The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1911-05-11
CHAPTER Xxx.

the library OF his Washington
home before swapping log
IL fire reading 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 furnished house
on an eminently respectable street. and
the polished doorplate bore his name
In incorporating characters.
The library furniture was solid and
dlgnihed. Its businessllke appearance
impressed the stray excursionlst from
the Atkins district when be or she Wis
tied the great man Ia 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 n night like this. for the s.eet was
driving against the windowpanes. the
sidewalks were ankle deep In slush.
and the wet. cold wind from the 20
tomac was whistllng 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
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 10 know where he had
gone. THE idea seems to be that he
started for Washington" wrote Tad.
but If that is so Il is queer you haven't
seen him. am suspicious that he Is
up 20 something about that harbor
business. l should keep my eye peeled
IL | was you"
Alicia. the Atkins hopeful. rustled
into the room.
Papa" she said. "I've come to kiss
you good night"
i1tE tue
In perfunctory way.
"All right all right" he said Now
run along TO bed and don't bother me;
there's a good girl | wish" he added
testify to the housekeeper. who had fol-
lowed Alicia into the room-'T wish
you'd see 10 that loose blind. II makes
me nervous. Such things as that
should be attended to without specific
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 II In his lap
and sat thinking and twirllng his eye
glasses at the end OF their black cord.
His thoughts seemed to be not OF
the pleasantest. The lines about his
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. II was before the days of the
desk phone. He took the
receiver from its hook and spoke into
the transmitter.
"HelloT' he said "Hellol Yes, yes!
stop ringing. What is ftp
The wire buzzed aud purred In the
storm. "Hellor' said voice. Hello,
there, Is this Mr.. Atkins house,"
yes; Il is, What do you wantg
Ana 10
man Atkins llvesf"
YES. yes. tell you, This Is Mr.. At
<ins speaking. What do you want?"
"ohl Is that you. Heman7 This |
IS whittaker-Cy Whitaker. Under
standr
Mr. Atkins understood Yet for an |
instant be did not reply. He had been
as he sat by the fire OF GER /
tain persons and certain ugly though |
remote possibilities. Now, from a /
mysterious somewhere. one of those ]
persons was speaking to him. The !
hand holding the receiver shook mo-
Hello. ] say. Heman. do you I'M
ierstand, This is Whitaker talkin'."
'I-er-understand," said the con-
gresham slowly. well. siry'
I'm here In washinton.'
81 have been informed that you were
In the city. Well sir?''
"0h. knew was here. did your IL
that so? Who told you? Tad wrote,
l suppose. heyg'
The congressman did not reply I'M
nediately. This man. whom he DIS
sked more than any one else in the
world. had an irritating faculty of put
ting his finger on the truth. And the
nippancy In the tone was maddening
Mr.. Atkins was not used to flippancy.
II believe l am not called upon to
disclose my source of information"
he said. with chilling dignity. ut APP /
pears to have been trustworthy. l pre-
sumo you have phoned me concern
ing the appropriation matter / do not |
recognize your right to intrude In that /
affair, and shall decline to discuss /
It Yes, sir; to my people, to those |