The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1910-01-07
The Battle
CLEVELAND MOFFfTT
Novelized b.. The Author
From His Grea. Play of
the Same Name
Copyright. 1909. by c. w. Dillins-
ham Co.
[coNTINUED.l
CHAPTER XIX.

n the long restless nights when MS
mind wandered in incoherent mutter-
ngs. In his days of increasing strength |
and courage, in every moment OF
or half wakefulness. there |
was present before him, vaguely or
distinctly. this one thought, that a |
sudden and tremendous responsibility |
had been placed upon him. what
course should he decide upon? Here
were dreams Of his eager youth In the
way Of amazing realization.
And this stern. worldly man, dread
ed by thousands, envied by millions
this great lord Of taskmasters In whose
hands lay all power over toiling multi
tudes-here he was, this richest man
in America, Philips own father, ready
and eager to please him with untold
benefactions, to do good instead OF
evil, to make amends for-for the past.
as he had vowed In tender, broken
words at that tortured bedside while
he waited and hoped and possibly
prayed Gf Haggleton could pray that
his sons life might be spared him.
He would tear down lung block
and he would put aside several millions
for immediate steps toward solving that
problem and several millions more for
miscellaneous charities in which his
son might be interested. In short,
Philip would have at least $10,OOO.OOO
at his disposal in campaign OF prac-
teal reform. Ten million dollars!
Margaret had nursed him with sort
Of passionate Intensity.
Philip assumed that the catastrophe
had wiped out the past. that the OBJ
stacle which had risen between them
had been leveled by 1t. Her evasive
answers when he spoke of their COM
ing marriage worried him little, but
her professional assertion that for the
present his mind must be set first OF
all upon his recovery treasured him in
q measure.
Her mind was fully made up. No,
she could not bring herself to marry
the son of a man who had destroyed
and in a way disgraced her father.
She loved Philip, loved him in spite
Of this hateful relationship. She would
have married him joyfully as Philip
Ames, a man of the people; she would
have married him in poverty, In OBJ
security. in sickness, in anything except
his present state.
Her relations with the old million
| aire were difficult. He spoke to her as
little as possible. Yet it was unavoid
able that time and again they should
stand side by side watching over the
| patient when the fever rose and his
| chances of recovery seemed doubtful.
| 1t was then that they listened to-
gether to his delirious mutterings in
which his love for her, his admiration
and affection for him. his reverence
for his mothers memory. his perprex
ity over the wrong committed, were
intermingled.
She began to like Haggleton, to ad
mire the unvarying readiness of re
source, the determination and efficienc!
that always were at his service in the
sickroOm, as they had been in TIT
marts Of men and in Moran's tene
ment.
Haggleton was fighting his final bat
tie. He had conquered Philip, Gentle
Joe Caffrey, Jenny, Moran even. re
pentant in his cell awaiting trial. Nov
he was seeking to conquer Margaret.
Gentle had long since surrendered t
the enemy, gone over to his camp, ba
and baggage. his almOner already. maj
Yelling every day at the way Haggle
ton had of making every one OF hi
preliminary gifts to the poor yield II
hundred per cent of benefit. Jenn
had been provided for. Haggleton ha
, seen to this too.
And the bakery trust, forgotten nov
flourished. 1t was selling better brea
t and cheaper bread to the whole cas-
: side Joe Caffrey had found himse
there. He was in temporary charg
Of the offices in Moran's TRANSFORMS
rooms. IF you want to make a laz
man hustle give him job bossir
somebody else," Haggleton had sal
I laughingly to Gentle.
Thus three weeks passed, weeks
diminishing anxiety. Philip had bee
declared out of danger and was
make his first appearance at the di
ner table that night Margaret's ser
ice as q nurse had come to an en-
She must make her final choice.
Haggleton left her alone with him,
his usual mental attitude Of prepare
ness for whatever might happen. no
ing that he had won her for Philip al
Philip for himself. yet doubtful al
: ready to do battle to the very last.
! Haggleton talked with Gentle In &
library. He turned to the large p
ture of his wife and their infant S
81 over the mantelpiece and looked at
va "You have recovered your son, n
Haggleton,' Gentle said. with rel
surfing conviction. "Philip answer
= the call of the blood, as you said
would. He loves you"
i "Yes, he loves me. That's the gre
j precious fact-my boy loves me. d
| e knows this girl, too. and-she'wo