Graham guardian. [volume] (Safford, Ariz.) 1895-1923, 1911-07-07


III the library Of his Washington
home before swapping log
~ flre reading letter. Mr.. At
kins had. rs he would have expressed
II. SERVED his people" In congress for
% many years that he had long since
passed the hotel stage Of living at the
capital. lie rented furnished house
on an eninently respectable street, and
the polished doorplate bore his name
In uncompromislng characters.
The library furniture was solid and
dlgnifled. Its businessllke appearance
impressed the stray excursiOnist from
the Atkins district when he or she WIS.,
fled the grcnt man In whose affairs we
felt such a personal interest. I'artic-
uiarly impressive and significant were
n map ofsthc district hanging over the
eongressmnn's desk and nm oil paint
sag Of the Atkins mansion ut Bayport.
which. with the Iron dogs and urns
conspicuous In its foreground. occupied
the middle Of the lnrgest wall space.
The CHEEKY Ore was very comforting
on night like this for the sheet was
driving against the windowIat,es. the
sidewalks were ankle deep IN slu'h,
and the wet. cold wind from the 10
tomac was whlstiins down the street
eOmew here about the house an I'M
fastened shutter slammed In tn gusts
Mr.. Atkins should have been cStramrly
comfortable M he sat there by the tire.
He had spent many comfortable win:
tors In that room. Tut now there was
q frown on his face M he rend the let
ter In his hand. II was from Simpson
and stated. among other things. that
Cyrus Whitaker had been absent frcm
Bayport for over two weeks and that
no one seemed to know where he had
gone. THE idcn seems to be that he
started for Washington" wrote Tad.
but IL that Is 40 II Is queer you haven't
seen him. I am suspicious that he Is
up to something about that harbor
business. I should keep my eye peeled
II was you."
Alicia. the Atkins hopeful. rustied
into the room.
"Papa." she said. 'I've como to kiss
you good night"
Her father performed the ceremony
In a perfunctory way.
"An right. all right" he said. "Now
run along to bed and don't bother me;
there's good girl. wish" he added
testify to the housekeeper. who had fol-
lowed Alicia Into the room-''l wish
you'd see 10 that loose blind. 1t makes
me- nervous. Such things as that
should be attended to without specific
orders from me-
The holsekeeyer promised to attend
TO the blind. She and the girl left the
library. lIeman reread the Simpson
letter. Then he dropped Il In his lap
and sat thinking and twiriing his eye
glasses nj the. end " their black cord.
Ills thoughts seemed to be not Of
the pleaxantcst. The lines about his
mouth had dcrprnri during the last
few mouths. lie looked older.
The telephone he'll rang sharply. MIR.
Atkins came ont Of his reverie with
start. arose and walked across the
room to the wall where the Instrument
hung. II was before the days of the
convenient desk phone. He took the
receiver from Its hook md spoke into
tho trsnsmitter.
"Hello- he said. Hello! Yes. yes!
Stop ringing. What Ia it?'
The wire buzEed and purred in the
storm. rTIeiIor' said a voice. "Hello.
there! Is this Mr.. Atkins house?"
Eyes; It ID. What do you want!'
"Heyi Is this where the Hon. He
man Atkins lives?"
Eyes. yes. tell you! This is MIR. At
lins speaking. What do you wantr
ooh! Is that you. Heman? This
Il whittaker-Cy Whitaker. Under.
standr
Mr.. Atkins understood. Yet for an
instant he did not reply. He had been
thinking az he snt BY the fre Of GER
tain persons and certain ugly though
remote possibilities. Now, from
mysterious somewhere. Que of those
persons was speaking to him. The
hand holding the receiver shook mo-
uentarily.
Hello. say. HcmnA. do you I'M
derstand? This il Whitaker talkin'."
Ter understand" said the con-
gresham slowly. "Well. STRIP
T'm here In washin'ton."
II have been Informed that ysu wera
In the city. Well. sir?"
"Oh. knew ] was here, did your is
that 30? Who told you? Tad wrote
suppose, heyr'
The congressman did not reply I'M
mvliateiy. This man. whom he dis
litsd more than any one else In the
w.rld. had an irritating faculty of put
ting his finger on the truth. And the
fippancy In the tone wns maddening.
Mr.. Atkins was not used to dippancy.
II believe I am not called upon to
disclose my source Of information"
he said. with chilling dignity. "It ap-
pears to have been trustworthy. pre-
sumo ron have phoned me concern
ing the appropriation matter. lido not
recognize your right to intrude In that
affair. and shall decline to discuss
1t. Yes. air; to my people, to those
who have right to question. ! am
and shall always be willing to explain
my position. Good night"
what! Hello! Hold on minute.
Don't get mad. Hcman. ] only want.
ed to say Just a word. You'll let me
shy word. won't your
This was more Hike II. This was
more nearly the tone In which Mr.. At
kins was won't TO be addressed, II