The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1911-03-18

"What I have missed in my
blindness" he thought. Yet
there was no complaint. Il have
deserved it all-all!"
Sometimes he found himself
alone with Mrs. Dunmeade. From
her he received his only news of
Eleanor Gilbert during all those
long months.
you have Mrs. Gilbert's ad-
dress?" he asked abruptly one
evening when, after a long confer
ence, they had induced him to re-
main overnight at the capital.
Yes. She is in New York. F"
Mrs. Dunmeade gave him an adj
dress.
Il supposed she was abroad"
"She was, for a few months,
studying music. Then she grew
homesick for her own country, !
think, for she suddenly changed
her plans and returned. We want
ed her to make her home with
us. But she preferred to stay in
New York. She is doing settle
ment work"
Settlement work." But Mrs.
Dunmeade misunderstood his
tone.
ut is not to be despised, Mr..
|McAdoo," she said in quiet re-
proof. 81 know how little such
things appeal to big men like
you"
Il don't despite it, Mrs. Dun
meade" And she was SURPRISED
at the forcefulness of his answer.
mo work is to be despised that
means sacrifice"
"Ah! But it doesn't mean sac
rifice. l don't think you under
stand her. The old life meant
nothing to her. From her letters
l know that in her work, the first
real work she has ever had
even though it is small-she is
happier than ever BEFORE"
I'm glad she Is happy. Will
you write to her." he added i'm
mediately, that we have found
no trace of Paul Remington? But
that l am still searching" Mrs.
Dunmeade did not ask why he
himself should not write.
This was just before the ia
nous "gas franchise war;"
which finally gave Bob's enemies
into his hands. The Steel City's
homes were dependent for heat
upon natural gas, supplied by a
company operating under an ex-
elusive franchise from the city.
This franchise provided for an
extortionate maximum charge,
the enforcement of which had
worked great hardship on the
consumers. But when the Nc
Adoo administration was a year
old the monopoly's rights had al
most expired and an extension,
under the old terms, was demand
ed by the gas company. Bob
Immediately, in public message,
declared that he would oppose the
extension, unless it provided for a
reasonable rate to the consumer.
His message was hailed with huz-
zas by the long-suffering public.
MACPHERSON, resurrected to or
|ganize the councilmanic opposi-
ton to Bob, led the fight for the
ordinance. His genius for cor
ruptlon, never so shamefully brill
liant, was given free play. Bob
|resorted to every method his craft
could devise to defeat the ordi-
nance, but in vain; the measure
passed both houses of councils.
When it was presented to Bob
for approval, he vetoed it with a
clear explanation of his reasons
for so doing.
The bill was reintroduced into
councils in the hope of securing
the two-thirds majority necessary
% pass it over the mayors veto.
The councilmen found them
selves between two hot fires. On
the one hand was Macpherson;
and the mayor saw more than one
supposedly staunch follower
caught in his enemy's net. On
the other hand was Bob-with
the people awakened to fury of
indignation. The Steel City had
never known such an uprising.
The awakening was complete. Be-
meath the immediate problem of
dollars and nontc tho nnAnla ~ \