The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-09-22
CHAPTER Xxx

as If nothing had happened. challeng-
ing him gaily to a gallop with the val
ley head for its goal, and refusing to be
drawn into anything more serious than
Joyous persihage until they were re-
turning at a walk down a boulder
strewn wood road at the back of the
Dabney horse pasture. Then. and not
till then, was the question OF Nancy
Bryerson's future suffered to present
itself.
Il thought OF II last night" said Ar
dea, nodding toward a cabin near the
Majors kennels. 1T is just the place
for Nancy, IL she can not. will nos,
go back 10 her father. After break
fast. / shall send Dinah and q man up
to 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 will havebusiness
in South Tredegar for the next few
days"
That looks like lodging; and don't
like 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, II you can
afford 1T, and I'll spend it for you"
Charity itself couldn't be kinder"
ne asseverated. And. luckily. I can
afford It 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 well where truth lies,
was about to cry out against this rix-
citing OF the letters of misunderstood
ing and false accusation.
But you would rather spend II your
self?" she broke in, fancying she had
OWNED his thought That can not be.
The one condition on which / shall con-
sent 10 help is the completest isolation
Tor Man, You must promise me you
viii not try to see her. 1 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, II you can
keep her out OF mine. All 1 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 it up" with Nancy,
and here the note of approval was lot
wholly lacking. There were good
hearted souls to say that boys will os
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 me pipe
0r in I'M ~.
time for the amenities. So Il 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 II tho =
oughly, Norman" he demanded of his
lieutenant. when the latter returned
from a personal reconnaissance of the
field. The break they are making nj
US seems almost too rank to be taken
at its face value"
"Oh. yes; / dug II up from the bot
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. &C
much TO that, so much to half a dozen
others. and we get the contract"
THAT comes straight. does it?"
AS straight as a shot out of a eun
They got together on IL, eight of the
big bosses. called me in and told me
flat-footed what we had to do" SAID
the salesman "Oh. tell you. those
fellows are on to their job"
mo chance to go behind the return.
and stir up popular Indignation, as we
did in Indiana?" suggested Tom.
mo show on top OF earth The rfns
owns or controls two Of the dailies. and
has the other two scared Besides
they've Just had their municipal elec.
ton"
To prepare for the new exigencv
Tom took the afternoon local fos Soutt
Tredegar. The lump sum required FOL
the bribery was considerably In excess.
of his balance In bank. Notwithstand
ing the stringency OF the times. n,
made sure he could borrow; but II wa.
in some vague hope that the mora
chasm might be widened TO impassi
bility, or decently bridged for him. tina
he was moved to state the case in 1e
tail to President Henniker of the Iror
City National Mr.. vancourt Henni<e
could dig bitches. on occasion. maxim,
them too vast for the boldest borrowe
to cross; but Toms credit was gilt
edged, and in the present instance tn,
president chose rather to build bridges
I'VE have TO shut our eyes 20 a goot
many disagreeable things in business
Mr.. Gordon" he said. genially dida cite
Our problem In this day and genera
ton is so to draw the line Of distinc
ton that these necessary concession
to human frailty will not debauch us
may be made without prejudice to tina
high sense OF personal honor and I'm
tegrity which must be the conversion
of any successful business career. Thi
state OF affairs which you describe 4
deplorab1e-most deplorable: but-well
we may think of such obstacles as w
do OF toll gates on the highway Tn
road is a public utility, and it Shout,
be free: but we pay the toll. unde
protest. and pass on"
Mr. Hennil<er was large man, be
nign and full-favored, not to say unc
tuous: and his manner in delivering
III OpiifOu was DldnOly Impressive, an
convincing TO many. Yet Tom was no
convinced
"Of course, / came to ask for tn
loan. and not specially to justify It." h
said. IN mild irony which was quit
lost on the philosopher in the presi
dents chair. II wasn't sure Just hoy
you would regard it Il you should know
the object for which we are borrowing
and this high sense OF personal homo
you speak OF impelled me to be alto
gether frank with you"
Quite right; you were quite RICH
Mr.. Gordon" said the banker. urbanel,
You are young in business. but yo
have learned the first lesson In tn
book of success-to be perfectly ope
and outspoben with your banker. A
/ have said, the venality OF these me
with whom you are dealing is most de
plorable. but e.
There was some further glozing owe
OF the putrid fact. good bit of It. an
Tom sat back In his chair and listened
outwardly respectful. :nwardly hot
hearted and tontemptuous- Was thi