The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1910-09-02
CHAPTER Xxx

] tfh AA4+A h@Ae 20 q khAluP WAtA NhN NNA
ley head for it's goal, and refusing 70 b'
drawn into anything more serious thar
joyous persihage until they were re-
turning AZ a walk down boulder
atrewn wood road at the back OF the
Dabney horse pasture, Then. and mol
TIL then, was the question OF Nancy
Bryerson's future suffered TO present
itself
Il thought OF It last night" said Ar
/ dea, nodding toward a cabin near the
Majors kennels 1T IL Just the place
/ for Nancy. If she can not, or will not
I so back 20 her father. After break
fast, / shall send Dinah and a man up
/ 10 set things in order. and she can come
as soon as she likes She won't mind
/ the loneliness. Japheth will go after
her when we are ready; and II you are
prudently wise you viii havebusiness
in South Tredegar for the next few
( days.
That looks like lodging; and I don't
like 10 dodge"
You win 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
I
afford Il, and I'll spend Il for you"
Charity itself couldn't be kinder"
ne asseverated. And, luckily. I can
afford Il, But"
He was looking at her wlstfully, and
the old longing for sympathy for the
sympathy which has been quite to
the bottom OF the well where truth lies,
was about to cry out against this rlE-
citing OF the fetters OF misunderstand-
ing and false accusation.
But you would rather spend II YOUR
selt?' she broke IN, fancylng 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 Won
VIII not try TO see her am hoping
against hope that none of the Mountain
view avenue people will find out what
you did last night"
I'll Keep out Of her way. IF YOU can
keep her out Of mine. All I care Is TO
know that she is comfortably provid-
ed for"
In the comment OF the simpler-nind-
ed Gordonia folk, the iron-master's son
mad finally made 1t up" with Nancy,
and here the note of approval was not
wholly lacking. There were rood-
hearted souls to say that boys viii ,,
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 II. TTc
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 was quite the same, he did
not know he was pursued. Another
Northern city, with its 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 returned
from a personal reconnaissance of the
field. THE break they are making at
us seems almost too rank to be taken |
at its face value"
"Oh, yes; I dug It I'D from the hot
TOM" said the henchman. It's 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 it2"
"As straight as shot out of a gun
They got together on it, eight of the
big bosses, called me in and told me
what we had to do" said
The salesman. "Oh, tell you, those
fellows are on to their job"
mo chance to go behind the RETURNS
md stir up popular indignation. as we
lid in Indiana?" suggested Tom.
mo show on top Of earth. The ring
'wns or controls two of the dailies, and
las the other two scared. Besides
heyve just had their municipal cleo
ion"
To prepare for the new exigency,
rom took the afternoon local for South
rredegar. The lump sum required for
he bribery was considerably in excess
If his balance in bank. Notwithstand-
ng the stringency of the times. he
made sure he could borrow; but it was
n some vague hope that the moral
.hasm might be widened to impassi-
,ility, or decently bridged for him that
le was moved to state the case in le-
all to President Henniker of the Iron
;ity National Mr.. Vancourt Henniker
ould dig bitches, on occasion. making
hem too vast for the boldest borrower
o cross; but Toms credit was gilt
dyed, and in the present instance the
resident chose rather to build bridges
I'VE have to shut our eyes to a good
lany disagreeable things in business.
fr Gordon" he said, genially didactic.
Our problem in this day and genera
ion is so to draw the line of distinc-
lon that these necessary concessions
D human frailty will not debauch us:
nay be made without prejudice to that
Ugh sense Of personal honor and in
sgrity which must be the corner stone
any successful business career. This
tate of affairs which you describe Is
ble-most deplorable; but-well,
Re may think of such obstacles as we
o Of toll-gates on the highway. The
pad Is a public utility, and it should
o free; but we pay the toll, under
rotest, and pass on
Mr.. Hennizer was large man, be-
ign and full favored, not to say unc-
Ious; and his manner in delivering
n opinion was blandly impressive, and. I
1nvincing to many. Yet Tom was not '
onvinced. n
"Qf course. I came TO ask for the O
an, and not specially to justify It," he t
lid, in mild irony which was quite t
st on the philosopher in the presi- t
snts chair. Il wasn't sure just how
ou would regard 1t If you should know t
le object for which we are borrowing, b
i'd this high sense Of personal honor s