Bismarck daily tribune., 1912-01-04
q The Fighting Hope =
Novelized by
VIRGINIA LEILA WENTz
(Continued from yesterday

CONTINUED from yesterday
"'Since the trial and conviction of
Granger pursued Craven unmovedly
"'it has become known that Brady, my
co-trustee, used that check to make
good his unlawful appropriation of the
fund of which he and l are trustees.
Naturally it appeared that l profited
equally with Brady in the use to
which the check was put. 1t Is be-
cause Of my apparent profit that am
supposed to have given the order to
Granger
"Weak-weak as dishwater" cried
Temple, springing up. Craven, it's
no good. l tell you. Caught myself
believing myself thief while you
read it. It's futile to explain-hope-
lessly futile-till we can present some
proof that Granger did Of his own vo-
lition certify that check. Oh, I'll trust
in Crane a little longer"
There was silence in the room for Il
few moments, while Temple smoked,
Craven tugged at his gray mustache
in a quandary, and Cato slept.
"What did you say?' asked Craven
anxiously. looking over his glasses.
Il did not say"
II want you to- Confound it. you
don't take life seriously enough
"You have perhaps observed that I
don't make the mistake Of doing so.
In some matters I hardly think I am
grown up. am, for example. quite
content to remain a boy so far as the
lnuddles of life are concerned, con-
tinuing with youthful cheerfulness to
translate de profundis clamavi into
Out of the depths I have clams,' eh,
Craven?-just as l did when I held the
fort at the foot of the lowest form in
Latin"
you're too pigheadedly brazen in
your play with public opinion, that's
what you are, my boy" cried Craven
hotly. Public opinion has already
convicted you"
"Soy' said Temple serenely, lifting
his eyebrows in that quizzical way of
his. "Public opinion is very absurd.
protest against it. Take one thor
oughly ignorant man. Who regards his
opinion or considers his judgments as
vital? Put together all the thoroughly
ignorant men in the republic. and we
are told that the sum Of their stupid
ity is to be reverenced. regarded with
ave.
"The voice Of the people," broke in
Craven. 'is'-
"Diaboli!'' finished his client. "The
public of today has gone mad with a
muckrake in its hands; it's too ir-
nationally ready to believe that those
in high Places
Are ink dyed scoundrels-don't I
know?" broke in Craven. And that's
what they're labelling you. one Of the
kid glove grafters, one Of the mahog-
any table thieves"
Temples eye had caught the portrait
Of his mother over the mantel. His
mood suddenly veered to downright
seriousness.
"Craven, l offered Crane $4,000 to
get some tangible proof from Brady's
office. But I'd give a million. I'd
give every cent I've got to stand clear
and be recognized as honest. Why,
tell you. it's hell! tell you I've
worked. worked all my life. worked
hard to build up my career on honest.
clean lines. You know it. I've turned
my back to crooked ways when they
were easily accessible. and now-1'm
accused of being thief. the dirtiest
sort of thief the man who shoulders
his crime on another" The muscles
Of bis mouth twitched bit; he felt his
control slipping away, so he turned
abruptly on his heel and avertcd his
face.
The grim lawyer crossed over to lay
his hand with almost woman's ten
derness on the big shoulder of his
friend. and his voice broke with a sus-
picion of huskiness as he muttered:
STEADY. old man. steady. Well
kick clear Of 1t all yet"
When Temple spoke again it was in
his customary even tone:
"Craven. it seems to me that If
Granger certified that check he didn't
do It for mere love. Must have re-
ceived something in return. eh?"
"Something in return?" said the law
yer dryly. "Sure. and a big some
thing at that. 1t was worth it,
What do you suppose he did it
with. then?''
The lawyer shrugged his shoulders.
''The papers said he had wife. I
remember. Ever see her?'
"Never did," said Craven laconically.
Suppose she's extravaganza"
"Superauous question:" grunted Cra-
ven. They all are" Craven was
sixty and bachelor by instinct, one
might even say by heredity. for his
father had succeeded in escaping mat
rimony until close upon fifty-two.
Temple smiled indulgently and be-
gan celebrating his new idea. 1T has
occurred to me that If we could estab-
lish that Granger has been spending