarily insane. In his nor
NAL senses he would never have stoop-
ed to the plan he was now so eager to
carry out 1t was a putrid bit of jet
sam at which a financially drowning
man did not scruple to clutch.
Horrigan followed him from the
room, his own splendid nerve quite re-
covered from the crushing blow his
hopes had received. He had staked
heavily on the deal Moreover, its fail
ure, as he knew, meant the wreck of
that mighty political prestige he had
so long and wearisomely built up. 1t
might even, If Alwyn fulfilled his
threat about the notes, lead to graver
personal consequences. Yet the bull
dog pluck that had carried this man
of iron from the gutter to the summit
of political power did not desert him,
nor did he show the loss of one iota of
his customary monumental calm.
| Scarcely had Horrigan quilted the
room when Perry and Dallas entered
it
'"You could cut the atmosphere In
there with cheese knife" Perry was
saying. WILLIAMS doesn't think the
Borough bill will come up for half an
hour or So We'd better spend the
time till then In here than to stay there
and turn our lungs into microbe ZOO"
Dallas did not answer. She sat down
by the table and rested her head de-
jectedly on one little gloved hand The
sight of Bennett, his grave, hopeless
appeal to her; the calm, utter despair
of his brave facial these had affect
ed her deeply. Perry noticed with
brotherly concern her look and attitude.
Feeling faint? he asked.
mo- I'm all right, thanks"
you look pretty near as blue as ~
wyn. He
Don't let's talk of him, please" she
begged.
"Why not? He's the whitest chap
this side of Whiteville."
That's what | used to think, but /
know better now" i
Then. MISS" broke In a voice from
the doorway, you're entitled to anoth
err know"
Phelan. who, passing down the cor
ridor, had heard her last words as he
reached the threshold. turned into the
room.
Excuse me for buttin' in on a fam
lily chat" he remarked, coming forward,
"but I'm pretty well posted on his |
honor's character, an when hear any |
one knockin' him it's me to the bat. |
What have you got against Mr. Ben
nett? None Of your measly business |
says you. quite So says l, an, that
bein' the case, let's hear all about it."
Something that underlay the seeming
of the alderman's bluff
speech touched Dallas. On impulse she
spoke:
"Mr. Bennett" said she, as opposing
the Borough bill, knowing we shall be
If he defeats It, He also sold
Borough stock short before he an
nounced his veto. What can one think
Of a man who enriches himself at the
expense of his friends"
Gee" cried Perry, that's a terrible
thing! BENEFITS the original man
higher up, I'm afraid. I wonder he
sn't afraid to wear the clothes Of such
a wicked geezer as himselfw
"oh, Perry! Don't joke about itr'
begged Dallas Cant you see the seri-
,us side of anything? We shall be
)enniless and dependent on
Fear thou not, sister miner de- I
Jared Perry in his best melodramatic '
manner. "Paupers, sayest thou? Far I
De 1t so! Little Brother Perry will
guard thee from the cold. shivery Y
waits of wintry wind Maybe we +
an sell violets or start a fight club A.,
r.
DON'T" she urged, Jared by his flip =
'ancy. You don't understand. u
"As for that story of his honor's sell
n stock short and maxim a pile of
ash on his own Veto" put in Phelan +
genuinely worried, "Horrigan's looked q
up an got enough facts to make him /
hink he can prove it. He's goin' to
lake Williams tell the whole story to :
be aldermen tonight. It's a lie, OF 4
curse, but it'll hurt his honor a lot, V
n the worst of it is Bennett refuses
D deny it" n
"He does, ehI" remarked Perry. c
Then I'll do some talking about it. I,
II have TO fracture promise made :
.lwyn. but l guess it's worth while" /,
"What do you meanT queried Dallas +
! wonder :.
81 mean Bennett lent me the money =
, sell enough stock short TO make up y
Or what you and ] would lose il the II
III was quashed. and be gave me a n
tier TO his own broker. We carried it a
trough, and now you and l stand pat
} win whichever way the cat jumps. Sc
1e're on velvet thanks to Alwyn. o,
He did this for usY' gasped Dallas ~