The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1912-02-22
THE Man
HIGHER UP
By HENRY RUSSELL
MILLER
Copyright. 1910. by Bobbs Mer.
rill Co.
CHAPTER XXI.
CARD.

was the afternoon before cleo
ton day. No one seemed able to stand
in one spot for two consecutive min
utes; no one thought Of sitting.
Sure to win; it's a cinch.' Ten to
three McAdoo wins is best odds" They
say Harland's thrown up the sponge"
"Old mans sick, | hear" "Twenti-
Ell II go for Harland, though"
"Sick nothin', Couldn't kill McAdoo
with dynamite" The Fourth III make
the Twentieth look like thirty cents
when the majorities come in" Tom
Haggin told me SO himself" Five to
ten he wins by more than 10000"
Late In the afternoon a bomb was
exploded in the midst Of the crowd.
A man, breathless and red faced,
burst nto the room. He rushed to the
group nearest the door.
"Remington's thrown McAdoo down"
he shouted hoarsely.
swer.
81 tell you
Chronicle. Extry! Great s'nsashun!
All bout Remingtoh's exposher!!"
A strident voiced newsboy ran into
the room, waving a paper around his
head. Great red letters fared on the
sheet. There was an instant scramble
to reach him. men showing one an
other and snatching the papers that
others paid for. The news once read,
papers fell from ~nerveleSS hands. Men
stared at one another with scared. I'M
compromising eyes. An overwhelm-
ing personal calamity seemed to have
fallen on every one.
The silence was broken by a falter
ing cry. "It'S-it's a dashed lie!' The
speaker was Il young mathew to
politics-who had met Bob during the
campaign and had become one Of the
big mans most ardent followers. He
was an earnest young man who cher
ished high ideals of civic duty and
purity.
Il won't believe it," he repeated,
| raising his voice appealingly. Its all
a lie"
Just then Haggin came through one
Of the rear doors, coatleSS, hat showed
back. IA cold cigar sticking at an ag
| gressive angle from his mouth.
whats the matter with you guys?"
he demanded sharply. That's the
noisest silence | ever heard"
one Of them handed to him a paper
He read slowly.
"My God" he Gasped. stunned as
were the others. Il dunno what to
do. He's a sick man-doctor said ty-
phoid-got out O bed to come down.
town-he's comm here now don't let
him know. an His voice rose in n
hoarse below. Curse Remington f0r
a dirty traitor"
A man near the door swore sicken
ingly. Hes coming" The murmur
ceased instantly
A carriage drew up before the ram
shackle building Out Of it stepped
Bob McAdoo-the man who never be-
fore had needed Il vehicle for his com
ingS and goiugS. He was q very sick
man: every M NV that. AS he pass
ed from the carrS.g e. fretfully waving
aside the driver. who had sprung down
to assist him. he almost tottered. The
hand that reached for the doorknob
tremb!ed visibly.
He opened the door and passed slow
ly along the narrow aisle, nOdding
mechanically. Then the strange silence
struck in on him. He raised his head
sharply, the lips parting a little.
What is it," he said. His voice
was high pitched and querulous.
From the street came the strident
voice of the newsboy. He vas too
far away for his words to be distin-
guished. but he vas coming rapidly
nearer.
stop hat newsie!' a man exclaimed
~involuntarily.
What is it? Why stop the newsie?'
The tone was still sharp and queru-
lous.
The young man who cherished ideals
standing before Bob sought to hide
his paper behind his back. The move
ment caught Bob's attention. Just be
fore the paper disappeared behind the
young mans back he say in big. far
ing red letters. "Reming''-
He held out his hand. GIVE me
that paper"
The young man stared at him mute
ly, a scared look coming into his eyes.
Give me that paper" Bob repeated
fercely, He caught the young man
by the shoulder, swung him around
roughly and seized the paper.
Then he unfolded it and read. The
crowd looked on in dumb discomfort
Somehow every one present found
himself suffering horribly.
As he saw the faring headline Bob
felt his heart contract cOnvulsively
There was a sudden sharp throb in his
brain, and then a strange numbness
spread through him. He read through
the affidavit without being able to
comprehend what 1t meant. There. in
its bold type. 1t seemed SO impersonal,
so much the thing which he was used
TO see In the newspapers. that he could
not realize that 1t was Paul's, his