The champion. (Arcadia, Fla.) 1895-1911, 1908-08-27

NTH graft moReD y nort,,,r 80. -,
the stairs, The young man sat. lost,
hopeless, horror gripped, his eyes run
ming mechanically over the closely
typewriter pages of the engineers re-.
port. Outsider as he was in matters OF
practical business, Alwyn could see
that Horrigan had In no way exag-
gerated the documents contents. He
knew, too, that the firm Of engineers
who had drawn up the report were
the foremost OF their sort and above all
shadow OF suspicion. \.
Little by little the numbness lifted
from his brain, and in its place crept a
horrible conviction of the truth. His
father-the gallant young soldier who
had won a nations applause In the
civil wharf.-the man who, poor and un.
aided. had built up fortune against
keenest competition and had earned a
repute for sterling problty which had
ever been tine. delight and model Of his
son this was the man whom low
blackguard like Horrigan now had the
right to reyile-a man apparently no
better than the boss himself than any
dishonest ileeler In the organization! !.
And. as II 1t were not enough that
the idol OF lifetime were hurled,
crushed and tlefiled, from its bright
pedestal, the family name must next
be dragged through the mire of polIt-
heal filth and III repute and the dead
mans memory forever blasted Either
that or his son must withdraw FROM
the gallant tight he was waging against
civic corruption for that Horrigan
would carry out bis threat and blazon
forth to the world the story aud proofs
Of the elder BENEFITS shame Alwyn
bad no doubt. With all his faults the
boss was a man OF his word.
stop your fight against u.s. Horri-
gan had said, rand the report is
Yes. the boss was man of his word
Even Bennett admitted that He would
fulfill his promise in either event. +
Listlessly AIwyE began to review
the case. On the one side perhaps
Quixotic fight for an abstract principle
"A fight whose reward was political
ientb. loss OF the woman he adored,
family shame that might crush his
fragile old mother to the very grave.
On the other wealth, honor. love, the
soyernorship, a future happy and glori-
)us.
s Was he not a fool to hesitate? Had
he not saiyed his conscience sufficient
v by welding the Borough franchise
Dill? Had he the right to bring this
aew shame upon his mothers gray
1end2 Where lay his highest duty?
The soft rlstling Of silk and hand
aid In light caress upon his head
aroused the miserable man from his
(,
Bennett looked up to see his mother
standing beside him. She had thrown
IN a wrapper and IN sIlppered feet had
'tolen noIseIessly into the study.
"a was awakened by voices, she ex-
planned. Il thought heard some one
alkiug excitedly-ip here. Is anything
he matter?'
"Notbine, nothing dear he answer I
d gently drawing the little old lady I
lffectionafely down to seat on his 1
lnee and smiling manfully into her !
leep flushed face; nothing Is the mat 3
en-. Only business CALI IA
"A business call at 2 o'clock in the
norn!ngy' she exclaimed. Dear boy, c
'ou are working too bard. Your father T
ever brought his business worries and
york home. lie always left them at
he Office. Can't YOU do the same?
'ou'll wear yonlse'f out
my father began BENNETT, but Il
he name choked him. y. .
lyon ere groNIne 10 he So sDuch llke ;,