The Cairo bulletin., 1913-07-10
CHAPTER X.
In the Day Of Battle.

ana the railroads m0utlpiece IN Wash.
lngton, sat by the desk lamp In the
library of Mark Robertson's Hotel Kes-
wick suit, reading-snd here and there
altering-several typewriter sheets.
Across the desk from him sat Jim
Blake, cigar in one hand. telephone
receiver held to his ear
The master of the machine was not
leading his forces in person tonight,
He seldom did SO. The commanding
generals place is on convenient
hilltop, not in the vulgar thick of the
tray. And, for divers reasons Blake
had chosen his son.in-law's apartment.
on this night. as his hilltop, The tele-
phone admirably filled for him the dual
roles OF spy-glass and courier. Just
now, he was listening intently to a
report from Tim Neligan at the Capt.
toll
Good old Tim" he broke out after
moments close attention to the re-
ceiver What dye think of that. Van
Dyke? We get the roll-call.
Good" pronounced Van Dyke.
glancing UP from his reading.
"Standish still in his seat?" queried
Blake into the transmitter. Yes?
All right Keep right en- with the pro-
gram | gave you. No Reed TO change
1t unless something unexpected cuts
loose And it won't What? No
Not yet Can't get word out OF her
But we win. Don't you worry So
long"
Well" he added to Van Dyke, as
he hung up the receiver and pushed
the telephone back On the table desks
fiat surface, This roll-call gives rs
another hour to breathe in"
Wen need it. And more" said Van
Dyke, retu~ling to his reading
Sure you're making that strong
enough. Van Dyke2" he asked. Don't
use the word uteRsip when spade
will do just as we'll Cut out any
fiowery stuff and bang away at the
point
II have. replied Van Dyke, handing
0AaAE lAlt Ca4NNh PeAEtos t1Soh ~ ONCI
and see how it strikes you.
Blake took the manuscript and
scanned It's contents from beneath his
dropped lids AS he read, look OF
unqualified approval replaced the
doubt on his face. He nodded EN-.
phatically, once or twice. In his In
terest he unconsciously muttered, half
aloud
Standish, the arch reformer he
murmured A moralist dethroned--
scandalous past Of a house leader
brought to light-disciple of purity In
politics convicted of dissolute private
llfe'-H'm' That's the stuff. tn
make EN- sit up, guess"
"lf we can use it," corrected Van
Dyke AS il standv. 1t represents
but three spoiled sheets OF
white paper
It'll represent one perfectly good
insurgent chief split up the back. be-
fore another hours past" retorted
Blake. I'm have the Woman's name
by that time"
What Is that stubborn little tele-
phone girl holding out for, wonder?"
TITS past mel" growled Blake. IF
1t was man could size up the game
at glance and I'd know just what
move to make. Every man has always
had his price. Except One. And we
cruciiied Him. But with women it's
different. You can't tell what wom-
ans going to do. For the mighty good
reason that she doesn't know, herself.
This Kelly girls got me guessing. She
let me think could buy her dead easy.
Then she played for time. And now
she's thrown US down altogether and
won't say word"
You've sent over to central for that
duplicate list of all the numbers that
were called up from the Keswick to-
day? Let me look at them"
They aren't here yet" replied
Blake Il only sent for them few
ago. You see, | thought
could save lot of time by getting the
direct, from the girl her.
self"
THE girl" echoed Van Dyke dis
gustedly We've already wasted too
much time on her. Can't we get bold
Of Standish?"
He'll be along pretty soon"
You've sent for him? You're sure
he'll come for your sending?"
No" drawled Blake, Il didn't And
he wouldn't. But Gregg started whis-
per in the house that scandal win
break before morning, And be threw
a hint of the same sort to the news
paper boys"
"Oh, If we can publish this as it's
written here" broke in Van Dyke,
we've got him! This story makes
him out the lowest BLACKBOARD un-
hung"
And" amended Blake with In.