The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-08-08
CHAPT vi.
A Family Row,


"This-this story about Standish''-
began Tom uncomfortably; then
paused involuntarily as Blake leaned
back with grunt of relief.
That ALP" asked the father 81
was afraid was going to get another
call-down from my wise son on my
follies and sins. Honestly, Tom, l
don't know how l ever got through
the first quarter-century of my life
without your holy guidance and cor
rection."
SIS that quite necessary" said Tom.
Il only wanted to ask you"
"Of course you did. You wanted to
ask me some question in politics. And
instead of being glad that you are be-
ginning to show an intelligent interest
in my affairs at last, l made fun of
you. I'm sorry, son. I'm an old crank
Go ahead with your question. You
were asking about this Standish
stOry?"
Yes. l suppose it will give us the
fight
Looks that way from where I sit"
replied Blake. such pretty romances
have wrecked many a man as strong
as Standish-and> stronger"
"Oh!" exclaimed Tom, almost shud-
dering, 81 wish you wouldn't use black
mail to win your fight"
"Blackmail?" echoed Blake slowly.
Then he paused. The rugged mask
of face had not changed. But the
pupils of the half-shut eyes had sud
denly contracted as though a binding
light had been flashed before them.
Yet, a second later when Blake spoke
again, there was no trace of pain or
resentment in his dry drawing voice.
"Blackmail?' he said once more.
How about the way Standish dragged
up that franchise affair of mine last
year? What was that but blackmail?"
well" demanded Tom, in the stark
mercilessness of youth, you were
stealing the franchise, weren't you,
dad?"
Yes asserted Blake with a de-
1ightful absence of all false modesty,
Il sure was. And l was doing it neat
~, too. Not a ripple, not a kick, till
Standish butted in with his measly
reformers and queered the whole job
and cost US a half million dollars
Son, every time think of that, want
to chase some one with an ak. I don't
lie awake nights thinking how cum
ming our friend Standish would look
with seaweed in his hair and sand I'M
der his nails. But l keep that fran
chise memory and a few others fresh
on the ice. And it sure doesn't break
my heart to have a chance now of
getting back at him
But persisted Tom, that was a
public matter. 1t doesn't justify you
in dragging his private life into the
hme-light."
THE deuce it doesn't? Who told
you that?"
MY self-respect."
oh! 1 thought maybe you might
have got the tip from some reliable
source. Go ahead, son. Doesn't justi-
fy me, hey?"
NO, dad if you want truth, it
doesn't It isn't-clean!"
Clean? Say, son, this is politics.
Not a prayer-meeting. You've got in
the wrong pew"
IF the right pew justifies dirty
work like that" flashed the boy, I'm
glad l have. And want to stay there
This business of making political cap
ital of a mans dead-and- buried sins
Is enough to turn the stomach of a
camel. A thousand times more so
when one considers the Woman"
Well" queried Blake, in high good
humor, as he always was when he
could stir up a quarrel between his
adored only son and himself. What
about herr
Everything. She made a fool OF
herself. Presumably when she was
young. She has probably repented
it bitterly, ten thousand times. She
may have atoned for what she did
She may even be a wife and mother
now. Respected. loved. All the world
and Heaven hasidas IN her husband