The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-04-19

stands for In the greasewood hiIIsT'
"And 1 don't care, Dick. Up to this
present moment / am a free moral
agent I haven't surrendered any right
of decision to any one so far as am
aware"
Gantry's eyes dropped to his plate,
and his rejoinder was not altogether
free from guile.
"Wiu you authorize me to contradict
the talk IS cam he asked quickly.
Blount was stu warm enough to be
peremptory. Yes; you may contra
dict it. You may say that It Is wholly
unauthorized" Then be remembered
the claims Of friendship. "I'l be frank
with you, Gantry. This thing has been
mentioned to me once, but nothing was
decided, absolutely nothing. I didn't
even promise to take It under advise
ment-"
Among those who knew him exter-
nally Mr.. Richard Gantry had the rep
utation Of owning loose tongue. But
none knew better than the real Rich
ard Gantry when to make the loose
tongue wag away from the subject
which has reached its nicely adjusted
climax.
Almost before he knew it Evan
Blount was gossiping with his table
companion over a social function two
days old. A little later the waiter
brought the cigars, and the danger
point If any there were, was safely
past.
It was when the two young men
were on their way to the club smok-
ing room that some one stopped Gan
try to talk business with him.
Blount strolled on by himself and,
finding the smoking room, went to
lounge In lazy chair, whose chief at
traction was that it stood half hidden
in little alcove lined with bookcases.
He craved solitude and a chance to
think things over fairly and without
heat.
A few minutes later Gantry looked
In and, apparently missing the half
concealed easy chair and its occupant
In the bookcase alcove, went his way.
He was scarcely gone before two
men entered, coming down the CORR
Blount saw them, and he made sure
that they saw him. But when they
had taken chairs on the other side Of
the room he was suddenly assured that
they had not seen him They were
talking quite freely of him and of his
| father.
We'll, the Honorable Sagebrush has
4 20 Tx
time" said the elder Of the two, a full
faced man, to whom Blount had been
introduced on his first day in the CAPT
tai, but whose name and station he
could not recall. This scheme of put
! ting his son up for attorney general is
the foxiest thing the senator has ever
put across. You can bet the air was
blue in the Transcontinental Chicago
offices when the news got there"
What do you suppose McVickaI
will doY asked the other.
HE viii do anything the senator
wants him to do. Blount is land hun.
CRY, and guess he'll take a few more
sections Of the railroad mesa land un.
der the Clearwater ditch That was
what he did two years ago, when Nc,
Vickar wanted the right Of way fol
the branch through Carnadine coun.
~"
Don't you believe he's going to
take any little Christmas gift this
time" was the rasping reply. Hell
sell the railroad something and take
good hard money for it! It's a cinch
The railroad can't afford to have the
courts against it, and McVickar vii
be made to sweat blood. You watct
the wheels go round when McYickal
comes out here"
Evan Blount found himself turntne
sick at heart Could it be his father
whom they were thus calmly accusins
of graft and trickery and blackmail
ing methods?
His first impulse was to face the
two men, to demand proofs, to do and
say wnat loyal son should. But the
sickening conviction that they were
, discussing only well assured and vel
known facts crushed him back int
his chair, and after that he was anx
ious for only one thing-that the,
might finish their cigars and go swaJ
! without discovering him.
Fate was kind to him thus far. Ate
a little further talk, IN which the &C
cepted point Of view Of the onlooke
was made still more painfully evident
the younger Of the two men spoke o
an engagement, and they both wen
out together
One clear thought, and only one
. came to Evan out Of the sorrowfu
confusion. Not for any inducemen
! that could be offered would he nov
lend himself 30 the furtherance of hi
fathers plans.
Beyond this he did not go in the mis-
cradle hour wrought out in the quie
= Of the club smoking room.
But when he rose to go anothe
: prompting was forcing its way to tn
r front-a prompting to throw hlmsel
: boldly into the scale against graft an
i chicanery, to redeem by whatsoeve
? means might offsr the good old nan
( that had been Sc shAnefuTly draggs
. n the n1ire-
He did not know tust how Il was