The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1911-11-25
CHAPTER I.
The Batting Of the Ancient Lion.

Nv" corners that morning in the
|S7SQ2I village Of Fort Canibas. War
49, was muttering at the end
where two meeting houses placidly
faced each other across the street.
Peace brooded over the ancient block
house, relic of the "bloodless war;" and
upon the structure that Thelismer
Thornton had converted from officers
barracks to his own uses as dwell
ing.
At dawn a telegraph messenger jan,
gled the bell in the dim hall Of 1.-THE
barracks" It was an urgent cry from
the chairman of the Republican state
committee. 1t announced his coming
and warned the autocrat Of the north
country of the plot. The chairman
knew. The plotters had been betrayed
to him, and from his distance he en-
joyed a perspective which is helpful In
making political estimates. But The
lismer Thornton only chuckled over
Luke Presson's fear. He went back
to bed for another nap.
When he came down and ate break
fast alone In the big mess room, which
he had not allowed the carpenters tc
narrow by an inch, he was still anus
ed by the chairman's panic. AS poll
tician older than any Of them, man
who had served his district fifty years
in the legislature, he refused to believe
-intrenched there In his fortress In
the north-that there was danger
abroad in the state.
Performers. ehY He sneered the
word aloud In the big room Of echoes
"Well, / can show them one up here
There's Ivus Niles!'
And at that moment 1vus Niles
ready for the caucus, was marching
into the village from the 10 Quacca
hills, torch for the finder that had
been prepared. 1t Is said that COW
kicked over lantern that started the
confagration of its generation. Ii
times when political finder is dry Their,
have been great men who have under
estimated reform torches.
1t was a bland June morning. Thu
Hon. Thelismer Thornton was bland
too, in agreement with the weather
A good politician always agrees will
what cannot be helped.
He stood In the door Of the bar
racks and gazed out upon the rolling
st. John hills-a lofty, ponderous hull
Of man, matched with white hair
his big, round face cherubic still II
spite Of its wrinkles. He lighted Z,
cigar and gazed up into the cloudles
sky with the mental Endorsement tina
It was good caucus weather. Then b.
trudged out across the grass plot ant
climbed into his favorite seat. 1t wa
an armchair set high In the tangle 0
the roots Of an overturned spruc
tree. The politicians Of the countr,
a quarter of century the Hon. The
lismer Thornton had been nickname
"the Duke of Fort Canibas." AID
that the nicknames were not lily be
slowed. Such was the Hon. Thelis
mer Thornton.
He had brought newspapers In hi
pockets. He set his eyeglasses on hi
bullying nose and began to read.
His perch was lofty one. II
could see that the one long street q
Fort Canibas was well gridironed wit
teams.
1t was quiet at Thornton's end q
the village. It was so quiet that b
could hear a tumult at the other en-
Of the village. A raucous voice be
lowed oratory Of some sort, and yell
and laughter and cheers punctuate
the speech. Thornton knew the voic
even at that distance for the voice (
"Wa- Eagle" Niles. He grinned. reat
ing his paper. The sound of tbs
voice sailed the article that he wa
skimming:
and the Tight n beginning early tn
year. The reform leaders say they m
the sentiment OF the people to be wit
them. and 30 the reformsrs propose to 4
stead OF waiting to lock horns with lei
islature and lobby controlled by the Of
politicians Of the state. There n q cor
test on even In that impregnable fortre,
Of the old regime, the "Duchy Of Canibas
It II said that the whole strength of Il
state reform movement II quietly behir
the attempt to destroy ThelIsmer Thor
tons control In the north country. His
one OF the earliest caucuses. and the NOR
effect Of the defeat OF that ancient aut,
crat will be incalculable.
Still more broadly did Thornto
smile. war Eagle" Niles down. theI
was q reformer. For forty years b
Aed been believing against despo,
\ and existing order, and for the Dull
Of Fort Canibas he typiied reform
Visionary. windy, snarling. impract
cable attempts to smash the machine