The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-10-09
CHAPTER V-COntinued.

une to copy. and talked cheerfuly while
ne waited. She spoke OF her friends as
southern people have way Of doing. as
though every one must Of course. know
tnem-a habit that Is illumnatve of that
delightful Southern neighborliness that
knits the elect OF Commonwealth into
a single family, that neither time and
tide nor sword and brand, can destroy.
Ardmore's humility increased as the
names OF the great and good of North
Carolina fell from her lips for they were
as strange TO him as an Abyssinian
dynasty Il was perfectly clear that he
was not Of her world. and that his own
was Insignificant and undistinguished
compared with hers. His spirit was
stayed somewhat by the knowledge
that he. and not the eXecrable
Gillingwater. had been chosen as her
eoadjutor In the present crisis. Her
very ignorance OF the royal fam
HES OF North Carolina, which she recited
30 glibly and the fact that he was un-
known at the capital had won him OF
fetal recognition and II was for him now
20 prove his worth. The political plot
into which he had been most willingly
drawn pleased him greatly; II was SUI
perior to his fondest dream OF adventure;
never had before, definite purpose IN
life. which was TO be equal 10 the task
10 which this intrepid girl assigned him.
well. that's DONE" said Miss Jerry,
when the letter. stu damp from the copy
press, had been carefully sealed and
stamped. Gov. Osborne will get IL in
the morning. think maybe we'd better
telegraph him that it's coming"
Il don't see much use in that. when
he'll get the letter nrst thing tO-mor-
row." ArdmOre suggested. 1T costs
money to telegraph. and you must have
an economical administration"
'The good Of It would be to keep him
worried and make him very angry. And
II he told Barbara Osborne about It. i'll
would make her angry, too, and maybe
she wouldn't sleep any all night the
naughty thing Hand me one Of those
telegraph blanks"
The message. slowly thumped out on
the typewriter, and several times altered
and copied. finally read:
The Honorable Charles Osborne.
Governor Of South Carolina
Columbia S. c:
Have written BY tc-uight's mail in Applsweirht
matter. Your Vacillatiug course not understood
WILLIAM DANGERFIELD,
Governor Of North Carolina
tice." And Miss Jerry viewed her work
with approval And now. Mr.. Ardnore !
here's telegram from Mr.. Billings which |
] don't understand. See If you know
what 1t means
read:
Cannot understand your outrageous c,ndnrt IN 4
bond matter. II payment IL not made June first
80 STATE eFeait Is ruined. Where IS Fosterl i
Answer 70 Atlanta GEORGE p. BILLINGS.
i don't see what's so funny about thati
NJ Bassford was walking the floor with /
that message when I came 10 the office
lie said papa and the state were both go
Ing 70 be ruined. There's a quarter OF n
million dollars 10 be paid on bonds that
are coming due June !. and there isn't
any money TO pay them with That's
what be said And Mr. Foster IS the
state treasurer. and he's gone fishing"
Fishing
He left word he had gone fishing. Mr..
roster and papa don't get along to-
gether. and MIR BassfOrd SAYS he's run
on Just 10 let those bonds default and
bring disgrace on papa and the State"
Ardmore's grin broedened. The Apple-
weight case was insignificant compared ID
with this new business with which he
was confronted. He was vaguely CON
scious that bonds have a way OF coming
due. and that there IS such thing as
credit In the world, and that il is some
thing that must not be trined With: but
these considerations did not weigh heav-
ily with him. For the first time In his
uneventful life vengeance unsheathed her
sword In his tranquil soul. Billings had
always treated him with CONTEMPT. as a
negligible factor in the Ardmore millions.
and here at last was an opportunity TO
balance accounts
Il will show you how 70 fix Billings. j
Just let me have one of those blanks" s
And after much labor. and with occa-
sion suggestions from Miss Jerry. the
following was presently ready for the Z
wires: (
Your infamous imVutation upon my honor and
nat q the State shall meet With tho treatment h
deserves defy you 20 do your worst. II YOU
,ms INTO North Carolina or bring legal proceedings
Tor the collection ~ your bonds I VIII fU ,oi \, J
uu Of blcsshot that forty men viii not be strong
enough 10 Cary you 10 your grave. .
Isn't that perfectly grandr nurmured a
Jerry odmiringly But I thought your c
family and the Bronx Loan and Trust
company were the same thing. That's 3
what Rutherford Gillingwater told me n
once" a
You are quite right. Billings works
FOR us. Before ] came Of age he used IN n
make me ask his permission when y
wanted TO buy a new necktie. and when
was In college he was always fusslng v
over my bills, and humiliatlug me when Z
be could" y
But you mustn't make him so mad that \
10 will cause papa trouble and bring dis Il
grace on our administration"
Don't you worry about Billings He q
s used TO having people get down on c
heir knees TO him. and the change will Il
10 him good. When he gets over his r.
lrst stroke OF apoplexy he will lock
himself In a dark room and begin 10 s.
hink hard about what to do. He usually
Ices all the blufing. and I don't suppose q
anybody ever talked TO him like this I
elegram in all his life. Where is this W
nan Foster?' o.
Just fishing; that's what Mr.. Bsssford
aid but he didn't know where Father e.
vas going 20 call a special session OF the ),
legislature TO investigate him. and he
vas so angry that he ran of so that A
'apa would have 10 look after those bonds Ia
himself Then this Appleweight case
anne up. and that worried papa a great y,
cal Here's his call for the special ses- m
lon. He told Mr.. Bassford 70 hold that. al
90, until he came back from New Or m
cans"
Ardmore read Gov. Dangerheld's sum- ca
lollo 10 Nlle legislature with profound IN IN
crest, 1t was signed. but the space for %
he date on which the lawmakers were to a
ssemble had been left blank sc
1T looks 20 me as though you had the az
hole state on your hands. Hiss Danger II
cid. But ] don't believe we ought 10 be
Ill the special session just yet. It would te
e sure 70 injure the States credit. and W
will be n lot more fun to catch Foster 80
wonder II he took all the State money OF
ith him." te
Mr.. Bsssford said he didn't know and al
ouldn't find out. for the clerks In the Os
easurers Office wouldn't tell him a sim ru