The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-05-17


and the eyes which were so apt to
tell tales confirmed 1t. Then she add
ed. Now that father has his box Of
books from the university library he
will never miss u.s."
On their first day in the capital
Evan was away, but he returned the
following morning, and Mrs. BIount
captured him for theater box party.
1t proved to be a rather more for
midable affair than Evan had antict-
pated There was a sufficient num-
Der Of guests to I'LL two OF the open
dress circle boxes. Gantry was OF the
number, and so were the Weatherfords
father. mother, daughters and son.
Blount had been counting upon a
meaSurably undisturbsd evening with
Patricia, but fate OF designing host
oss interviewed. and he found himself
c0rnered between Mrs. Weatherford
and her younger daughter, with the
square shouldered reform candidate
for governor strengthening the bar
rier which separated him from Pa
tr1cia.
Blount had met Gordon socially a
number Of times, and In the intervals
allowed him by Mrs. WeGther9ord he
was silently studying the face of the
big man, who. If the gods should so
direct, might be the header and chief
political figure in the state for the sue
ceeding two years
1t was good face and, In Blount's
estimate, an exceedingly strong one.
Almost unconsctousiy he fen to con-
trasttng it with that of Reynolds, the
candidate for whom the corporation
interests Were working.
Though Biount himself was on the
corporation side, he could not help ad-
uniting that the comparison was not
favorable to Reynolds. He said to
himself that Reynolds face was the
face Of t1meserver.
Weighing the two men one against
the other-Reynolds was sitting In an
adjacent box with a party of railroad
oficials-Biount was conscious Of a
twinge Of regret that chance or his
convictions had made him a partisan
Of the weaker man.
Throughout the play and the inter
missions the Weatherfords - mother
and daughter-kept him from exchang-
ing SO much as a word with Miss An
ners, whom Gantry was shamelessly
monopoltzing. But on the short re-
turn walk to the hotel after the play
Blount resolutely pushed his friend
aside and gave Patricia his arm.
Il think you owe me a very abject
apology" was the way she began on
him when they had such privacy as
the crowded sidewalks conferred.
Consider them made and then tell
me what for" he cUuntered
Consider moment You come to
me with really narrowing story of
your new experiences, and just as
am beginning to get interested there
is an interruption, and In the morning,
at some perfectly impossible hour, off
you go, and we hear, no more OF you
for weeks and weeks. What have you
been doing7"
II have been doing precisely what
you told me to do-preaching the Cos
pei Of honesty and fair dealing and
trying my level best to make other
people practice 1t"
You have been successfuI?" she
asked quickly.
Reasonably so in the preaching.
since that depended solely upon me. AS
to the other, don't know. Sometimes
/ think the housec1eaners are honestly
at work, and at other times am afraid
they are putting up, a front only to
deceive me. Some time perhaps /
may tell you how far have had to
go into the practical politics armory
to get my weapons"
And your father, Evan-are you
coming to understand him any bet
ter?"
He shook his head despondently.
mo, or. rather, yes. I am afraid 1
am coming to understand him or his
methods only too well. The only way
we can keep from quarreling now is
to Danish politics when we are to-
gether."
Il am sorry" she said, and the sor-
row was emphatic in her tone AS I
have said before, you don't understand
him. You are judging him by stand
ards which, however just and true they
may be, are peculiarly your own stand
ards. I know you can be broad for
others when you try. Can't you be
broad for himT
1t was good to hear her defend his
father. 1t was what he would have
wished his wife to do Suddenly there
arose within him a huge reluctance to
lessen or to weaken in any way her
trust in David Blount.
Let us say that the fault is mine"
ne said hastily. God forbid that I
should be the means of making you
think less Of him in any respectP'
He is simply a grand old mantle
hrst | have ever known for whom the
hockneyed phrase seemed to have been
made" she asserted warmly. eff he
has faults am sure they are nothing
more than gigantic virtues, the faults
or man who is too strong TO be little