Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1913-09-25

restrained himself and listened to Ben
sons suggestions. He remained at the
office for two hours, trying to change
the cartoon to Bensons satisfaction,
with a growing hatred of the work and
a disgust with himself that now and
then almost drove him to mad destruc-
ton.
well, it'll have to do" said Ben
son, as he looked 1t over; "but let's
have little more to the next one.
Damn 1t! l wish could draw. I'd
cartoon the crook"
In default of which ability, Benson
set himself to write one OF those saw
age editorials In which he poured out
on Clayton that venom OF which he
seemed to have such an inexhaustible
supply.
But on one point Benson was right;
Kittrell was not up to himself. AS
the campaign opened, as the city was
swept with the excitement OF it, with
meetings at MONDAY and at night, of
fice-seekers flying about in automo-
biles, walls covered with pictures OF
candidates, hand-bills scattered in the
streets to swirl in the wild March
winds, and men quarreling over
whether Clayton or Ellsworth should
be mayor, Kittrell had to draw po-
litical cartoon each day; and as he
struggled with his work, less and less
the old Joy came to cheer and spur
him on. To read the ridicule, the
abuse, which the Telegraph heaped
on Clayton, the distortion of facts con-
corning his candidature, the unfair
reports Of his meetings, sickened him,
and more than all, he was filled with
disgust as he tried to match in carica-
ture these libels Of the man he so
loved and nonored. 1t was bad enough
to have to fiatter Clayton's opponent,
to picture him as noble, disinterest-
ed character, ready to sacrifice him
self for the public veal. Into his pic
lures OF this man.. attifed fnsthe, Ions
black coat OF conventional respectable
ity, with the SNUG face OF pharisaism,
he could get nothing but cant and n.y.
pocrisy; but In his caricatures OF
Clayton there was that which panied
him worse-disloyalty untruth, and
now and then, to the discerning few
who knew the tragedy Of Kittrell's
soul, there was pity. And thus his
work declined in value; lacking all sim
certify, all faith in itself or its purpose,
1t became false, uncertain, full OF jar
ring notes, and, in short, never once
rang true. AS for Edith, she never
discussed his work now; she spoke OF
the campaign little, and yet he knew
she was deeply concerned, and she
grew hot with resentment at the
methods of the Telegraph. Her only
consolation was derived from the
Post, which, Of course, supported
Clayton; and the final drop OF bitter
ness in Kittrell's cup Of woe came one
evening when he realized that she was
following with sympathetic interest
the cartoons in that paper.
For the Post had new cartoonist
Banks, a boy whom Hardy had picked
up somewhere and was training to
the work Kittrell had laid down. To
Kittrell there was cruel fascination
In the progress Banks was making;
he watched 1t with critical, profes
sional eye, at first with amusement
then with surprise, and now at last, II
the discovery Of Edith's interest, will
keen jealousy OF which he wa!
ashamed.
Meanwhile Clayton was gaininl
ground. 1t was less than two week.
before election. The campaign waxeC
more and more bitter, and as tn,
forces opposed to him foresaw defeat
they became ugly in spirit, and desper
. ate.
One morning at breakfast, as Edit
read the Telegraph, Kitrell saw tn,
, tears well slowly in her brown eyes.
"Oh." she said, 1T is shameful
She clenched her little fists. "oh,
| were only q man I'd" She coul,
, not in her impotent feminine rage sa,
, what she would do; she could onl.
grind her teeth. Kittrell bent hi
head over his plate; his coffee choke,
him.
Dearest" she said presently, in on
other tone, tell me, how is he? ID
you-ever see him? VIII he VIM"
mo, never see him. But he'll win
| wouldn't worry"
That afternoon, in the car, he hear
no talk but OF the election; and dowr
town, In a cigar store where h
stopped for cigarettes, he heard som
men talking mysteriously, in the no
low voice OF rumor, OF some sensation
, some scandal. It alarmed him, and q
he went into the office he met MAI
ming, the Telegraph's political man.
Tell me, Manning" Kittrell sal,
. how does II look?"
t Damn bad for u.s."
For us?"
0 well. for our mob OF burglars an
!, second-story workers here-the gan
b We represent" He took a cigarett
r from the box Kittrell was opening.
"And will he VIM"
0 "Will he VIM" said Manning, Q,
r haling the words on the thin lev,
1 stream OF smoke that came from b
n lungs. win he win7 In q walk,
q fall Vnm Holn n.nA ln.,, hnnA A a. nAn.,