The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-06-10

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 Sure, If he treated her. right an she was happy. But if she's goin' to l De looked down on. anr guyed behind | folks fans. an reminded that her old man used to eat corned beef and cab- | page in his shirt-sleeves-why then Tn damned if I don't blieve I'd buy up the whole of Granite an turn the sWells out into the next County" l It all depends, as I said. on the man she marrles." pursued Caine. "If she nnarries man of good family and turns Ter back on her old associates ana has enough money of her own" Shell have it," interrupted Conover She'll have enough to make her the richest woman in this burg-an' it'll be folks like me.-if I haven't got my own 1 foot hold there by that time,-sheH do that too I'll see that she does.'' And yet you're fond of her?'' | That's why I'm Goin' it. son. An remember you'll keep on bein' the only one besides the Hawardens that knows | anything bout my share in the deal. | Speakin' of deals Blacarda means
 "In the Steeloid affair."" .queried Caine: T thought you'd won that | fight"
 "I won that, but there's another a-comin'. I got a tip of it same time l hear1 of the incorD'ration, to-day. Blacarda pulls pretty big oar in the Legislature: He's back of that Starke Anti-Combine bill we side-tracked early in the session. If the Starke bill passes. then goodbye to our Steeloid | corner! I've a tip he's renewed it an tryin' to rush 1t through before the ses- sion closes It's to be sprung on the Assembly. Monday An he figgers on gettin' 1t railroaded through. If it once passes the Assembly, we're goners. For he's got ths State Senate where he wants it. An the Gov'nor's on his side. Owns a nice block of stock in Bla acarda's comp'ny. So it all hangs on the Assembly,
 You take it coolly-considering you stand to lose something like a. million dollars"
 "A man who can't keep his feet warm an his head cool has about as much show in finance as a guncotton undersAirt in hel1,'' observed Caleb. oracularly. ''He goes up with a puff and there ain't any remains to look for. I'm not in the Steeloid deal to cure me of weak heart or that tired feelin'. I'm in to win. An I'm goin' to-"
 But the Assembly,"
 I'm not afraid about the Assembly. lobby. to hand out kicks or kisses. I'll be able to kill the Starke bill. I've gone up to the Capital before, on what looked like a losin' fight. An I've licked the obstinate one into shape, an scared some backbone into the weak one. am put a little bank-note oil on the rusty one-an' swung enough of 'em into line to give me the votes I needed. know this Assembly pretty well. I know who to count on an who not to. I know who to buy. who to bully an who to promise. If sent up anyone else. he'd make a fizzle of the thing. But. somehow. in all my busi- ness deals, I find if I'm on the ground myself I can make folks do what I want. You saw how that was, to-day, at the Club. If I'd been away. an you o~ ale f1s cs been kicked out of the Arareek so far that Tda-landed in another State. But swung 'em. An'y I'll swing lem at the Capital. It'll be a narrow squeak. but I'll do it.''
 ''In other words. if you are there in person. the day the bill comes up. you can kill it. Otherwise not Suppose
 "Sickr' scoffed Caleb. in lofty scorn. I've got no time to be sick. An s'spose I was? When I worked that merger of the Porter-Hyde Park road had grippe. My temp'ture was up at 105. an had lovely little icicles an red hot pokers runnin' through every joint of me. Likewise a head that ached so loud you could hear it a block away. Gee. but I felt so bad hated to look up at the undertaken signs on the street! An what'd do? Worked. up to the Capital. three days an nights. l twenty-four hours a day not once get tin a chance to take my clo'eS off or bat an eye. I carried through that merger by the skin of it's teeth. Then when I got my charter I blew myself to the lux'ry of a whole gorgeous week in the hospital But not till ev'ry bit of work was wound up. Sick? Hm! growr man don't bother much about bein' sick when there's something that's 'tI ain't sick now. An I'll be on hand at the Capital the minute the Assem- bly, opens. Monday. My bein' there means the killin' of the Starke bill.
 
 fun'ral without any fear of disappoint- in the mourners.'
 Did you ever hear of Napoleon?' asked Caine. whimsically.
 Sure I did" responded Conover. 1 Read part of a book about him once. Why?''
 Like yourself he was the greatest hold-up man of his day." explained same calibre as yours. If he'd been a little bit less of a highwayman they l would have laughed at him. If you were a little bit less of highwayman netism. Probably almost as much of it as you have. That's what made me think of him just then. Wellington used to say that Napoleon's mere pres l victories than an army of forty thou | sand men. I suppose it's the same at | the Assembly,"
 That's right" agreed Caleb, un- moved "An' .Blacarda knows it. too. He'd give ten thousand dollars. I'll bet. to have me break a leg between this | am Monday. But my legs are feelin' i first rate. An they're goin' to keep on feelin' better all the time. till they kick l the Starke bill into it's grave
 I'll do what I can through the Star to help." said Caine. Just as I ] did for the Porter-Hyde Park merger | and the Humason Mine charter. What's I the use of owning. a newspaper If one | can't boost ones friends" ?"
 An ones own Steeloid stock at the | same time?' supplemented Conover. | ''We understand each other all right, l
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