Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1911-03-31
CHAPTER Xxx


ing him gaily to a gaIIop with the val
ley head for its goal, and refusing to be
drawn into anything more serious than
Joyous persifage until they were re-
turning at walk down a boulder
strewn wood road at the back of the
Dabney horse pasture. Then, and not
Till then, was the question of Nancy
Bryerson's future suffered to present
itself
Il thought of 1t last night" said Ar
dea, nodding toward q cabin near the
MAJORS kennels. TT Is just the place
Tor Nancy, If she can not, or will NOT,
30 back to her father. After break
1ast, l shall send Dinah and a man up
10 set things in order, and she can come
as soon as she likes. She won't mind
the loneliness. Japheth will go after
her when we are ready; and If you are
prudently wise you will havebusiness
in South Tredegar for the next few
days"
THAT looks like lodging; and I don't
like to dodge"
You will have to do many things
you don't like" she remarked But
you shall be permitted to carry your
fnll share of the burden. mean to let
you give me some money, IL you can
afford It, and I'll spend 1t for YOU"
Charity itself couldn't be kinder"
ne asseverated. "And luckily, can
afford 1t. But"
he was looking at her wistfully, and
the old longing for sympathy, for the
sympathy which has been quite to
the bottom of the well where truth lies,
was about to cry out against this riy-
eting OF the letters of misunderstand-
Ing and false accusation.
But you would rather spend it YOUR
self?" she broke in, fancying she had
OWNED his thought. THAT can not be.
The one condition on which shall con-
sent to help Is the completest isolation
Tor Nan. You must promise me Won
VIII not try to see her. l am hopinr
against hope that none of the Mountain
view avenue people will find out what
you did last night"
III keep out of her way, If YOU can
Keep her out of mine. All care Is to
know that she Is comfortably proyid-
ed for"
In the comment of the simpler-mind-
ed Gordonia folk. the iron masters son
had finally made 1t up" with Nancy.
and here the note of approval was Aot
wholly lacking. There were good
hearted souls to say that boys will bs
boys and to express the hope that Tom
would go on from this beginning and
make an honest woman of Nancy by
marrying her
But Tom did not know of 1t. He
was In the crucial month of the manic
year, striving desperately to maintain
the foothold given to him by the pipe
casting invention, and he had little
time Tor the amenities. So 1t came
about that he escaped for the moment:
or, which was quite the same, he did
not know he was pursued. Another
Northern city, with Its full complement
or grating officials, was in the mar
ket for some train-loads of water
mains, and again Thomas Jefferson
was lighting the old battle of con-
science against expediency, this time III
the eVll-smelling bitches where the
dead and wounded lie.
You are sure you went into II tho
oughly, Norman?" he demanded OF his
lieutenant. when the latter return, al
from personal reconnaissance of the
field. '"The break they are making nj
us seems almost too rank to be taken
at its face value"
"Oh, yes / dug 1t up from the bot
TOM" said the henchman. IT'S rotten
and riotous, The political machine
runs the town, and the bosses own the
machine. So much to this one, so
much to that, so much to half a dozen
others, and we get the contract"
That comes straight does it?"
AS straight as shot out of a s,,n
They got together on 1t, eight of the
big bosses, called me In and told me-
fiat-footed what we had to do" said
the salesman. "Oh. I tell you, those
fellows are on to their job"
No chance to so behind the returns
and stir up popular Indignation, as we
did In Indiana?" suggested Tom.
No show on top of earth. The r,np
owns or controls two of the dailies, ana
has the other two scared. Besides
they've just had their municipal cleo
ton"
no prepare for the new exigency.
Tom took the afternoon local for South
Tredegar. The lump sum required for
the bribery was considerably in excess
of his balance in bank. Notwithstand
ing the stringency OF the times. he
made sure he could borrow; but 1t was
in some vague hope that the moral
chasm might be widened to impassi
bility, or decently bridged for him, that
he was moved to state the case In 3e
tail to President Henniker of the Iron
City National Mr.. Vancourt Henniler
could dig bitches. on occasion, making
them too vast for the boldest borrower
to cross: but Toms credit was gilt
edged, and in the present instance thu
president chose rather to build bridges.
I'VE have to shut our eyes to a good
many disagreeable things in business.
Mr.. Gordon" he said. genially didactic.
sour problem in this day and genera
ton is so to draw the line of distinc-
ton that these necessary concessions
to human frailty will not debauch us:
may be made without prejudice to that
high sense of personal honor and in
tegrity which must be the conversions
of any successful business career. This
state OF affairs which you describe Is
feplorable-most deplorable; but-well,
we may think of such obstacles as we
do of toll-gates on the highway. The
road Is q public utility. and It should
be free; but we pay the toll. under
protest. and pass on"
Ar. Henniksr was = large man. be-