The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1911-11-16

NhC WuiiS duIS tbC POtt aus VA -
governors predecessors In office.
"You may smoke" Mrs. Dunmeade
volunteered. II think you will find
cigars In that box. Only our most
distinguished guests are introduced
here. Isn't 1t q beautiful old room? ]
love It. but John calls 1t the grave
yard of futile ambitions So many
men have come here. thinking to estab
lish their m only 70 find them
selves helpless puppets"
They sat in silence broken only by
the murmurlng of the fire. After
looking at him i~ntently. He turned
toward her quickly
"You caught me. didn't your she
laughed. Il was trying to unearth
the real McAdoo."
And what did you discover"
She shook her head. Il can't tell
yet" she answered graveiy, then she
added abruptly, Mr.. McAdoO, will
you tell me what you think of my
husband-honestly 2"
Bob looked her straight In the eyes.
II used to think him merely a shall
low demagogue. That was before |
knew him. Now | believe him to be
a sincere but very foolish man. He
has the knack OF getting hold Of the
popular heart. He could make almost
anything of himself Ii 1t weren't for
his reform notions. He's ahead of his
time"
There must always be a pioneer"
"And the pioneer Is generally sacrl-
feed to his cause" Bob said senten-
tiously. He does the work and sees
another reap the glory
yet Murchell. the shrewdest politi.
clan we have ever had. has Joined
forces with my husband"
THAT merely proves my statement.
Murchell has been considered invinci-
BILE. Lately. since his open alliance
with your husband. his organization
has been falling to pieces. He is like
ly TO lose his hold on the railroad.
And he cant make up In popular sup
port what he loses among us politi'
clans"
Mrs. Dunmeade raised a protesting
hand. please don't say us poIitI-
clans Because-one must speak
right out to you, mustn't onet-I
brought You in here to ask you to join
forces with u.s."
"In my city they would call that a
joke, Mrs. Dunmeade.
ut isn't a joke to you. Is itT'
"a Steel City newspaper once re
marked editoriaIly," be answered grim
ly. that | could be explained only on
the hypothesis that | am totally lack.
ing in moral s%ensibility."
You are willing that the world
should hold that opinionT'
Really. Mrs. Dunmeade. 1 never
bother about what the world thinks
She studied him gravely. IF it be
true that you frankly. deliberately
choose the career OF corruption-the
editorial was wrong: you are not a
moral idiot-what a monster. what an
abnormality. you are! l can't believ
that Of any man. You haven't an
swered my proposal that you join with
u.s.
IF that Is all you need to set you
right" he said quietly. no"
But you said my husband is sin
cere."
HE is. or, rather. be thinks he Is"
Bob answered. all his brutal cynicism
finding expression. He really desires
reform. but not for the reforms sake.
He'll never be content miles it Is
worked out through him."
"Ah.' she cried. how you misjudge
him! l tell you John Dunmeade
would gladly smash the god of self to
atoms for the sake of his great pur-
pose. He has already made the Bit
terest sacrifice possible for a man like
him. He has one along with the old
order. compromising and dealing. ac-
cepting little intinitesimal - better
ments. to make a beginning. to pave
the way for the sweeping reforms he
thinks necessary. You wonder why
l talk to you. a total stranger. In this
fashion. 1t is because | have marked
you out as one who can be a tire
mendous help to us-to him. TIT Is
part of my atonement- Even when be
was q boy in college he was an en-
thusiast. worshiping high ideals. And
he fought hard to make politics clean.
Then te loved me. ] wss ambitious
for him to rise. In a small. careless
way l shared your philosophy then,
and | tempted him with the sophistry
Of e~xpediency. Because OF me he
made his first compromise. / made
John Dunmeade a trickster. was
wrong. and he was right. All ! can
do to make up for 1t Is to win q posi-
ton where be can force some of his
dear reforms. I've done a little. l
made Murchell bis friend Murchel
has made him governor. You could
help Us SO much" she added. looking
at him wistfully.
Bob smoked slowly and t~houghtfully
for a few minutes. Then he threw bis