Yellowstone monitor., 1913-07-03

wife and children and-eccentr'c VIZ
tue among his kind--faithful 70 tneM
i didn't think you'd let me Oh. .ou
Ieformers"-here was bitterness 80
always bent on sending somebody -
Jail. But will you do this-glVe mo
two or three months until the VIZ
gets out Of the hospital ana I'o ~
things Strengthened out some1 1ne"
III take my medicine"
John thought rapidly. In the Desin-
ming OF his crusade he would naVe
forced the law vigorously and melei.
lessly, believing that In punlsnnen'
lay healing virtue for the state. NO"
he had learned its futility, ana 'ne
broken man in front of him nao IL
ready been punished enough. su'e'y
he could show so much leniency anu
harm no one.
"In do that much for you gladly'
he said. "And If you need any legai
help in Strengthening out your ana1is
I'll be glad to help you"
Sheehan suddenly sat bolt uprlgnI
the red rushing to his sallow race
Its that sanctimonious Blake" ne
said angrily. Hes gettin' after me
because they think I'm afraid to como
back. Dirty crookl The banks tryln
to collect some old notes Of mine tnat
wasn't supposed to be paid"
mot to be paid? Why"
'Polit1cal potes. Look herev Shee-
hans face lighted up In slow. cum
ming smile that boded no good Tor
Warren Blake do you want to make
big play?"
John, too, sat up, suddenly alert
"Just what do you meanT
"Have you been percoladn' around
in politics for six years an not known
about the Farmers? There's always
a few easy banks for the politicians.
They get state deposits. See? An then
dish them out to the politicians on
notes. Sometimes the notes are paid,
an sometimes they're just carried
along. My notes wasn't to be paid
because I helped get the Farmers Its
deposits. 1t used to be one OF the easy
banks. An I guess it is still. Else
why is a bank that's friendly to Muir
chell carryin' deposits under sherrod7 I
guess they must be gettin' pretty
shaky, because l amt the only one
they're after. I've been skirmishin'
around here, seem some men l used
to know, an they tell me Blake's push
in a good many old notes hard"
But Hampden and Blake. with their
stock, wouldn't let'-
STOCK! bet they haven't ten shares
apiece. II you want to find that stock
you've got to look in the tin boxes OF
the farmers or in the estates OF the
widows an orphans"
But their last report was fne."
That's easy. You just carry the
notes as assets. Assets!
"See here, Sheehanw John was stern
Have you anything but suspicion for
this?"
"Aint suspicion. the kind I've got
enough? You go after lem an show
'em up. bet you'll find 'em rotten.
Those easy banks always do bust up
sooner or later. s'pose I've got to
pay. I've got property an, If they sue,
| can't make any defense. But" he
concluded vengefully, somebody else
has got to pay too"
"Sheehan," John said coldly, rising,
you're letting your desire to get even
get away with your common sense. III
not destroy confidence In a bank, ruin
it, by going after it on mere suspicion.
AS for yourself" he added, more kind
ly, If you report at my office next Sat
urday morning with new bail I'll go
before the court and ask that execution
of your sentence be postponed until your
affairs are easier" With that he left.
Only a few days remained before the
primaries. During the two terms OF
Office John had acquitted himself with
skill and fidelity. Fear Of him had
doubtless restrained the machine from
many characteristic depredations. but
victory was well nigh hopeless. He had
become a candidate again only that the
fight might go on, In the faint hope that
something might occur to turn the tide
in his favor. In the absence OF the IN
foreseen be would carry the townships
by a slight majority, but New Chelsea
and Plumville would 60 strongly
against him. The little city had grown
remarkably in population and 1mpor-
lance. John was an old story In which
it had lost interest It got the impress
ion that in turning deaf ears to bis plea
It was righteously squelching shall
low, impudent, self seeking upstart.
Even among the farmers John met
with the unresponsiveness Of discour'
agement. They would vote for him.
most Of them, but it would be perfume
torily. hopelessly. They were dfsap'
pointed The reform that had begun
SO auspiciously six years before was
ending in dismal failure, with no otnei
fruit than to evolve new and stronger
machine.
Well it was for Johns melting trust
in himself and his fellows that ne
could meet an occasional CranshaWe
or Sykes or Criswell. Their faitn sur.
vived. He met the trio. the night De
| fore the nrimaries. at CranS0aWee