Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-08-17
Copyright. 1910. by Street O. Smith
By
FRANCIS

oDokAdNISAAJs ~ "do IAC A1oC III
discord in the filial harmony-almost
a breach Of confidence. Without con-
sulting his wishes, without waiting for
, his decision, his father had commit
ted him-"taken snap judgment upon
him." was the way he phrased it.
"Dick, will you believe me If I say
that I haven't authorized any such talk
as this you've been hearing?" he
asked.
This time Gantry's smile was a grin.
"The honorable senator took it out
Of your hands, did he? You'll under
stand that I don't meal any disrespect
when I say it's just like him. If he
has slated you, you are booked to run,
and If he runs you you'll be elected.
Those are two Of the things that say
themselves in the Sagebrush State"
Blount was indignant-'justly indig-
nant," he called it.
eff that is the case, Dick, it is high
time that some one should break the
charm. l haven't said that l would
accept the nomination, and 1 am not
at all sure that I shall say so. And if
[ don't say so that settles it,"
Gantry was plainly shocked. "You
don't mean to say hat you've got
nerve enough to buck the old m-your
father, l mean! Why, great cats,
Evan, you don't know what that
stands for in the crossword hills!'
AN l don't care, Dick. Up to this
present moment l am a free moral
agent. L haven't surrendered any right
OF decision to any one so far as [ am
aware"
Gantry's eyes dropped to his plate,
and his rejoinder was not altogether
free from guile.
"Will you authorize me to contradict
the talk as I can?" he asked quickly.
Blount was still warm enough to be
peremptory. eyes; you may contra
dict 1T. You may say that it is wholly
unauthorized" Then he remembered
the claims Of friendship. "In be frank
with you, Gantry. This thing has been
mentioned to me once, but nothing was
decided, absolutely nothing. 1 didn't
even promise to take it under advise
ment."
Among those who knew him exter-
nally Mr.. Richard Gantry had the rep
utatlon of owning a loose tongue. But
none knew better than the real Rich
ard Gantry when to make the loose
tongue Wag away from the subject
which has reached its nicely adjusted
climax.
Almost before he knew it Evan
Blount was gossiping with his table
companion over a social function two
days old. A little later the waiter
brought the cigars, and the danger
point, If any there were, was safely
past.
1t was when the two young men
were on their way to the club smok-
ing room that some n stopped Gan
try to talk business with him.
Blount strolled on by himself and,
finding the smoking room, went to
lounge in a lazy chair, whose chief at
traction was that it stood half hidden
IN a little alcove lined with bookcases.
lie craved solitude and a chance to
think things over fairly and without
heat.
A few minutes later Gantry looked
l n and, apparently missing the half
concealed easy chair and it's occupant
IN the bookcase alcove, went his way.
lie was scarcely gone before two
men entered, coming down the CORR
dor from the grill room.
Blount saw them, and he made sure
that they saw him. But when they
had taken chairs on the other side of
the room he was suddenly assured that
they had not seer him. They were
talking quite freely Of him and of his
father.
well, the Honorable Sagebrush has
got McVickar dead to rights this
t1me," said the elder Of the two, a full
faced man, to whom Blount had been
introduced on his first day in the CAPT.
tai. but whose name and station he
could not recall. ''This scheme of put
ting his son up for attorney general is
the foxiest thing the senator has ever
put across. You can bet the air was
blue in the Transcontinental Chicago
Offices when the news got there"
what do you suppose Mcvickar
will do? asked the other.
"He will do anything the senator
wants him to do. Blount is land hun
CRY, and I guess he'll take a 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
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. "HeIl
sell the railroad something and take
good hard money for I'll IT'S q cinch.
The railroad can't afford to have the