Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-09-07

The Wartrace den was an annex to
the dining room, and through the
Topped back portieres he could hear
the animated hum of the prehistoric
conversation. in which Patricia had
now Joined, as a loyal daughter should.
Hoping against hope that the pro-
fessor would some time go to bed and
that his father would come to the den
for his bedtime Whit at the long
stemmed pipe, Blount smoked and
waited. When his patience was finally
rewarded it was not the honorable
senator who drew the portieres aside
and entered the coy smoking room.
1t was Patricia, and she was alone.
Il thought perhaps l should find you
here,' she said calmly, taking the easy
chair at the opposite corner Of the
hearth. did we bore you to extinc-
tion|
Not quite" he laughed. But since
l hadn't got myself born 100000 0
years ago I can't somehow seem to
galvaniZe a very active interest in the
dead and buried periods"
Nor l." she confessed frankly,
though for papa's sake l do try to.
But for us who are living today there
are so many problems Of really vital
Importance. problems that the ptero-
dactyls never knew anything about"
IL know" said the young man, half
absently. Il am up against one of
them right now, and l don't know how
to meet it."
viii 1t bear telling?" she asked.
And he hoped that the sympathy in
her tone was personal rather than
conventional.
ut will not only bear telling; it de-
mands to be TOLD to some n whose
sense Of right and wrong has not been
drawn and quartered and fayed alive
until it has no longer life or breath
left with which to protest"
Thereupon he told her all that had
happened to him since the evening he
had left the sleeping car at Aretas,
concluding almost shamefacedly with
the story of the lumber magnate's at.
tempt at corruption. Of which he sup
pressed nothing but the fact that the
professors name appeared in Mr..
Hathaway's list Of shareholders.
When he made an end her eyes were
shining. either with %quickened sympa-
thy or indignation-he could not de-
termine which.
what did you do?" she asked, re-
ferring to the incident of the after
noon.
81 didn't do half enough" he fumed.
Il am afraid I let Hathaway get away
without my telling him plainly enough
what a hopelessly irreclaimable scoun-
drel he is. ! made a mistake in not
throwing him out bodily"
You made your greatest mistake in
the very beginning, Evan" she said
decisively. You should have made q
confidant of your father"
II did try to at first" he protested.
But the game is everything, and
everybody plays Tiny father, his
wife, the railroad officials and the pol
iticians. Surely you wouldn't say that
I should have let my father put me on
the state ticket as a ~candidate?"
Certainly not" was the quick reply,
not unless you were convinced Of the
purity Of his motive. But if you have
been telling me the truth. and all the
truth it would seem that you didn't
stop to inquire what that motive might
be-"
what was the use Of inquiring?
He is the boss Of the machine. He
would have used the machine to put
me into Office as attorney general. In
other words, I should have owed my
election not to the will Of the people,
but the will of one man, and that
man my nearest kinsman. Under such
circumstances would it have been pos
sible for me to administer the Office
without fear or favor"
II don't know why not" she return
ed. "Your nearest kinsman.' as you
call him. would have been the last
man to interfere. Wasn't that the
very reason he gave for wanting to
put you on the ticket?"
II know" said Blount, whose mind
was beginning to cloud again. But
there are so many other mysteries. !
am not sure at this blessed moment
that my father hasn't %conspired with
Mr.. McVickar to put me just where
am"
Her smile was gently r%eproachful
1T is my poor opinion, Evan, that you
don't half appreciate your father" she
said. Worse than that, you don't
know him. But that is beside. the pres.
ent mark, at all events. What are you
going to do?"
II have already done it. have
wired my resignation to Mr.. McVickar
and he will doubtless accept it,"
She was looking him fairly in the
eyes. THAT is the second unwise
thing you have done. Evan, you are
sadly in need of a balance wheel"
II knew that a good while ago." he
rejoined. IT applied for one and it
was refused when you said No."
She blushed very prettily. II can
help you now" she said, half hest