Newport daily independent. (Newport, Ark.) 1901-1929, 1913-09-11


this whole business"
The governor bent farther forward
burying himself in an intense concen-
tration of mind. For a time interim
nable to Gilman, he sat thus. His cigar
went out. The ice in his glass melted,
spun on the crystal brim, and sank
with tiny splash and tinkle.
Gilman took sip of liquor, lighted
fresh cigarette, rose, and walked up
and down the room. He thought of
| the election, so near at hand. lie
| looked at the governor bowed there be-
| fore him. What was Whalen, or the
woman, or anybody to him? Let the
prisoner die, What was he to the
| governor? John Chatham's party
needed him, his country needed him,
his time needed him, mankind and hui
man progress needed him. If he par
| doned Whalen, what was to become of
him? The conviction of Brokoski's
murderer alone could save him from
such apparent qualification, here on
| the eve of an election at which, in the
| foolish phrase of modern politics, he
sought vindication. Was this conyic-
| ton possible? The bare thought halted
Gilman beside. the governor. He laid
hand on his shoulder.
"These abstruse propositions
wouldn't stand before a jury in a Grim
inal court" he said Let Whalen
stay"
The governor lifted his head.
but you just now said that he was
not Brokoski's murderer"
Gilman hesitated. When he spoke,
he said:
"a jury Of twelve sworn men has
said that he is.''
Two days after the private secre-
tary's return, the newspapers were
full of stories concerning his move
ments Whalen's picture was exploit
ed, correspondents sought the COVER
nor for interviews, and the Courier
charged that, in his desperation, he in
tended to pardon Whalen, that he
might have, in his campaign, the as
sistance of that skilled and unscrupu-
lous manipulation. The pack of coun-
LILY lie SDdptl5 IOoh up tho SouiAOi -
cry. Whalen's illness was either ig-
nored, or referred to as feigned, at
the direction of prison authorities and
the governor. And yet a certificate
pigeonholed in Gilman's desk, signed
by the prison physician, stated that
| Thomas Whalen had pulmonary tuber-
culosis and was in a moribund condi-
| ton.
| In his office in the city William
| Handy, the chairman of the state cen
| trail committee, read these newspaper
stories, and swore as he did so. That
| night the shrewdest and maddest pol
| itician in the state stole out of town.
The next morning Gilman was sur
prised when the big man burst through
the door marked private" brushed
| by him and entered unannounced, the
governors chambers Before the state
ly door swung to behind him, Gilman
| heard him demand
whats all this | hear about your
pardoning Tom Whalen?"
The private secretary did not hear
| the governors reply, for with DELHI
crate step he had crossed the room
and closed the door. He heard moth
! ing clearly, for Handy's voice came to
| at ALL Once he thought he heard
"mawkish sentiment" and "the action
| of a political imbecile," but what he
mostly distinguished was muffied pro-
| family. The young man for the first
| time In his experience was delighted
when his bell buzzed just then. When
he entered upon the scene, the COVER
nor, rocking complacently in his high
backed chair, was saying:
"But what if it's my duty?"
DUTY be damned" shouted Handy,
rising to his feet, and shifting the desk
with heavy fist he had had folded
which the politician had kept bottled
up overnight had burst out at last.
"I am running this campaign" he
cried, land as long as l do run 1t,
do not propose to tolerate such in
credible folly as pardoning Tom Wha-
lem"
The governors splendid frame
| seemed TO Qllate, ana GlImdn SUI
| denly became conscious that the
| admiration he had always given
| the man had never before meas
ured up to the fullness of John Chat
| hams deserts. 1t was with relief that
he saw the governors glance turn
from Handy to bend on him.
| Gilman" he said, have pardon
made out for Thomas Whalen."
This answer to Handys threats was
punctuated by a flash from the COVER
nor's eyes.
"And Gilman" the governor con-
tinued.
Eyes, sir"
"Wire that woman-what's her
manner"
| "Barry?"
"Yes-Barry-w1re her to come.