Lower coast gazette., 1913-09-27

Kindly Connect Me With tho Hotel
Officer"
rests pure wisdom. Blake regarded
the girl from under his bushy brows.
"Well?" he demanded, III a whole
hundred dollars has shrunk so quick
ly into a little hundred dollars what
price strikes you as fair?"
Let's see!!" pondered %innocence's
fair apostle, "how about ten thousand
dollarsg'
Ten thousand dollars" repeated
Blake. Rot! Ten thousand dollars
for-for one measly telephone num-
bert"
mol" c~ontradicted Wanda, and her
voice and face were Ike chilled steel,
"for a victory that saves your leader.
ship Of the machine, that puts your
son-in.law in the speakers chair, that
smashes your enemy and that mean
millions Of dollars to you! That's.
what the telephone number means to
you, Mr.. Blake. That and q mans
career-a woman's shame-a girls
self.respect. Throw all that into the
balance and the price won't look SO
fancy"
my dear young lady" counseled
Blake with his most father1y air, "be-
lieve me when ] warn you that there
is such a thing as being Just a trihe
too ambitious. Still, there's no time to
argue. Standish ought to be here by
now. Shall we say a thousand dol.
lars?"
"I-l'N have to think It over" said
Wanda c%onfusedly. "And, anyway"
she added, there's no 8 making a
price till I've got what you want. Is
there? Besides" with an easy lapse
into sweet innocence. "Mr. Standish
seems to be such q nice man. It's q
pity to-
"Oh. he's q nice man." laughed
Blake. "Hell's full Of nice men, But
there's no time, now, to haggle about
prices. You get that number for me.
and you wont lose by 1t. And every
word you can overhear Is worth a
threecarat diamond. Steady there!
He's coming"
Standish came toward the switch.
board. from tho dining.rOom whittier
q page had at last tracked him. He
saw a most unrufled telephone girl
absorbed In q novel. jim blake was
leaning negligently against the switch
board rail. looking with dreamy half.
shut eyes along the nearly deserted
corridor. Standish hurried across to
Wanda.
Some n wants me on the phone?"
he asked.
mo" drawled Blake. before the
girl could reply. Some one wants
you over there in the amen corner for
a minute OF two, If you can spare the
time. l took the liberty of sending
that message about your being wanted
on the phone, because" leading the
way to the amen corner, Y have a mat
ter Of private business to talk over
With you"
Private business?" echoed the puz-
zled Standish, instinctively followin;
Blake to the corner. Private busl-
ness? Between you and me-?
Blake looked at him with gentle
pity. then shook his head.
MY boy" said he. the game Is up.
The whole show is over. We've found
out all about that pretty little affair
Of Ave years ago"
What AFFAIR."" asked Standtsh. un.
moved. please explain. My time is
limited"
III you're referring to your time in
politics, It Is. 1t ends tonight. There!
There! Don't get hufy. You've got
nerve all right. grant you that.
What affair hey? Why. the affair
with the Woman whom you registered
as your wife, under the name Of
Fowler, at q country hotel up in New
York state. That's all. Hardly worth
mentioning. hey!"
As Ae had talked. 3lekc had LEI
us gaz. wander over the (. .::ag. thu
fTo ~ onc%:e,no