The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1911-02-28

the library OF MS washington I
| home before a swapping log |
fire reading a letter. Mr. At |
kins had, as he would have expressed |
it, served his people" in congress for
so many years that he had long since
passed the hotel stage of living at the
capital. He rented a furnished house
on an eminently respectable street, and
the polished doorplate bore his name
in uncompromising characters.
The library furniture was solid and
dignifed. Its businesslike appearance
impressed the stray eXcursionist from
the Atkins district when he or she Wis
tied the great man in whose affairs we
felt such a personal interest Partic-
ularly impressive and significant were
a map of the district hanging over the
congressman's desk and an oil paint
ing of the Atkins mansion at Bayport,
which, with the iron dogs and urns
conspicuous in its foreground, occupied
the middle of the largest wall space.
The CHEEKY fire was very comforting
on night like this, for the sleet was
driving against the windowpanes, the
sidewalks were ankle deep in slush,
and the wet, cold wind from the Po-
tomac was whistling down the street.
Somewhere about the house an I'M
fastened shutter slammed in the gusts.
Mr.. Atkins should have been extremely
comfortable as he sat there by the fire.
He had spent many comfortable win
ters in that room But now there was
a frown on his face as he read the let
ter in his hand. 1t was from Simpson
and stated. among other things. that
Cyrus Whitaker had been absent from
Bayport for over two weeks and that
no one seemed to know where he had
gone 'The idea seems to be that he
started for Washington wrote Tad.
''but il that is 50 it is queer you haven't
seen him. am suspicious that he is
up to something about that harbor
business. l should keep my eye peeled
if l was you"
Alicia the Atkins hopeful. rustled
into the room.
Papa" she said. 1--WE come to kiss
you good night
Her father performed the ceremony
in perfunctory way.
"All 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-"I wish
you'd see to that loose blind. 1t makes
me nervous. Such things as that
/ a;G a.
orders from me-"
The housekeeper promised to attend
to the blind. She and the girl left the
library Heman reread the Simpson
letter. Then he dropped it in his lap
and sat thinking and twirling his eye
glasses at the end of their black cord.
His thoughts seemed to be not of
| the pleasantest. The lines about his
mouth had deepened during the last
few months. He looked older.
The telephone bell rang sharply. Mr..
| Atkins came out of his reverie with a
start, arose and walked across the
room to the wall where the instrument
hung. 1t was before the days of the
convenient desk phone. He took the
receiver from its hook and spoke into
the transmitter
"Hello." he said. Hello! Yes, yes!
Stop ringing. What is itT'
The wire buzzed and purred in the
storm "Hellor' said voice. "Hello,
there! Is this Mr. Atkins house"
Eyes; it is. What do you want?"
"Hey? Is this where the Hon. He.
man Atkins lives?"
Eyes, yes, tell you! This is Mr.. At
kins speaking. What do you want?'
"Oh! Is that you, Heman? This
is Whittaker-Cy Whitaker. Under
stand?"
Mr.. Atkins understood Yet for an
instant he did not reply. He had been
! thinking as he sat by the fire OF GER
tain persons and certain ugly though
remote possibilities. Now. from q
mysterious somewhere, one Of those
persons was speaking to him. The
hand holding the receiver shook mo-
mentarily.
'Hello! / say, Heman, do you un-
derstand? This is Whitaker talkin'."
T-er-understand," said the con-
gresham slowly. well, STRIP
'I'm here In Washfn't tom"
ST have been informed that you were
in the city. Well. sirY'
"Oh, knew I was here, did you? Is
that so? Who told you? Tad wrote,
I suppose, heyY
!. The congressman did not reply M