Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-01-28
CHAPTER XIX.
COPYRIGHT. 1909, by Dodd.
Mead E. Co.

70. no.! cried Shirley, relenting.
YES" be went on merci-
" lessly. lit is true. 1t was
my ambition that did it. Be
sides. | was tempted bv a woman"
"a woman faltered che girl
Like Adam. I'm blaming 1t on Eve.
This woman wanted me to be- we'll.
really great
YOU
Yes" he persisted. II was bribed
took the money Oh. you don't know
,bout me: You don't know what |
was five years ago. 1t seemed to me
hen that money was the only thing
hat could make me really great.
melt at the shrine Of money loved 1t
IS a dipsomaniac loves his bottle"
He paused Then he continued in a
low voice:
Eyes. | took money to acquit Chal-
loner. and then ! convicted him. Why?
Because the instinct within me to do
nv duty was too strong to allow me
to do otherwise All the evidence was
against him. He had confessed
had to convict him"
And the money venrured Shirley
Like a dipsomaniac-a reformed
dipsomaniac-I put that money as he
might have his bottle. on the shelf
corked There it was. could have
| it any time | wanted It," His face
became more serious as he proceeded:
"Then kept on being a thief. for
there was new and overpowering
motive thar got the best Of me. Like
the reformed dipsomaniac. was de-
termined to see what could do with
out it, 1t became Il passion with me.
Iknew that every move | made meant
the expenditure Of money. A hundred
times-yes. thousand times-l have
had my fingers on those seals, about
to break them. and then have rawled
away once more to do without the
money. Somehow knew that my
time must come Besides, there was
that overwhelming ambirion-prompt-
ed by u woman"
Shirley hung her head.
YES" he went on tiercely, ga wom-
an who must have her due. 1t was up
to me to be something more than
merely honest. Anybody could be hon.
est. she told me, but not everybody
could be great"
but. meeting his gaze fixed on her face,
she shifted her eyes instantly. Then
there was the United States senator
ship-the fairest office in the state
which | knew l could buy with tho
money for which | had sold my soul.
Again and again l came into this Of
fee and went to that vault there. de.
termined to break the seals of the GOV.
ers on those boxes-to buy the United
bring myself to do it. Something al
ways said to me: You must do ,oithout
It! You must be honestl You must make
a clean fight! Yet still was thief
holding thousands that didn't belong
to me. But always upon me was that
all absorbing passion-a passion not
to use. but to do without the thing
which was at my fingers ends. an In
centive without which l could not sue.
coed. And So" he concluded, II went
in and won without it,
Probably better than any one pres.
ent Challoner realized to the full what
Murgatroyd had suffered. Manlike
however, he was more than willing to
permit the great work that Murga
troyd had done to overshadow com
pletely his questionable proceedings
a thoI
aware that the prosecutors actions
viewed in the light of a successful
campaign wore an entirely different
aspect than they would had he faileC
| to obtain the senatorship. In the lat
ter case 1t was inevitable. no matter
what moral satisfaction be could de
rive from the return of the money
and In fairness to Challoner be it sale
that he never once questioned it-tha
in addition to the humiliation Of 6
ruined career the prosecutor woulC
have to endure the modification Of
knowing that his loss of self respec
was wholly futile But in any even
Challoner was too generous not to &C
cept without reservation Murgatroyd'!
contention that-at least in part b,
was actuated by praiseworthy de
sire to save his wife and him from tn,
results of his designations. And SC
rising, ChaIloner grabbed impulsivel,
Murgatroyd's hand. saying:
mot another word. old man. It's al
right"
THANK you" Murgatroyd said. visi
bly, affected. and then added: .Unl,
one thing more remains to be done
Mrs. Challoner. must ask you t
break these seals.''
"Oh. no. MIR. Murgatroyd" she said
Surely you must know that 1 believ
you"
. But Murgatroyd insisted. and. obey
ing him finally. Miriam broke tn
seals. and presently she showed t
them the securities undisturbed, Jus
as Murgatroyd had taken them, dolla
for dollar, bond and bond.
Suddenly Murgatroyd felt q touch O.
! the arm.
And believe you, Billy" sal
J. Shirley contriteiy.
g An enigmaticai smile passed acros
the prosecutors face.
DO you, indeed?" he said dryly.
|. A slight pucker showed on Mis-
II ~