Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-09-21
By
LYNDE

convictions a made him a partisan
of the weaker man.
Throughout the play and the inter-
missions the Weatherfords mother
and daughter-kept him from exchang-
Ing so much as a word with Miss An
ners. whom Gantry was ~shamelessly
monopolizing. But on the short re-
turn walk to the hotel after the plav
8lount resolutely pushed his friend
aside and gave Patricia his arm.
1 think you W me a very abject
apology" was the way she began on
him when they had such privacy as
the crowded sidewalks conferred.
Consider them made ind then tell
me what for" he countered.
Consider a moment. You come TO
me with a really narrowing story of
your new experiences, and lust as I
am beginning to get interested there
is an interruption, and in the morning.
at some perfectly impossible hour. off
you go, and we hear no more of YOU
for weeks and weeks. What have Won
been doing?"
II have been doing precisely what
you told me to d~o-preaching the COS
pei of honesty and fair dealing and
trying my level best to make other
people practice it."
You have been successful?" she
asked quickly.
REASONABLY so in the preaching,
since that depended solely upon me. AS
TO the other, | don't know. Sometimes
think the housecIeaners are honestly
at work, and at other times l am afraid
they are putting up a front only to
deceive me. Some time perhaps 7
may tell you how far 1 have had 70
go into the practical politics armory
to get my weapons"
"And your father, Evan-are Won
coming to understand him any bet
! ter?"
He shook his head despondently.
NO, or, rather. yes. I am afraid I
am coming to understand him or his
methods only too well. The only way
we can keep from quarreling now is
TO ban1sh politics when we are to-
gether."
L am sorry" she said, and the sor-
row was emphatic in her tone. "As I
have said before, you don't understand
him. You are judging him by stand
ards which, however just and true thew
may be, are peculiarly your own stand
ARDS. l know you can be broad for
others when you try. Can't you be
broad for him?"
1t was good to hear her defend his
father. 1t was what he would have
wished his wife to do. Suddenly there
arose within him a huge reluctance to
lessen or to weaken in any way her
trust in David Blount.
Let us say that the fault is mine"
ne said hastily. God forbid that T
should be the means of making YOU
think less of him in any r~espectw
Il is simply a grand old mantle
nrst l have ever known for whom the
hackneyed phrase seemed to have been
made" she asserted warmly. eff he
mas FAULTS l am sure they are nothing
more than gigantic virtues, the faults
OF a man who is too strong to be little
in any way"
with Patricia in town, the "silver
tongued spellbinder of Quaretaro
Mesa" as the Daily Capital called the
new division counsel, would have been
glad to evade some of the speaking an
po1ntments, but as his engagements
had been made for some DAYS in ad.
vance he was obliged to go.
On bis return to the capital he was
delighted to find the party of three still
occupying the private dining room suit
In the Inter-M Mountain. Arriving on
the morning train, he was permitted to
make the party Of three a party of four
at the breakfast table.
Later, however, when he went to his
offices In the Temple court building
the strenuosities asserted themselves
again with somewhat startling empha-
sis. Though he found his desk closed
and was reasonably sure that he had
In his. own possession the only key
that would unlock it, he found his pa
pers scattered in confusion under the
soll top and the letters and kilograms
which had come during his absence
opened. A touch Of the electric button
brought the s~tenographer from the
anteroom.
WHO'S been in my desk, Coliins?"
he demanded, pointing to the confusion
and sc%rutinizing the face Of the young
man for signs Of guilt.
Goodness gracious! I don't know"
was the instant reply, and Blount con-
cluded that the secretary was either In
nocent or IN astonishingly good actor.
II have been putting the mail and tele-
grams through the letter slit, as you
directed. and I've kept the private Of.
Zee locked"
Nevertheless" said Blount. "tt 10