Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-03-22

! will - asked the other.
He viii do anything the senator
/ wants him to do. Blount is land hun
/ CRY. and I guess he'll take few more
| sections OF the railroad mesa land un-
! der the Clearwater ditch. That was
what he did two years ago. when Nc
/ vickar wanted the right OF way for
I the branch through Carnadine coun-
/ ty."
Don't you believe he's going to
! take any little Christmas gift this
time" was the rasping reply He'll
sell the railroad something and take
| good hard money for It. It's ctnch-
! The railroad can't AFFORD to have the
! courts against ii. and Mcvickar viii
! be made to sweat blood. You watch
! the wheels go round when McVickar
| comes out here"
Evan Blount found himself turning
! sick at heart Could IL be his father
! whom they were thus calmly accusing
! of graft and trickery and biackman-
J ing methods?
| His first impulse was to face the
! two men, TO demand proofs. to do and
| say what loyal son should But the
/ sickening conviction that they were
! discussing only well assured and well
/ known facts crushed him back into
! his chair, and after that he was anx
/, ious for only one thing-that they
might finish their cigars and go away
| without discovering him.
Fate was kind TO him thus far. After
/ a little further talk. IN which the &C.
/ cepted point Of view Of the onlooker
was made still more painfully evident,
| the younger of the two men spoke OF
! an engagement. and they both went
out together.
One clear thought. and only one,
came to Evan out of the sorrowful
confusion. Not for any inducement
that could be offered would he now
lend himself 70 the furtherance of his
fathers plans.
Beyond this he did not go in the mis-
cradle hour wrought out in the quiet
Of the club smoking room.
But when he rose to 90 another
prompting was forcing it's way TO the
front-a prompting TO throw himself
boldly into the scale against graft and
chicancry. to redeem by whatsoever
means might offer the good old name
that had been so shamefully drag ged
/ il the mire.
He did rot know just how it was to
be done. but he would find a way.
That it would be full of thorns he
could not doubt. since every step in it
would open and widen the breach be-
tween him and his father. But. though
II should lead him TO the bar of justice
as that fathers accuser. he must walk
in it. He said TO himself in a fresh
access of determination that. though
he might have TO blush for his father.
Patricia should not be made ashamed
for her lover.
Upon leaving the club he hesitated
long enough on the steps to remember
that he was in no fit frame of mind tso
risk an immediate meeting with his IA
Their. To avoid the chance be crossed
the street and. passing through the
capitol grounds. strolled aimlessly out
one of the residence streets until he
came to the open country.
II was quite late in the afternoon
when he re-entered the city by another
street and boarded a trolley car for
the downtown center. The long after
noon tramp and the conclusions it had
bred made it imperative for him to see
Gantry before the traffic manager
should have left his office for the day.
His business with the railroad man
was purely personal. He meant to
ask Gantry a few pointed questions.
requiring such answers as friendship
may demand. If Gantry's answers
were what he feared they would be he
would seek his father and come at
once to a plain understanding with
him.
The trolley car dropped him within
a square of the railway station. on the
second floor of which Gantry had his
Office. The shortest way to the Sierra
avenue end of the station building was
through the great train shed
Halfway up the block-long platform
Blount met the incoming overland
steaming in from the east. At the
Sierra avenue crossing the yard crew
was cutting off private car. Blount
saw the number on the medallion,
ZOOS" and noted half absently the
rich window hangings and the polish
ed brass platform ratings.
A car inspector in greasy overalls
juniper was tapping Lue Wheels
with his long handled hammer.
Whose car is this?' asked Blount.
"'Tis Misther Mcvickar's. sorr-the
vice prisidint av the COMPANY" said
the man. ~.
Blount turned away, saying some
thing which the hammer man mistook
for word Of thanks So the vice
president had come, Fastening upon
the wing of occasions, it seemed. and
in the light Of the overheard converse
ton in the club smoking room it was
only too easy to guess his errand In
the Sagebrush capital he had come
to make such terms as he could with
the man who was going to hold
him I'D.
Ito be continued)