The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1912-02-29
the broad shoulders that sa>aaeA 10
well fitted to carry them.

4
lain he really exercised In the state
He awoke to that fact more slowly
than did the men who came 70 solicit.
He did not try TO use his power for his
own ends. He promptly noted the def
erence that men paid him: a. promptly
he penetrated certain plans Aen made
to corrupt him if they could. These
attempts were made slyly and did not
proceed very far. Something In his
openly broaching their desires and
their willingness to make their inter
ests worth his while. They knew that
one of the ThOrnt0ns could not be won
by money. but they were rather sur
prised to find out that he could not be
beguiled by other Inducements. The
pride OF serving Gensral Weymouth
loyalty was worth more to him than
anything they could offer.
His duties took him often to the
state capital Ths chairman Of the
state committee vas eoolly courteous.
often gloomily dsfsrent1al, sometimes
frankly cordial. unsasily trying to ind
the proper level.
In the case Of Madeline Prssson
there was none Of this embarrassment
He saw her often. She met him half
way with a frank interest IN his work
and sympathy which in those days
of truce did not question his ideals.
He became Q welcome intimate Of
the Pressoa household When he was
there the master himself put aside all
the brusqusness he displayed N their
downtown discourse on politics. The
girl welcomed him. There were many
hours when they were alone together.
in the home or ON long drives into the
country. He drew more and more upon
bis fund Of worldly wisdom. There
was q little touch Of the cynic In her
He became secretly ashamed Of some
of his ingenious beliefs after she had
deftly shown him the other side Of
things. She did show him the other
side, quite in a matter of fact way. 1t
was not that she was trying to break
down his faith. There was nothing sly
nor crafty in her methods Of improv-
ing his views. But by informing him
she made him wiser and at the same
time more distrustful of motives. more
! searching in his Investigations Of meth
DDS. He began to doubt some Of his
earlier Ideas of what public man
should be. He felt that his views were
broadening. That was q comfortable
way of excusing certain surrenderings
to her ideas.
The more he drew from her the more
he was drawn to her.
1t was not the love that comes with
man away.
Through the intellect, through his
hunger for Information and wider
views she was making herself indis-
pensable to his welfare and big ambi-
tions.
And yet Madeleine Presson was not
trying to make this young man Of the
north country fall in love with her
Her interest in him was first Of all
based upon his winning earnestness
and the elements Of success that she
OWNED in him, were they properly cul-
tlvated.
But as the days went by and oppor-
tunity gave them their hours together,
they were drawn more closely, each
insisting in secret meditation that 1t
was not love. He had arrived at such
point of belief in her that he was
glad that she had opened his eyes.
He was finding men-meeting them
\ !, ho hod nil
tured them to him: selfish, scheming.
crafty and not understanding in the
least his occasional attempts to meet
them on the upper level Of perfect
candOr. For her part, she found more
in this young man than she had ex-
pected to find.
Linton came to the capital with more
or less regularity and called on the
Pressons with fully as much appear,
ance of being entirely at home as his
newer rival. When they were togeth-
er the girl treated both with impartial
interest and attention.
So the new year came in, and the
hordes of lawmakers. lobbyists, look.
ers on and laymen descended on the
state capital.
The Republicans ruled house and
senate by safe majorities. Presson,
sauntering about hotel or statehouse
lobby, seemed bland and contented
again. The wounds in the party seem
ed to have been healed.
On Inauguration day Governor Way.
mouth added to the general spirit OF
harmony. He came unobtrusively to
the statehouse from the modest man.
sion he had leased in the capital city
for the legislative winter and took oath
Of Office before an admirlng throng.
He had made confdant Of no one,
not even regarding his inaugural
speech and his plans for his admins.
tration.
In that ancient statehouse, its accom-,
modations for spectators limited, there
were no hard and fast rules regulating
admission to the floor. Harlan Thorn
ton had a chair placed in the aisle
beside his seat and entertained Made