Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-08-06
CHAPTER XIII.
Drawing Him Out.

along the line that trouble was Drew
ing. A caucus was hastily held in
the gamblers rooms 10 consider the
situation and map out a plan OF ac-
ton.
"Au l can say Is that the old man
is acting queer" said Willetts, and
things begin to look squally. 1 can't
account for it," he added, unless
he's gone wrong here" tapping his
forehead significantly. He must
know that he can't scuttle the ship
now without going down with u.s.
1T looks to me-" said the Speaker
OF the House, large, bald man with
a deep voice. ears that stood out
prominently and nose that looked as
if it had often suffered from FROST
bite, lit looks to me as If Crance has
struck something pretty good up
North and is preparing to pull up
stakes here and get out"
well, If that's so," chimed in Will
let's, 1.-The quicker we find it out the
better
why not plump it right at him.
suggested the Secretary Of State, a
tall. spare man with small eyes and a
ministerial bearing.
"Good!" cried Willetts, with sar-
castle emphasis. You do 1t. I've
had one seance with him and I'm
through"
We've got to get at him, some
way, right off," commented the
Speaker. why not get up a little
dinner, invite him there and make
him show his hand?"
This struck the conferees as the
most feasible scheme, and, within a
few hours, Governor Crance received
a cordial invitation to dine with sew
eral gentlemen, thu light, in one OF
the private banqueting rooms of the
leading hotel
The old Carpetbagger smiled. NO.
he said. I'm not at all hungry.
But" it was urged, there are
many things to discuss before the
election and a dinner party would af-
ford an excellent opportunity for an
exchange of views"
"Ah, that is horse OF another
color" exclaimed the Governor IF
that's what you want, come up to the
house tonight and take dinner with
me-" And so the matter was settled.
Shortly after nightfall, the chief
cogs of the carpetbag machine began
to gather at the gubernatorial man
sion. The Governor met them at the
door and received them graciously.
He shook hands with them, laughed
and chatted, as If the whole election
were a huge joke and he the point of
IL ALL Then he bowed them into the
old, black-walnut dining room where
the dinner was served. At the foot
of the table, opposite the Governor,
sat Willetts. At the Carpetbagger'
right was the State AUDITOR. He had
been at the head of an insurance COM
pany, and report said that he did not
care to return to the scene Of his for
mer operations To him this life was
a game, and everything that he could
Law hands on without detection, and
sometimes even with 1t, was fairly
won. He and the Governor had been
rather intimate, though of late they
had been seen less together, and 1t
had been said by member Of the
House that the Auditor had recently
referred to the "old man" as fool,
Juggling with his chances" At the
Governors left sat militia officer
resplendent in uniform and with a
mild contempt for all civilians.
The dinner started out stupidity
with low conversation and the tip
toeing of servants. The talk was
mainly grunts and acquiescences, mods
and more grunts-the gathering of
tired men, the half-hearted feeding
of feverish stomachs, the closing
scene of a long dissipation; but there
is C!ten an enlivening revival at the
end of a dull debauch, and when the
wine had been passed and tossed of
time after time there was more ami
nation. The Governor drank but
little; he livened up, though, with the
rest and joined in the noisy talk
They could hear Jim pacing slowly W
and down the veranda. Nellie and
Roy peeped in at the door, Nellie see
ing the whole company, but the boy
seeing nothing but the militia officer
Rain was falling. They heard it pat
tering on the dusty leaves.
Has any one seen Old Man Rey-
nolds since his release from jail?'
asked the Speaker. The Governor
frowned over his wine; but the speak
er took no notice Of it. II don't quite
agree with you. Governor, in that af-
fair" he added, with laugh.
THE old man is innocent" the
Governor replied.
But how do you know" the Sec
retary put in. "The courts haven
decided and the whole case floats II
mid air. The authorities seem afraic
to touch It,"
1T will probably always remain
mystery" said the Auditor.
The Speaker did not think that i
was a mystery. Nearly everything
rested upon evidence, he said, anc
evidence was strong against the ole
man.
The Governor looked at him anc
his eye was as searching as camera
but he said nothing; he was thinking
of the boy whom he had seen at the
spring.
THE Northern papers have taker
up the matter" said the Speaker
'They say that if that's the way We
are going to reconstruct"
Drop it," the Governor broke in
Have some more wine"
But, really. Governor, it ought tC
be cleared up"
1T is cleared up, so far as that ole
man is concerned" said the Govern
or. I don't give a snap for all th'
evidence you can bring"
The Speaker smiled. "Then wha
do you give snap for?''
1.-The truth, sir
how arc ue going to get q