Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-01-17
HIS RISE
! TO
II
! POWER
By Henry Russell Miller
Author ef !.
ssThe Man Higher Up.
cssyssshk MI, b. IL Dsbes'1las0
co0paay
CHAPTER WI.

CHAPTER WI.
The wilderness Read.
Z" IL stopped and stared 1t her II
lH astonishment. katherine
HS14{33 What are you doing here?"
C56f "Listening to the speeches
cf Course. I wanted dad t. come along
but he said no. his interest In politics
was practical. not sentimental. and h
Preferred to take his vaudeville
straight. He was in quite . bad
humor because wanted to come. But
Il am here"
II, wish you hadn't come" b said
still in a daze.
That's kind, I'm sure" She tossed
her head in burlesque hauteur. I'm
stead. you might offer to drive home
with me. williams can stay here and
drive back when you return"
He shook his head. "I'd better not. "
he muttered. He still wanted to get
away by himself to think.
please" She leaned forward and
urged him softly. cts our last chance
for good chat. We 60 away tomor-
row morning"
He tried honestly to resist. feeling
instinctiyely she spelled danger and
that every hour with her added to the
danger. But he made the mistake Of
looking at her. Always she was re.
vealing some new charm for him and.
despite his inner warning. now bred In
him a sort of recklessness. He called
himself weakling. fool that played
with FIRE. And. 80 styling himself. he
assented. Soon they had left the town
behind them and were bowling along
the moonlit road.
John, letting the rally and the prob.
lem it presented drift into the back.
ground, gave himself up to reckless
enjoyment of the hour. The white
splendor Of the moon. undimmed by
smoky torches. the silent majesty Of
the hills with their shadows and silvery
sheen, alone were real. The crowd OF
faces peering intently at him through
the half gloom, the struggle within
him as he stood before them. his ironic
rejection Of the part assigned him,
seemed unreal, creatures OF fantastic
dream. And the girl beside him. like
him smitten into silence, was real, very
real.
1T seems" she said. that I must
always take the aggressive. But then
you never hunt me out-so what can
/ do? I suppose most people would
call mo unwomanly. Do you think me
that?"
II do not" he answered unsteadily.
'You can't expect the beneficiary to be
CRITICAL
do you mean that. wonder: Or
is it only your nice way Of letting me
down easily? But am not comforting.
I am seeking. "A acknowledgement
az ours-means a great deal to me-"
Her voice dwindled away into silence.
He was hard put to It to keep tight
grip on himself. to fight down the long
ing surging within him. Insistently he
tried to think of her as she was. an
uniformed woman Of essential selfish
ness. Of generous caprices. He had not
yet found the solution to the problem
presented to him by his campaign, but
he felt blindly that It was leading him
into paths whittier she would not fol-
low. into which be, II he yielded to his
longing, would not-could not-go
alone. He had sometimes thought he
felt in her that which would carry her
TO great heights; yet he knew she was
now OF the earth, earthly. She was .
creature Of luxury. He thought Of his
last years income and laughed un-
pleasantly.
"why this sudden hilarity?' she de-
manded.
tits Joke i've just thought of-you
wouldn't appreciate it."
twas it, she pressed him-"was It
about your speech tonight"
"Indirectly. suppose" he replied.
"Will you tell me about that? It was
the reason-one reason-why wanted
YOU to come home with me. I'm OF
two minds about 1t. OF course. l didn't
understand what It was al about: ex-
cept that you were expected 10 cay tar
more and something different. Any
one could see that the men on the
platform were angry. But one had the
feeling that somehow you were finding
and asserting yourself doing some
thing rather splendid. know 1t made
Aunt Roberta begin to snume-she said
It was cold in her head. heard one
man near us-A big, hulking farmer
say. BY Joshua! I always thought
1 there was considerable Of man under
+ that white skin of Johnny Dun
meade's.' He didn't mean to be funny.
\ I think. Another. different sort Of
man, laughed. and said. Now that's
the cleverest move yet. It's grand
stand play, but it'll make him II he's
big enough to follow it up. It'll get
him a following"
She looked; up at him inquiringly.
He saw again the eager interest In her
eyes. go -
1T was neither splendid nor crafty"
he said grimly. II was expected to
rant and lie about the virtues Of can
didates I've no faith in. cover up lot
Of things that, it seems. can't be an
swered. I had that speech ready. But
when It came to the point couldn't
say il. That's aii. sneeian and the
organisation win probably knife mo
under cover and beat me II only ~ =
horrible example to the next young
man who happens along with . work
M conscience"
why" she exclaimed incredulously.
= - = 49, - ~ : -