Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-07-29
The
Fighting
Chance.
By ROBERT ". CHAMBERS.
Copyright, ioOs, by ths Osrsls PuhaAsAA,s
Company.
Copyright. 1903. by Robert w. CAaahsss.
ng a bargain mat might save himself

day long he sat with Plank. Nobody
except those two knew he WAS there
And after q very long time Plank con.
scented that nobody else except Slward
and Harrington and Quarter should
ever know So he called up Harring-
ton on the telephone, saying that there
was in the Office somebody who de
sired to speak to him. And when Har-
rington caught the judges first faint,
stammered word he reeled where he
stood, ashen, unbelieving speechless.
Harrington was an old man, a very
old man, MORALLY hurt, but he stead
I'D himself along the wall of his study
30 the desk and sank into the chair.
After a little while he passed thin
hand over his eyes. over his gray head,
over the mouth that all men watched
with fear, over the shaven jaw now
grlmly set but trembling. His hand,
too, shook with palsy as he wrote,
painfully picking out the words and
figures OF the cipher from his code
book, but he closed his thin lips and
squared his unsteady jaw and wrote
his message to Quarter:
1t is all up Plank will take over Inter
county. Come at once.
Plank slept the sleep Of utter ex-
haustion that night. The morning
found him haggard, but strong. cool In
his triumph, serious, stern faced, al
most sad that his work was done, the
battle won.
From h,j own house he telegraphed
q curt summons to Harrington and to
! Quarter for a conference In his own
office, then, finishing whatever bust
ness his morning mail required, put
on his hat and went to see the one
man in the world he was most glad
for
Its all over, Siward," he said, with
q laugh. Harrington knows It, Quar-
rier knows 1t by this time. Their
Judge crawled In yesterday and threw
himself on our mercy, and the men
whose whip he obeyed will be on their
way to surrender by this time. Well,
haven't you a word?"
Many" said Siward slowly. "too
many to utter but not enough to ex-
press what | feel II you will take
two on account here they are In one
phrase-thank you"
Debts cancelled" said Plank, laugh
ing. do you want to hear the de-
tails?"
The narrative exchanged by Plank
In return for Slward's intensely inter
ested questions was a simple, limpid
review of a short but terrific campaign
that only yesterday had threatened to
rage through court after court, year
after year. In the sudden shock of the
cessation from battle, Plank himself
was little dazed. Yet he himself had
expected the treason that ended all.
He himself had foreseen 1t.
plank" said Siward at last, there
Is nothing in the world that men ad-
mire more than a man. 1t Is a good
deal OF a privilege for me to tell you
so.'
Plank turned red with surprise and
embarrassment stammering out some
thing incoherent.
That was all that was said about the
victory. Siward, unusually gay for
awhile, presently turned somber, and II
was Plank's turn to lift him out OF IL
by careless remarks about his rapid
convalescence and the chance for va
cation he SO much needed.
Once Siward looked up vacantiy.
Where am I to goT' he asked. ia
as soon stay here"
"But I'm going" insisted Plank
'sThe Fells Is all ready for u.s."
1.-THE Fellsl l can't 60 therer'
"You once promised
"Plank, I'll go anywhere except
there with you I'd rather be with
you than with anybody. Can say
more than thatT"
81 think you ought to, Slward. A
a fellow feels the refusal of his Of
fered rooftree."
MAN Mani 1t isn't your roof am
refusing. l want to 60 I'd give any
thing to go If 1t were anywhere ex-
cept where 1t Is, I'd go fast enough.
Now do you understand? Tiff Shot
over House and Shotover people were
not next door to the Fells I'd go. Do
you know what's the matter with me,
Plank"
II think So"
ct have wondered. l wonder now
how much you know"
every little, Siward."
How much?"
Plank looked up hesitated and shook
his head. zone infers from what one
hears"
"Infers whatT'
"The truth, suppose" replied Plank
simply.
"And what" insisted Siward, "have
you inferred that you believe 10 be the
truth? Don't parry. Plank. 1t isn't
easy for me, and IL never before
spoke this way TO any man. 1t Is
likely should have spoken to my
mother about It. / had expected TO. II
may be weallness-I don't know, but
I'd like to talk a little about 1t to some.
body. And there's nobody At to listen
except you. You know what a pillow
is to a tired mans shoulders / want
to use your sane intelligence to rest
on moment It's my brain that's
tired, Plank"
Although everybody had cynically
used Plank. nobody had ever before
found him necessity.
"Go on" he said unsteadily. az
can be of use to you, Siward, In Gods
name let me be. for ] have never been
necessary to anybody In all my life"
Siward rested his head on one