Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-04-24

you you'd better not boiler out about
It 1t was against your own side"
Evan Blount's hesitation might have
been measured by q clock tick.
Then there is an the more reason
Why he began, but his father WIS
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 lite while. There's more to
come-and I shouldn't be surprised II
1t came before dinner time"
It did come before dinner ttme-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.. Hardwtck McVickar debark and
hurry to the clerks desk.
Senator Blount7 Yes, he's in Ids
rooms: he said you were to come right
up" said the clerk, and, without stop
ping to strip of his dust coat, the vice
president FASTENED 60 an elevator.
What took place behind the closed
door OF the sitting room IN the Blount
suit is not q matter Of record, and
Evan Blount, sitting beside Patricia
In Mrs. Biounts private sitting room
and concluding a lasting peace with
his fathers wife, was too happy TO
care very much. But after q time
the summons for which he had been
waiting came. and he went-almost re-
luctantly-to join his father in the
room~of conference.
HAS Mr.. McVickar goneT' he ask
ed. finding his father sitting alone.
Yes: 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?'
cit strikes me that haven't been
in it-not even in the outer edges Of It,
dad. Isn't that about the size Of it7''
"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 of now, and
he's gone. and we're going to have one
clean, straight up and down election,
son. The machine says So"
1.-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 i?
But this is one time when it has gone
in to knock out the crookedness, big
and little. Listen, son. When you
wired me that you were coming out
here 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 itT'
Blount nodded.
Then it came over me an 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 I haven't, but
rye 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
1 asked myself If I'd like to see you
wallowing in the same mudhole, and
well, Evan. you may have a son Of
your own some day. and then you'll
know. I thought ia try you a little
at first, and / did-that first day out
at Wartrace. When you ripped out at
me that day I made up my mind right
then and there that ia put the whole
power of the machine as; you call It,
into one campaign for a clean election
and a square deal"
my heavensY CALCULATED the son.
"And I've been lighting you and your
organization at every turn
mo, you haven't" was the quick re-
joinder. You've been fighting graft,
and that was what you thought you
were hired to do. McVickar wasn't
playing just fair with you. he gave
you your job IN the, nrst place to take
you away from me. but you've been
in the hands Of your friends right
from the start, Evan. It was the or
ganization that gave you All these
chances to preach the new gospel of
the square deal. IT. was the organiza-
ton that pushed Hathaway up against
you. so that you'd know that the ran
road people were running around In
the same old circles, hollering for jus
tice and doing everything they could
to defeat the ends of 1ustice-muddy