The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1911-04-27

On 81 utE HI -StHS tHtS. tsfb tflC Ssf-t Wdl
driving against the windnwpanes, tn,
sidewalks were ankle deep in slush
and the wet, cold wind from the 20
tonnac was whistling down the street
Somewhere about the house an IN
fastened shutter slammed in the gusts
Mr.. Atkins shonld have. been extremely
comfortable ne he sci there by the Gre
He had spent many. .onfortable win
ters In that room But now there wa,
a frown on his face ms be read the let
ter in bis bend It was from simpson
and stated. am0ngs ether things, that
Cyrus WHITAKER bad been absent from
Rapport fQr. over two weeks and that
no one seemed to know where he had
gone. Tile Idea seems to be that be
sstafted for Washington" wrote Tad
?basSfabat he 80 1t is queer you haven't
seen him ! am suspicious that he IL
up to something about that harbor
business. ! should keep my eye peeled
II Iwas YOU 81
Alicia. the Atkins hopeful. rustled
| into the room. ..s.5a -
/ rsPapa." she said. I've come to kiss
you good night"
Her father performed the ceremony
In a perfunctory way.
".All right. all right" he said. New
run along TO bed and don't bother me;
there's good girl. l WISH" he added
testify to the housekeeper, who had fol-
lowed Alicia into the room-"I wish
you'd see to that loose blind 1t makes
me nervous. Such things as that
should be attended to without specif
orders from me-
The housekeeper promised to attend
to the blind. She and the girl left the
library. Heman reread the Simpson
letter Then he dropped it in his lap
and sat thinking and ,twirling his eye
glasses at the end Of their black cord
His thoughts seemed to be not of
the pIeasantest The lines about his
mouth had deepened during the last
few months. He looked older
The telephone bell rang sharply. Mr..
Atkins came out of his reverie with
start, arose and walked across the
room to the wall where the instrument
nunS. IL was OC1OiC tuC udy6 VI lnS
convenient desk phone. He took the
receiver from its hook and spoke into
the transmitter.
. Hello" he said Hello! Yes, yes
Stop ringing What is it?'
The wire buzzed and purred in the
storm. Hello" said voice. Hello
there. Is this Mr. Atkins house,"
Yes; it is. What do you want?"
"Hey? Is this where the Hon. He
man Atkins lives?"
Yes. yes. tell you! This is Mr.. At
kins speaking What do you want?"
oh is that you. Heman? This
is Whittaker-Cy Whitaker. Under
stand?''
Mr.. Atkins understood Yet for an
instant he did not reply. He had beer
thinking as he sat by the fire of GER
tain persons and certain ugly though
remote possibilities. Now. from
mysterious somewhere. one of those
persons was speaking to him. The
hand holding the receiver shook mo.
mentarily.
Hello. l say. Heman. do you I'M
derstand? This is Whitaker talkin'"
-er-understand.' said the con-
gresham slowly. well. STRIP
I'm here in Washin tom
II have been informed that you were
in the city. Well. sir?'
ooh. knew was here. did you? Is
that SO? Who told you? Tad wrote.
l suppose, hey%'
The congressman did not reply i'm
mediately. This man, whom he dis
liked more than any one else in the
world, had an irritating faculty of put
ting his finger on the truth. And the
fippancy in the tone was maddening.
Mr.. Atkins was not used to fiippancy.
Il believe 1 am not called upon to
disclose my source of information
ne said. with chilling dignity. "It ap-
pears to have been trustworthy. l pre-
snme you have phOned me concern
ing the appropriation matter. do not
recognize your right to intrude in that
affair, and l shall decline to discuss
1t. Yes. sir; to my people, to those
who have a right to question. am
and shall always be willing to explain
my position. Good night"
What. Hello! Hold on minute
Don't get mad, Heman. only want
ed to say lust word. You'll let me
say a word. won't your
This was more like 1t. This was
II e.