Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1911-06-23

4t't4 i'ii~ anu f.Al III ~ al ; '''-4
-,..f "a lawyer. and yet You ask Us to
set aside vruri-cS that are or ought
{, g., a., binding as 50 many written
contracts. With i,eua! attarhmeut>, 1t
can, De- done. Eyan-tIat'S al there Is
70 IT,. i can't BE- done"
can't goo. out Of T." window
when must come, In II tie door. Dick.
I've been di1-iuS into the records, and
! have evidence enough 10 turn the
people of this state into a mob that
VIII trar up Your tracks if l should
publish It,"
But tell you We can't withdraw
the specials. YOU Wild eyed fanatic"
"Au right. then level down the pub
lies rate TO fl them. And do IT quick
~. Dick. The time Is growing fear
fully short. and my patience isn't what
Il u>rd to be-
anybody would think You owned
the TranScontiucntai. lock, stock and
barrel Where under heaven did You
get Your nerve, Evan? Bl"St if don't
believe you could "uthIuff the old -cr-
your father himself if You once got
the fool notion into your head that 1t
was your duty t" try"
This time Blount's Smile was rather
sorrowful, and he shook hi, head.
Come and hear ME speak tonight
If you're staying over that long.
Then you'll know why must have the
solid rock OF good faith under my feet.
Gantry You spoke of my father just
now. bear the name, too. Dick. Don't
You soc that I've got 10 make goodt"
il was during this hardWorking in
tcrval that Blount saw, with keen re-
crct, the gradual widening Of the
breach between him and his father.
That the long arm Of the machine of
which his father was the acknOwl-
edged head was reaching out into all
corners of the state there was ample
evidence. and that the machine cam
paign was thing to be reckOned with
and fought against was cardinal
principle with the young reformer.
Fut it Is hard to fight In the dark.
The organization was so perfect that
its very existence seemed mythical ut
timcs-u mere bugbear set up TO be
knocked down by the honest voter at
the polls on election day.
Yet BlOunt knew that 1t was no
myth Sometimes he fancicd that it
was the machine which was interpoS-
he was not permitted to pass. With
that thought came the old doubts and
fears that his father and McNickar
had consulted together to make him
the fence behind which all the trickery
Of venal campaign could be safely
screened. But while this thought Wis
IDLY widened the growing breach 1t
made him only more determined to
fight to the bitter end. What one man
could do to herald the dawn OF a new
political epoch for his native state
should be done.
1t was on one Of his short stopovers
in the capital city that Blount found
himself seated opposite his father at a
table for two In the Inter Mountain
cafe. The meeting was purely acct
dental, as most Of their meetings had
come to be. InquirinG for his father
at the desk. Blount had been told that
the senator was out Of town. But an
hour later, when he had taken his seat
ut the dinner table. the supposed alb
sentee had walked In to take the OPP
posite chair.
For time their talk was OF the do
s,..x 49, Ial % I,, Foe.
sor's enthusiastic digging for fossils. of
Patricia's keen enjoyment Of the life in
the open and-this put with gentle
Hesitation on the part Of the news
bringcr-of Mrs. HonoriaS growing
love for the young woman whose am
billions reached out toward II career"
Working you pretty hard these days
aren't they, SON. was the friendly re-
mark that opened the way for more
to follow IF you belonged to my
generation instead OF your own you
wouldn't be cold shouldering that
young woman out at Wartrace the way
you do-not for all the politics that
was ever hatched."
Il have my work to do" said the
son gravely. "and Patricia Anners
would be the last person in the world
to put obstacles In the way Of Il
wish l could say as much for other
people"
The boss looked up quickly. Some
body been trying to block you?"
Evan Blount met the gaze OF the
shrewd gray eyes without tlinching.
Il don't know Of any good reason
why we shouldn't be frank with cacl
other, dad" he said. using for the
first time since his return the old boy
hood father name. You know better
than any one else, l think. what the
stumbling blocks are and who is put
ting them In my way"
Instantly the fnraway look came
into the gray eyes.
Il know n heap Of things that
can't tell-not just yet. son. Has Nc
Nickar been calling you down."
NO one has called me down. bu
some one or something rs keeping mt
out Of the real fight. There isn't any
fight that can get into. Everywhere
l 30 there IS the same cut and drie(
welcome. the same predetermined en-
thusiasm. Sometimes 1t seems MS Il
oil the people meet had been in
structed to make things pleasant ant
easy for me-"
The senator's chuckle was barely
audible.
Il wouldn't find much fault witt
that II I were you. son." he said
You'll get enough Of the real thint
by and by"
Blount felt his anger rising. II,
was In precisely the right mood to be
lieve that his father. failing to make
him n cog in one OF the wheels In tn,
machine, had gone about In some mvs
ferrous way to insulate him, TO max,
1t impossible for him to get into tb,
real tide Of affairs. But he kept hi.
temper
ITS no use," he said, with n tan,