Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-10-19

cleared the way. and when the great
car. with the two women in the ton
neau and Evan in the seat beside his
father, was devouring the miles in the
straightaway ace to the city the
young man said what was due.
81 vas blaming you for the tree and
for Barto's attempt to get those aft
broke the humming silence to say, and
the senator nodded.
II guess it was pretty lucky we had
our ears to the cut-in on McVickar's
private wire up yonder at Wartrace,"
he said, but that was all that he said.
The courthouse clock was just strik-
ing 4 when the huge touring car, with
its radiator sizzling hot, came to a
stand before the entrance to Judge
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
You're still in time, son. said the
senator quietly.
But Evan Blount made no move to
get out of the car.
"Was I jumping at conclusions, dada?
he asked half shamefacedly.
"a little that way-just a little that
way" was the gentle reply. "You see,
Gryson did sure enough turn traitor
this morning when he gave you those
afidavits. He'd had a quarrel with
Mr.. McVickar. Every one of those
crooked names means a vote for your
railroad. son. That was why 1 told
x-nI, x-n11,1 hotta,~ MT hDl1o,, ont oJo,t
1t. 1t was against your own side"
Evan Blount's hesitation might have
been measured by a clock tick.
"Then there is all the more reason
Why he began, but his father was
once more putting the clutch in.
NO." he interrupted, still in the
same gentle tone: don't let's jump at
any more conclusions, Evan. Wait
just a little while. There's more to
come-and I shouldn't be surprised if
it came before dinner time"
1t did come before dinner time-came
when a dust covered car driven at
reckless speed tore in over the north
ern road and was pulled up with a
jerk at the Inter-Mountain entrance to
let Mr.. Hardwick McVickar debark and
hurry to the clerks desk.
Senator Blount? Yes, he's in his
rooms; he said you were to come right
up" said the clerk, and, without stop
ping to strip off his dust coat, the vice
president fastened to an elevator.
What took place behind the closed
door of the sitting room in the Blount
suit is not a matter of record, and
Evan Blount, sitting beside Patricia
in Mrs. Blount's private sitting room
and concluding a lasting peace with
ais fathers wife, was too happy to
care very much. But after a time
the summons for which he had been
waiting came, and he w~ent-almost re-
luctantly-to join his father in the
room Of conference.
"Has Mr.. McVickar gomez" he ask
ed, finding his father sitting alone.
Eyes: he's gone-gone to order out
his car and go back to Chicago" was
the slow spoken reply. Then, with the
quizzical smile wrinkling at the eye
corners, How does the political
wrestle strike you by this time, son?"
"It strikes me that 1 haven't been
in it-not even in the outer edges of it,
dad. Isn't that about the size of it,"
"Oh, no; you've been doing good
work-mighty good work, for your
company. McVickar recognizes it.
You've helped out in the only way
that help could come in this campaign.
You've worked up a good, healthy pub
lie sentiment in favor of a square
deal for everybody. McVickar was
fixing to lose it all; cooking the regis
%tration lists and buying votes and
making deals right and left, the same
as usual. But it's all off now, and
he's gone, and we're going to have one
clean, straight up and down election,
son. The machine says So"
"The machine? queried the younger
man.
eyes; you didn't know that a ma
chine organization could be put to any
really righteous use, did you, boy?
But this is one time when it has gone
in to knock out the c~rookedness, big
and little. Listen, son. When you
wired me that you were coming out
here l lay awake nights thinking how
I'd put you in training and then when
the time came I'd help you up into the
saddle and make you the boss of the
roundup, as I'd been. Want to hear
the rest of it,"
Blount nodded.
"Then it came over me all of a sud
den that I'd been as crooked as a dogs
hind leg; that we'd all been crooked.
Not that I'd ever taken a dollar for
my personal pocket, for l haven't, but
I've bought and sold and dickered and
schemed with the best Of 'em and the
worst Of 'em, just as McVickar's been
doing for the past two months. Then
I asked myself If I'd like to see you
wallowing in the same mudhole, and
well, Evan, you may have a son Of
your WI some day, and then you'll
know. 1 thought I'd try you a little
at first, and I did-that first day out
at Wartrace. When you ripped out at
me that day I made up my mind right
Ifhop ond ,%hora thof Ts1 p,,t Tho -ho1o