The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-08-09

rests pure wisdom. Blake regarded
the girl from under his bushy brows.
"Well?" he demanded, "if a whole
hundred dollars has shrunk so quick
ly into little hundred dollars what
price strikes you as fair?''
Let's see!" pondered innocence's
fair apostle. how about ten thousand
dollars?"
Ten thousand dollars!" repeated
Blake. Rot! Ten thousand dollars
| for-for one measly telephone num-
bert"
! mol" contradicted Wanda and her
! voice and face were like chilled steel,
for 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 means
millions of dollars to you! That's
what the telephone number means to
you, Mr.. Blake. That and a 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 fatherly air, "be
/ lieve me when l warn you that there
| is such a thing as being just a tri1e
! too ambitious. Still, there's no time to
argue. Standish ought to be here by
now. Shall we say a thousand dol
1ars?"
It'll have to think it over" said
Wanda confusedly. And, anyway"
she added, there's no use 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 a nice man. It's a
pity to"
"Oh, he's nice man." laughed
Blake. ''Hells full of nice men But
there's no time, now, to haggle about
prices. You get that number for me,
and you won't lose by it. And every
word you can overhear is worth a
three-carat diamond. Steady there!
He's coming"
Standish came toward the switch
board, from the dining-room whittier
a page had at last tracked him. He
saw a most unruff1ed telephone girl
absorbed in a 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 one wants me on the phone?'
he asked.
NO" drawled Blake, before the
girl could reply. Some one wants
you over there in the amen corner for
a minute or two, if you can spare the
time 1 took the liberty Of sending
that message about your being wanted
on the phone, because" leading the
way to the amen corner, Il have mat
ter of private business to talk over
with you
Private business?" echoed the puZ-
zled Standish, instinctively following
Blake to the corner. Private bust
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 five years ago"
What AFFAIR."" asked Standish, IN
moved. please explain. My time is
limited"
IF you're referring to your time in
politics, 1t is. 1t ends tonight. There
There! Don't get huffy. 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 O
Fowler, at a country hotel up in New
York state. That's all. Hardly worth
mentioning, hey?"
As he had talked, Blake had lie
his gaze wander over the ceiling, tn,
d walIs-anywhere except at MATTHEW
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