Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1911-08-11

They are saying that be has got you
fixed. Now, don't get excited. You
haven't done any harm yet Go into
your committee room and sit down
and keep cool. I'll send you a docu-
ment that will help you think"
Strickland was dazed. and before he
could frame a reply the group was in
creased by several men, in the pres
ence Of some OF whom he did not care
to speak. The suggestion Of the COM
mittee room stuck in his mind. He
went there. and the room being emp
ty. he paced the floor with a wild free
dom. He saw clearly enough that
Wendell had duped him, and all his
long cherished wrath against the crime
Of bribery rose up in fire TO his head.
A messenger entered the room and
gave Strickland letter. 1t had been
opened. He glanced at the envelope
and saw that it was one of Mr.. Wen
dells and was addressed to Curtis B.
Connor. 1t seemed right to read it.
for this must be the document to
WulCu hOChWtil udu EeleIEeu
The letter was typewriter and
quite long. 1t ran upon the second
page and was signed by Wendell. In
the boldest terms it outlined to Con-
nor the scheme of the loan. the money
really to be furnished by, the hackers
of the white ring for the purpose Of
clinching Wendelrs influence over
Strickland and securing his vote.
Strickland crushed the letter in his
hand and rushed out of the room. He
went straight to Wendell's Office. Lau-
ra was there. and he put the letter
into her hands.
Read it." said he. and she, alarm
ed. drew out the letter from the envel-
ope
She read about half the first page
and then turned to the second and
stared at her fathers signature. Then
with trembling hands she sought for
a notebook in a drawer and. having
found it. turned the pages hastily.
"Here are the notes." said she.
"wait! will compare them. Yes, the
few lines on the second page are right;
that is, the real second page. The
first is a forgery. See! 1t is our pa
per! They have stolen a sheet but
the type is not the same-not to my
eye It was not done on this ma
chine, but on one Of the same make.
Look at the "m" Look at the st"
Compare them"
Strickland bent bis attention with
frenzied concentration to this comparf-
son. Then he stood erect. his face
contorted. yet when he spoke his voice
was calm.
"If I had not found you here" he
said. "I should have gone back to the
capitol and voted as those devils
planned to make me. l should have
voted against your fathers advice. be-
lieving that he had tried to bribe me.
There shall be a reckoning for this
"Let me read the letter as it was"
she said
1t is needless to say that its purport
was entirely innocent and that it made
no reference whatever to the black and
white bill. All that was on the substi-
tuted first page which the conspirators
had got up after stealing the original
letter from Connor's office.
II don't ask you to forgive me, Lau-
ra," said Strickland. "and' won't lie
to you. l believed this miserable lie.
have seen so much evil How can
believe in good? But wait. Porter
and Rockwell shall pay for this"
you can do nothing" said she.
"They are old men; you cannot fight
them physically. And what else can
you do? They will deny ever having
spoken to you on the subject. You
cannot prove that this forged letter
came from them. You can accuse them
| publicly, but they will laugh at you.
advise you to ignore the whole mat
| ter"
This was more than Strickland's tenn
per would permit him to do; far more,