The Alaska citizen., 1911-08-14
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SATURDAY
EVENING POST

course II may cost half a million
to do it," he added tentatively
The cost is of no consequence"
Mr. Pointer declared impatiently.
| You said something about marrying
Tillinghasts daughter" Mr.. Pointer
went on. Have YOU"
Our marriage is to take place
Immediately after Tillnghast becomes
governor" Lewis explained.
AN the better for us" and the
little man rasped his skinny hands
together. Il think you said she was
worth a million in her own right-eh?
You will have another incentive to
put Mr.. Tillinghast through"
Mr.. Pointer cackled dryly and leer-
ed at Lewis The one spark OF de-
cency within Lewis famed for an in
slant. and then was extinguished by
his sordid lust for money.
There's another matter too" Mr.
Pointer resumed. You never return
ed those original letters to me. Your
real purpose in hanging on to them.
of course. is to try to hold us up
| il we throw you down. Is that the
scheme Wen just stop that. III
taht tilN iCSpoISipillty II w al
rem produces the photographs al any
| time"
But" Lewis started TO pro-
test
| NO butts about it," exclaimed Mr.
| Pointer. Either send me those orig
| inals at once or we'll call off every
thing and I'll put the campaign in
that state in the hands OF another
man His thin. piping voice harden
| ed. When Won send those letters
you may consider this other deal
on"
I've read all of it every line
of everything" Edna was saying
! Was | right or wrong" jim War
rem insisted.
Il don't know" the girl declared
helplessly Her slim fingers were in
| terlaced tightly. 1T was all so hor
rid and strange and dishonest. | do
not know"
With darkened brows Jim Warren
of her hair. For a long time he said
nothing 1t had been weary waiting
and he had lost. His lips were
| crushed together.
Il didn't know anything about poll
tics until less than year ago he
said at last. but il seems thar the
game. at least in this state. has
| been honeycombed with dishonesty
and graft for years. 1t was an evil.
| The right man in the tight place
could remedy it. took the only way
and. whatever else may result
| from it. ! won. You | have lest.
! but the state is clean and will Re
main clean for the next three years y
you hope to be the next COVER
nor?" she asked.
| Il will be the next governor. I've
got to be the next governor to fin
! ish the work | have started
/ And my er?"-weakly.
Jim Warren turned away from her
suddenly. After all, did his state need
| him as much as he needed her? He
| extended his clenched hands toward
| her.
Shall | Withdraw" he asked.
| She shook her head.
/ Il don't know; it wouldn't be fair"
Would it make You any happier
! if | Withdrew"
"Please-please." She extended
both her eyes in the pleading gesture
| he knew.
Yes or no?" He seized her fin
gers and dragged her to her feet
Yes or no? It's with you" His eyes
were blazing into hers. There's
nothing on the face OF Gods earth
/ | wouldn't do for you" he went on
passionately. After all. | suppose
! I'm as bad or worse than the rest
CT them; TOO was a CRATER. Yes
or no?'
She locked away and struggled to
free her hands.
Look at me-" he commanded
sharply.
Pm very tired" she said. Let
me 60"
Yes or no."
Slowly she raised her head and her
| lids lifted until her wonder eyes,
dim with tears. met his In them he
read an answer-nOt an answer to
the sordid question. but an answer
to the one question that had been
tormenting him. He drew her into
his arms gently, very gently-and
| leaning over lie pIesScu Hio ups ~
hers. She closed her eyes and her
heart seemed stilled by the sheer
joy of her awakening.
Dwight Tillinghast entered the
ROOM followed by Lewis. Edna strug-
gled; Jim warren held her close,
close. and met the eyes Of the other
two men defiantly.
She's mine!" he declared harshly.
"Mne-do you understands
XXVH.
The moral sense of rich man.
dulled by ambition. came to itself
in the next few weeks. When the
session had closed and the grand
Jury had duly whitewashed those
legislative grafters who dared to re-
main for it and as duly indicted
those who incontinently fied-then.
and not until then. did Dwight Till
inghast awake to full realization
Of the part he had played for Lewis
and the part he would be called upon
to play in the campaign for governor.
The scales fell from his eyes and
he stood aghast at the things he
saw. He had known them all along
in vague. hazy sort of way. but
somehow it was all different now.
There was contemptuous undercur-
rent of comment here and there that
penetrated his hypocritical hide.
Still eager, still determined, he
had listened to Lewis plans for the
campaign against Jim Warren: sud