The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1913-10-02

= VII IlC tjCti1lS ott lhC "NS W.
shall go The other is as the constrnc-
tive leader. the man who takes the
forces he finds ready to hand and uses
their power to change conditions as
the people are prepared for change.
YOU" he turned to John. have got
to decide now which y"u will he. You
are going TO hold Il great office. Pub
lie Office think you've found this out
already-isn't as simple as it seems to
those who haven't held it. The man
who would fill it with unfai'ing wis
dom and justice, with exact honesty
and still be ,lScful--lnust be as stern
and unyielding as the forces Of nature.
and rs strong"
And ! am not that" But the bit
.erncSs was lacking now.
mo man is" Mnrchel said gently
"Pve got you the nomination through
methods you won't consider clean Eve
made promises yon wont like. but that
yon must keep. or We'll both be de
stroyed politically"
Without eNcnSiny or concealing A
single nancuver he narrated the story
of the campaign and the convention.
The ShuiIiHg of feet in the outer
room gave John the excuse to leave.
He was heard disrniSsins the visitor.
But many minutes flew by before he
returned
1t was little enough time for what be
had to decide.
A marvel had been wrought. To
Murchell had been given a new pur
pose But Murchell. the workman.
could never change: he was too old.
His lack of respect for the people and
popular impulse, the habit Of judging
means by the end. fixed through a
lifetime. would persist And ne WAS
the stronger man. his the greater gen
ius The instinct for mastery iHust
be served. Who joined him did SO as
a follower. to be dominated by the
LEADERS, ideal and philosophy
IF only | could answer him. John
cried within himself.
But his experience. silenciug inspira-
IIpD. HItt HVl IiilI N"ti
There was but one way for him to
decide. The trap of circumstance.
sprun. by his own weakness held him
fast Having accepted advancement
Mt the hands of that which he believed
to be wrong. he might no longer open
" fight against 1t. AS an enemy to
the machine. whose beneficiary he had
become, ne would he discrelited. IN
convincing His only hope for useful
ness lay in the proffercd alliance. in
Murchell's new purpose.
For Il little Haiy sat in the u,wonted
silence Of embarrassment. Then he
said abruptly:
Senator Mnrchell. I'd like to apollo
giZe If yOn will let me-"
"For telling the truth? 1t isn't nee,
essary"
mo. for believing my impertinent
theatric intervention responsible for
yonr action
You don't believe that now:''
II do not And Hal. hesitated
In the masculine awkwardness before
sentiment. And | know Dunmeade
can trust your offer"
Soon John returned He held out hi.
hand to William Murcheli
Il haven't the right to refuse
He was no longer voice, He ha(
passed from the wilderness to ths
haunts OF men. where action. no
nts-achievements. not proph
| ecy-are the currenc! Of life.
Was he weak, the theory of life ant
growth he accepted wrong? To thii
day John Dunmeade often asks the
| question. Sometimes be doubts. Bu
| then. looking back over what has beer
| done and foreseeing a fuller triumph
he puts away the question. For The
| compact, that day struck. held. Tndel
Murchell's tutelage he learned to com
promise, to substitute craft and In
trigue for the honorable. open methods
he loved. But he has never lost sigh
of his purpose and, though there bav'
been halts and detours and even re
treats. the general direction has beel
forward When bis time came William
Murchell died. not greatly honored b.
a cynical world that looked for no goO'
thing from Nazareth. but contcnt il
the belief that the forces by him Sc
in motion would in the end undo bi
evil. AS for Dunmeade. he is still
rOmpromiser but still fighting. an abb
lieutenant in new movement who's
end Is not yet He is glad to belicv
that upon his foundation other me-
shall be able to build with clean hands
And he found one source Of happi
ness over which no cloud has hoveret
When Murchell and Haig left hi'
that afternoon, to escape kindly in
truders he went out into the country
He walked for two miles or more an
then. turning. went swiftly homeward
But as he skirted the foot Of tn
knob he was brought to an abrup
halt For there, tethercd to n husl
stood horse that he recogniZed-Cr,
sader. less fiery than Of yore. huI
sleek as ever and with many fas
gallop left in his sturdy muscles
For u moment John looked. hes,tan
at the path up which she doubtless ha
climbed. Then in sudden resnlutin
he went up.
She was standing by the big bowlde
looking away at the hills that ros'
rank upon rank. until the last, hecnm
mountains. were lost in the blre baz'
But he saw not the hills, only her, th