Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-05-11

kins had, as he would have expressed
it, served his people, in congress for
so many years that he had long since
passed the hotel stage Of living at the
capital He rented n furnished house
on an eminently respectable street, and
the polished doorplate bore his name
in uncompromising characters.
The library furniture was solid and
dignif'ed. Its businesslike appearance
impressed the stray excursionist from
the Atkins district when he or she WIS.,
tied the great man in whose affairs we
felt such a personal interest. Partic-
ularly impressive and significant were
a map of the district hanging over the
congressman's desk and an oil paint
ing of the Atkins mansion at Bayport.
which, with the iron dogs and urns
conspicuous in its foreground, occupied
the middle Of the largest wall space.
The CHEEKY fire was very comforting
on a night like this, for the sleet was
driving against the windowpanes, the
sidewalks were ankle deep In slush,
and the wet, cold wind from the Po-
tomac was whistling down the street.
Somewhere about the house an I'M
fastened shutter slammed in the gusts.
Mr.. Atkins should have been extremely
comfortable as he sat there by the fire.
He had spent many comfortable win
tiers in that room. But now there was
a frown on his face as he read the let
ter in his hand. 1t was from Simpson
and stated, among other things, that
Cyrus Whitaker had been absent from
Bayport for over two weeks and that
no one seemed to know where he had
gone. The idea seems to be that he
started for Washington" wrote Tad,
but If that is so it is queer you haven't
seen him. | am suspicious that he is
up to something about that harbor
business. l should keep my eye peeled
If was you"
Alicia. the Atkins hopeful. rustled
into the room.
Papa" 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. Nov
run along to bed and don't bother me;
there's a good girl I 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 specific
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 1t 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
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
hung. 1t was before the days Of the
convenient desk phone. He took the
receiver from its hook and spoke into
the transmltter.
Hello" he said Hello! Yes. yes!
Stop ringing What is IT."
The wire buzzed and purred in the
storm "Hellow said a 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 MIR. At
kins speaking What do you WANT
"Oh, Is that you. Heman: This
/; Whittaker-Cy Whitaker Under
ltand?"
Mr. Atkins understood. Yet for an
instant he did not reply. He had been
thinking as he sat by the fire of GER
tain persons and certain ugly though
remote possibilities. Now. from n
mysterious somewhere, one of those
persons was speaking to him. The
! hand holding the receiver shook mo-
mentarily.
Hello I say. Heman. do you un-
derstand: This is Whitaker talkin'"
"l-er-understand. said the con-
gresham slowly. well. STRIP
I'm here in Washin ton"
II have been informed that you were
in the city. Well. STRIP
"Oh, knew | was here. did you? Is
that so? Who told you? Tad wrote.
l suppose. heyT'
The congressman did not reply i'm.
mediatey, 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 flippancy.
~ believe l am not called upon to
disclose my source Of information"
he said. with chilling dignity. ut ap.
pears to have been trustworthy. Ipre.
sumo 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
It, Yes. sir; to my people. TO those
who have right to question, I am
and shall always be willing to explain
my position. Good night"
What. Hello. Hold on a minute.
Don't get mad. Heman. | only want.
ed to say just word You'll let me
say word. won't your"
This was more like It. This was
more nearly the tone in which Mr.. At
kins was wont to be addressed 1t
was possible that the man. recognizing
the uselessness of further opposition.
desired TO surrender.
Il cannot" declared the honorable.