Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1912-01-06

by the way, dlQn't lie TO you any
about Luke's girl. did I?' remarked
the old man casually and as though
the matter had occurred to him in de
fault of better topic. 'But she's too
advanced in her ideas for a woman.
She'll be suffragetting it next"
When Harlan began to defend the
right of women to interest themselves
in the larger affairs only twinkle in
the dukes eye betrayed his amuse-
ment. If Harlan in his first quick sus-
picions had secretly accused his grand
father of planning a matrimonial cam
paign in conjunction with his political
one he was now ashamed of those sus-
picions. for they concerned Madeleine
Presson- Having met her, he realized
that If he should dare to connect her
in his thoughts with anything that his
grandfather might be scheming he
was making of himself a very pre-
sumptuous and silly ass.
: He had time to think of her during
the two weeks he was at the state
capital waiting for the big convention.
His grandfather made no demands
upon him.
Thelismer Thornton had quietly APP
pointed himself the dominant figure
in the back room at state headquar
tiers. Under his big hand all the
strings met. Even Luke Presson took
subordinate post as lieutenant.
The Duke of Fort Canibas kneio that
he was in control.
The Hon. David Everett beliered that
he was. Thornton blandly cultivated
that belief in Everett. When Everett
talked he listened. When Everett
M I<~<l -,
the confidence of that gentleman. He
made sure that ''the logical candidate"
used him as repository of all his po
Htical secrets. He was careful to as
sure himself that Everett's strength
was entirely in his hands and under
his control, for he intended to shatter
that strength so instantly. so thor
oughly, that not one fragment would
be left to hamper his own plans.
And yet day by day, word by word,
hint by hint-hfs eye on the future
loyalty of the Everett faction at the
polls-he made the candidate under
stand that Arba Spinney was man
to be reckoned with, that the conven-
ton was not an open and shut certain
how it had come about. Everett found
cies-" Without knowing that he had
been selected as a martyr for his par
ty, he committed himself in lofty SEN
timents regarding the duty of a man
in crisis. Not that he suspected that
his chances We're endangered. But the
fact remained that. thinking wholly
of other men. he committed himself
and in a way that he could be remind
ed of when the time came
The publicity bureau. obeying crafty
suggestions and not understanding Just
what it was all about. began in the
stress of that campaign to recall sto-
ries of the old days. And no man rep
resented the old days as did Warden
Weymouth, hero. scholar and states
man. There were giants in the old
days. and every machine newspaper in
the state hailed General Weymouth as
chief of the giants They contrasted
the present with the past. General
Waymouth's picture gazed forth in
stately benignity from every broad
side. His life story filled the columns
of newspapers and the mouths of men,
With Arba Spinney's activities Thorn
ton was in touch at all times. Through
the columns of his newspapers the old
politician exploited Mr. Spinney, see
ing 10 IL tnat ne was we'll advertised
as a man who persistently branded his
own state as den of infamy. Thus
he made Spinney strong enough to
play against Everett and weak enough
to fall far in the estimation of men
when the time came for him to fall.
And then at last. in the latter days
of June. all roads led to Rome. The
Republican convention was called for
the twenty eighth in the bio hall of
the states metropolis.