Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1910-05-20

spersing the tale with volley OF
queries and eXpletives.
I'D heard of this press-muzzling,"
said he as Standish ended, land have
one way of blocking it. I've arranged
for your speeches and ads and adj
vance notices to be printed in the big
gest paper in the next State, and scat
tered all through the Mountain State
as campaign documents. | don't think
even Conover can block that move"
"Splendid!" cried Standish "Old
man, you're genius!
mo, I'm not. contradicted Ansel,
rather ruefully, but someone else is.
I don't know who"
Il don't understand"
"Why, the idea was sent to me three
days ago anonymously. Typewriter
on foolscap. No signature. What
d'you think of that?"
Anonymously?
Eyes. l wonder why The IDEAS
so good, one would think the origin
atord claim it, Unless"
unless it came from the Conover
camp?"
Gust what occurred to me. Any
how I've adopted the suggestion. |
suppose you'd have refused to accept
anonymous help, eh?''
every man to his own folly. It's
done now"
at sure is And with few more
such tips, Conover would be done,
too. He's carried matters high
handedly for years, but now maybe
someone he's ridden rough~shod over
has turned on him."
The great night had come. Give
and Ansel, arriving at the Opera
House. found that gaudy, gayly-
lighted auditorium full to the doors.
On the stage sat the mayor the pro-
prietor of one of the papers, half
dozen clergymen and a score of civic
dignitaries The boxes were filled
with, well-dressed women. Evening
suits blended with the less conspicu-
Gus costumes of the spectators who
stretched from stage to entrance,
from orchestra to roof. A band below
the stage played popular and national
airs.
The news of Gives eccentric pre-
convention tour, of his eloquence, his
clean maniness and the obstacles he
had overcome, had drawn hundreds
through sheer curiosity. More had
come because they were weary OF
Conover's rule and eagerly desired to
learn what his young antagonist had
to offer them in place of bossism.
Skilled, by experience, in reading
the sentiment of crowds, Give, as he
stepped onto the stage, felt instinc-
lively that the main body of the house
was kindly disposed toward him. Not
only was this proven by the spon-
taneous applause that heralded his
appearance, but by ripple-a rustic
of interest that rose on every hand.
The sound neryed him. He consid-
cred once more how much hung on
| to-night's success or failure, and the
advance augury was as music to his
ears.
The mayor, a little, nervous man
with a monstrous mustache and cast
in one eye, opened the meeting with
| a brief speech, defining the purpose
| of the evening, and ended by introduce
ing the candidate. Give came for
ward. A volley of applause such as
he had never before known hailed
him. He bowed and bowed again,
waiting for it to subside. But it did
not. 1t continued from every quar-
ter of the house.
From pleasure Give felt a grow
ing uneasiness. The majority of the
audience seemed to have relapsed into
silence, and We're staring about them
in wonder at the unduly continued
ovation. The humping of feet and
canes and the shouts of welcome in
creased rather than diminished. 1t
settled down into a steady volume of
sound, regular and rhythmic, shaking
the whole auditorium, losing any hint
at spontaneity and degenerating into
a-deafening, organized babel
The men on the platform glanced at
each other in angry bewilderment.
For fully ten minutes the tumult en-
dured, rendering ineligible words
out of the question. The mayor, as
chairman. rapned for silence. But his