El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-03-25
The Honorable Senator Sagebrush
Copyright, 1910, By
STREET & SMITH
Continued from yesterday.)

Ii was Wnen 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 a lazy chair, whose chief at
| traction was that 1t stood half hidden
In little aleove lined with bookcases.
! He craved solitude and 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 corri-
dor from the grill room.
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 hiIn. They were
talking quite freely OF him and of his
father.
well, the Honorable SagebTush has
got McVickar dead to rights this
time" said the elder of the two, 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 Transcontinenfal Chicago
Offices when the news got there"
What do you suppose McVickar
win do?" asked the other
HE will do anything the senator
wants him to do. Blount is land hun
CRY, and guess he'll take few more
sections of the railroad mesa land I'M
der the Clearwater ditch. That was
what he did two years ago. when Nc
Vickar wanted the right of way for
the branch through Carnadine coun-
~"
Don't you believe he's going to
take any little Christmas gift this
time" was the rasping reply. He'll
sell the railroad something and take
good hard money for it, It's a cineh
The railroad can't afford to have the
courts against it. and McEickar viii
be made to sweat blood. You watch
the wheels go round when McVickar
comes out here"
Evan Blount found himself turning
sick at heart. Could it be his father
whom they were thus calmly accusing
of graft and trickery and blackmail-
ing methods?
His first impulse was to face the
two men. to demand proofs, TO do and
say what loyal son should. But the
sickening conviction that they were
discussing only well assured and well
known facts crushed him back into
his chair, and after. that he was anx-
ious for only one thing-that they
might finish their cigars and go away
without discovering him.
Fate was kind to him thus FAR. After
little further talk. in which the &C.
cepted point Of view of the onlooker
was made still more. painfully evident.
the younger OF the two men spoke of
an engagement. and they sboth went
out together.
One clear thought. and only one,
came to Evan out of the sorrowful
confusion. Not for any inducement
that could be offered would he now
lend himself TO the furtherance OF his
fathers plans.
Beyond this he did not go in the mis-
cradle hour wrought out in the quiet
OF the club smoking room
But when he rose to go another
prompting was forcing its way to the
front-a prompting to throw himself
boldly into the scale against graf. and
chicanery. TO redeem by whatsoever
means might offer the good old name
that had been so shamefully dragged
In the Hire.
he did not know just how it was to
be done, but he would find a way.
That it would be full of khorns he
could not doubt since every step in It
would open and widen the breach be-
tween him and his father But, though
It should lead him to the bar of justice
rs that fathers accusers he must walk
IN it. He said TO himself in. a fresh
access of determination that, though |
be might have to blush for his father. |
Patricia should not be made ashamed |
For her lover.
Upon leaving the club he hesitated |
ong enough on the steps to remember
hat he was In no fit frame of mind to |
isk an immediate meeting with his ia |
her. To avoid the chance he crossed |
he street and, passing through the |
.apitol grounds, strolled aimiessiy out /
me of the residence streets until he |
ame to the open country.
1t was quite late in the afternoon
When he re-entered the city by another
street and boarded trolley car for
he downtown center. The long after
loon tramp and the conclusions it had
red made it imperative for him to see
santry before the traffic manager
hould have left his Office for the day.
His business with the railroad man
vas purely personal He meant to
|