The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-11-11
FRANCIS LYNDE
CHAPTER Xxx.

When Tom, seated on OaIdOlLl, oNoA
spok Ardea on the morning after tho
might of offenses, she greeted him quite
IA If nothing had happened, challeng-
znx him gaily to a gallop with the val
ley head for it's goal, and refusing to De
drawn into anything more serious 1nan
Joyous persiflage until they were re-
turning at a walk down boulder
atrewn wood road at the back OF the
Dabney horse pasture. Then, and not
1In then, was the question Of Nancy
Rryerson's future suffered to present
HSselt
II thought of 1t last night" said Ar
daea, nodding toward q cabin near the
Majors kennels TT is just the place
1or Nancy. If she can not, or will NOT.
go back to her father. After break
fast, shall send Dinah and man up
TO set things in order, and she can come
IL soon as she likes. She won't mind
nhs loneliness. Japheth will go after
her when we are ready; and If you are
Drudently wise you will havebusiness
In South Tredegar for the next few
days"
That looks like lodging; and don't
Hike to dodge"
You will have to do many things
you don't like" she remarked. "But
you shall be permitted to carry your
full share Of the burden. mean to let
you give me some money, If you can
afford it, and I'll spend it for YOU"
Charity itself couldn't be kinder"
he asseverated. And, luckily, I can
afford 1t. But"
He was looking at her wistfully, and
the old longing for sympathy, for the
sympathy which has been quite to
the bottom of the we'll where truth lies,
was about to cry out against this rix-
citing Of the letters of misunderstand-
Ing and false accusation.
But you would rather spend 1t your
self" she broke in, fancying she had
OWNED his thought. THAT can not be-
The one condition on which I shall con-
sent to help is the completest isolation
for Nan. You must promise me you
will not try to see her. I am hoping
against hope that none Of the Mountain
View avenue people will find out what
you did last night
TIL keep out of her way, If you can
keep her out of mine. All care is to
know that she is comfortably provid-
ed for"
In the comment Of the simpler mind
ed Gordonia folk, the iron-master's son
had finally made 1t up" with Nancy,
and here the note Of approval was lot
wholly lacking. There were good
hearted souls to say that boys will b.
boys, and to express the hope that Tom
would go on from this beginning and
make an honest woman Of Nancy by
marrying her.
But Tom did not know Of it. He
was In the crucial month of the panic.
year, striving desperately to maintain
the foothold given to him by the pipe
casting invention. and he had little
time for the amenities. So it came
about that he escaped for the moment;
or. which vas quite the same, he did
not know he was pursued. Another
Northern city, with it's full complement
OF grating officials. was in the mar
ket for some train-loads of water
mains, and again Thomas Jefferson
WAS fighting the old battle OF con-
science against expediency. this time III
the evil smelling bitches where the
dead and wounded lie.
You are sure you went into It tho =
'oughly, Norman" he demanded of his
lieutenant, when the latter return I'd
from personal reconnaissance of the
a1eid. "The break they are making ut
as seems almost too rank to be taken
at It's face value"
"Oh, yes; dug 1t up from the bot
TOM" said the henchman TITS rotten
and riotous. The political machine
runs the town, and the bosses own the
machine. So much to this one, so
much to that, so much to half dozen
others, and we get the contract"
That comes straight, does it?"
AS straight as a shot out of a gun.
They got together on it, eight OF the
Dig bosses, called ME in and told me
hat-footed what we had to do" said
the salesman. "Oh, 1 tell you, those
fellows are on to their job"
mo chance to go behind the returns
and stir up popular indignation. as we
did In Indiana?" suggested Tom.
No show on top of earth. The zin.
owns or controls two Of the dailies. and
has the other two scared. Besidea
they've just had their municipal cleo
tion"
To prepare for the new exirencv
Tom took the afternoon local for South
Tredegar. The lump sum required 70,
the bribery was considerably in excess
OF his balance in bank. Notwithstand !.
zng the stringency Of the times. h
made sure he could borrow; but II W.
In some vague hope that the mora
chasm might be widened to imnassi.
bility, or decently bridged for him m :,
he was moved to state the case N 40.
tail to President Henniker of the rro,
City National. Mr.. Vancourt Hennito,
could dig bitches. on occasion. mak,n,
them too vast for the boldest borror,o
to cross; but Toms credit was s,,,t
edged, and in the present instance ~
president chose rather to build br,dga,
we have to shut our eyes to a 200,
many disagreeable things in bushes,
Mr.. Gordon" he said, genially didactic
Our problem in this day and eenera
tion IL SO to draw the line of distinc
ton that these necessary concession
TO human frailty will not debauch IA
may be made without prejudice to tina
nigh sense Of personal. honor and in
tegrity which must be the corner ston
OF any successful business career. ThI
tate OF affairs which you describe
1epiorable-most deplorable; but-wel
~ afv1~ 81.