Evening star., 1909-05-31
CHAPTER IV-Continutd.

beneath the Fighters gruff tones-a
something Caine detected in time To
check the fippant reply that had risen
to his own lips. tie eyed Conover with
veiled curiosity, as he asked:
You would want her to marry such a
man."
Sure. If he treated her right an she
was happy. But if she's son' to be
looked down on and guyed behind folks
fans an reminded that her old man used
to eat corned beef and cabbage in his
shrt-sleeves-why then, I'm id If /
don't b'lieve Id buy up the whole
of Granite an turn the swels out into
the next county"
1t all depends, as l said, on the man
she marries," prusued Caine. If she
marries a man of good family and turns
her back on her old associates and has
enough money of her own
Shell have it, interrupted Conover
Shell have enough 10 make her the
richest woman in this burg-an it'll be in
her own name, too. As for sEakin' folks
like me-if | haven't got my own foot
hold there by mat time-she'H do that
too. III see that she does
And yet you're fond of her.?
That's why I'm don' 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
trouble for US
In the Steelod affair."" queried Caine.
Il thought you'd won that fight.
Il won that, but there's another a.
ont lin /, tfv,on
1 heard of the incorp ration. today. Bla-
carda pulls a pretty big oar in the leg. s.
lature. He's back of that Starka anti
combine bill We sdetracked early in the
session. If the Starke bill passes, then
goodbye TO Steeloid corner. I've a
tip he's renewed it an tryin to rush it
through before the session closes. It's
to be sprung on the assembly Monday.
An he tiggers on gettin' it rairoaded
through. If it once passes the assem-
state senate where he wants it, An
the gown on his side. Owns a nice
block of stock in Biacardas S comp ny.
So 1t all hangs on the assembly"
You take it coolly-considering that
you stand to lose something like a mil
lion dollars"
"A man who can't keep his feet warm
an his head cool has about as much show
in finance as guncotton undershrt in
hell observed Caleb, oracularly. He
goes up with a puff and there amt any
remains to look for. I'm not in the
Steeloid deal 10 cure me of weak heart
or that tired feelin'. / m in to win. An
I'm goin' to-
But the assembly,"
I'm not afraid about the assembly. So
long as I'm on hand myself in the lobby.
to hand out kicks or kisses, I'll be able
to kill the Starke bill. I've gone up to
the capitol 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, an put a little bank
note oil on the rusty oneS-an' swung
enough of 'em into line to give me the
votes / needed. / know this assembly
pretty well. l know who to count on an
who not to. / know who to buy, who tc
bully an who to promise. If l sent ur
any one else, he'd make a fZzle of the
thing. But, somehow, in all my business
deals, l find If I'm on the ground myself
l can make folks do what | want. You
saw how that was today at the club. If
I'd been away, an you or any one else
representa- me. I'd a been kicked out of
the Arareek SO far that I'd a landed in
another state. But | swung EN-. An I'll
swing 'em at the capitol. ltll be mar
row 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
you re SICK. Or
Sick" scoffed Caleb, in lofty scorn.
1--WE got no time to be sick. An s'spose
l was? When 1 worked that merger of
the Porter-Hyde Park road, L had grip.
My temp'ture was up at 1O0, an l had
lovely little icicles an red hot pokers
runnin through every joint of me. Like
wise a head that ached so loud you could
hear it a block away. Gee, but felt so
bad l hated to look up at the undertaken
signs on the street. An whatd | do?
Worked up to the capitol, three days an
nights twenty-four hours a day, not once
gettin' a chance TO take my cloes off or
bat an eye. I carried through that mer
ger by the skin of it's teeth. Then when
got my charter l blew myself to the lux
'ry of a whole gorgeous week In the hos
p'tal. But not till ev'ry bit of work was
wound up. Sick? HIM! grown man
don't bother much about bein' sick when
there's something that's got to(be done.
Besides'-he added-"I amt sick now.
An I'll be on hand at the capitol the
minute the assembly opens Monday. My
bein' there means the KILN of the Starke
bill. An they can set the date for the
funral without any fear of disappointin'
the mournerS.'
Did you ever hear of Napoeon?' ask
ed Caine, whimSically.
Sure l did, responded Conover. Read
part of book about him once. Why?'
Like yourself he was the greatest hold
up man of his day." explained Caine,
''and he had conscience or the same
caliber as yours. If he'd been a little bit
less of a hghwayman they would have
laughed at him. If you were little bit
less of a highwayman they'd put you in
JAIL He had magnetism. Probably al
most 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 presence on a battlefield did more
to win victories than an army of forty
thousand men. / suppose it's the same at
the assembly.
That's right" agreed Caleb, unmoved.
AN Blacarda knows il, too. He give
ten thousand dollars, I'll bet, to have me
break a leg between this an Monday.
But my legs are feelin' first rate. An
they're goin' to keep on feelin' better all
the time, till they kick the Starke bill
into its grave.
'I'll do what l can through the Star to
help" said Caine. Just as | did for
the PorterHyde Park merger and the
Humason Mine charter. What's the use
of owning a newspaper If one can't boost
ones friends?'
AN ones own Steeloid stock at the
same timer" supplemented Conover. I'VE
understand each other all right, l guess.
Steeloid's going to tahe a rise. after Mon
day. An it's goin to keep right on risin'
for the next six months"
"Conover, protested Caine, las a high
wayman-or financier, to put it more po-
litely-you a genius. But as a man,
you leave ghastly amount to be desired
Have you a superstitous fear of the word
'Thanks?' 1 offer to put the columns of
the Star at your disposal. Common ue-
cency at least should call for word of
gratitude Or. If not for the Steeloid
matter, at least for my champoning you
today at the club. Surely that wasn't
in the interest of your wonderful Steeloii
stock