The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-06-14

"All right for the rest of the run, '
 reported the fireman, on his return
 But suppose they telegraph ahead | ana nave us run into an open switch ?''
 thought of that. But they won't | In the first place, they won't risk smashin' good engine In the sec ond,.Hen! Ain't I Caleb Conover?'' smeared. gr1my as a coal heaver. took | the State House steps three at a stride In less than two minutes it was known | throughout the Assembly that Caleb Conover had come. word here. a | hint there. a pulling of mysterious | Wlres;-and the wavering backbones of his more doubtful satellites in the Leg 1slature were miracuously stiffened The Stark Bill had not yet come to | vote: thanks to Bourke and .his col leagues who had wearied the Assembly | to desperation and maddened Blacarda to frenzy by continuous series of the most blaring filibuster tactics. But even the Conover factions tactics had selves.
 "In another five minutes" Caine was | expla1nfng-'y you'd have been too late Nothing could have stopped the bill | from
 Another five minutest" mocked Con- over. turning from his work. Son
 lionth time that diff'rence of five | minutes has knocked hist'ry into a | cooked hat Now. sendMcGuckin to me. Ghass Ge needs ne little more beguillin' peg | time to see. before the vote."
 | Conover did not so much as trouble to go to the Assembly gallery with Caine when the Starke bill came up for Dallot1ng: but sat smoking and glanc- ] ing over papers in the Committee room that he had comandeered as his per sonal office Hither. soon afterward, Caine repaired: his handsome. tired We win.'' he announced triumph antly. ''The bills defeated.-by two | votes. Congratulationsi"
 | Son.. observed Conover. glancing up | from his desk. whats all the excite | ment? told you last Friday that we'd win by two votes. Now. maybe you'll believe. another time. that I know what I'p tallzin' about-S Where's Bla- 'I passed him in the corridor on his way back to the hotel. Why do you ask? You're done with him now" "Done with him?" echoed Conover. vet. I was just waitin' to find where he'd gone. So long. See you at the hotel before train time.''
 conover walked out of the office, leaving Caine staring after him in per | plexity. Straight to the hotel the Fighter drove. Arriving there he went, unanncunced. to Blacarda's room: en- tered without knocking. and closed the Blacarda looked up from the task of packing his suit case. Bareheaded still grirny and disheveled. Conover stood facing him. Blacarda rose from his knees, beside the open suit case and started forward.
 sI guess you know why I'm here ?" hazarded Caleb. looking across at the well-groomed figure, without the faint est trace of emotion.
 ITO crow over your dirty. under hand victory of to-day?" blazed the other. eff so you can save yourself the trouble. Leave my room at once I don't wish 1t polluted or
 It'll have to stand a little more polootion before I'm ready to go." an- swered Conover. unmoved. "No. haven't come to crow. Growth. ain't a man to tracin' a telegram I got this mornin'. It seems you wrote it and paid the hotel telegraph clerk $1o to slip it to me at the right time. Don't die. I've got proof"
 I'm not given to lying" restored Blacarda. And if I were shouldn't take the trouble to lie to blackleg like you. Yes. wrote the telegram.
 You're sweet-scented sort of a cuss to preach about dirty. underhand victries.' ain't you?" said Caleb. thoughtfully. "After tryin' to get me out of the way like tflat.''
 Any weapon is justifable against a scoundrel.' sneered Blacarda. "One might fight fire with fire.''
 Quite so.'' assented Caleb. Though not as original as I'd "a expected from clever chap like you. Fightin' fire with fire is good finance. So when you tipped an engineer $500 to get me de- layed in conin' here. made no kick same thing myself. Only I wouldn't a bungled it like you did. When you're goin' to do a crooked thing do it we'll. Don't foozle it an lose your fight"
 6 nrfn ,oII up tactics" answered Blacarde. "so perhaps r."
 Caleb waved aside the interpolation and went on in the same heavy. emo
 That was all fair. like I said. But it failed. Then what'd you do? Dragged a woman's name into the row. Talked a dispatch tellin' me a trick wouldn't play if my life was hangin' on a deal. You used that little girls name to get me away. You put up that filthy job,-an' took Told a measly, tattlin' telegraph clerk about her. I ain't any good at expressin' myself. But say! I wish I could get it through that shiny down, crawly cur you are! Mo-. don't
 put on no herocisi I'm doin' the talkin' now. In the fake telegram. you used the nickname you've heard
 
 that I'd hustle from here to hell if could be of use to her, You used all that as means to get me away from your p'litical doghght today. Am how did you get your knowledge of her nickname an bout my carin' for her as if she was my own kid? Hey? You got it while you was call lin on her. While you was ta1in. her hospitality. You used that kind of thing in politics! GodI I didn't think there was breathin' man could do such @ thing. No ward heeler could do it-It had to be done by gentleman One of the Arareek Governors"
 He paused for breath. Blacarda. reddening under the tirade's lash, nevertheless sought to laugh.
 Well" he queried with really excel lent coolness, what are you going to do about it? Of course you can bring suft,-and probably recover. But Miss Shevlin's name will certainly figure rather unpleasantly in the newspaper reports of the case. I'm sorry I was 4I, T cti I~<z-