Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1913-11-29

| you posted on the other sides moves,
too. If Pm to be tied to this damned
one-horse town by Fathers orders till
after election, I'll make him sorry he
ever"
"Good for your cried Ansel.
you've got the spirit of man, after
all. Here's bunch of our member
ship blanks. Fill this one out, and
give the rest to your club friends. We
why, Standishw he broke off, furi-
Gus and dumfounded; for Give had
calmly stepped between the two,
taken the membership blank from
Gerald's shaky hand and torn it
across.
1--WE don't care for members of your
sort, Gerald" he said, with cold
contempt that was worse than kick.
"This League was formed to help our
City and State, not to crafty private
grudges; for white men, not for ours
who want to betray their own flesh
and blood. Get out of herew
"Standish" protested the Mortified
Ansel, you're crazy! You're throw
ing away our best chance. You are"
off this apology for human being
is our best chance I'll throw him out
bodily unless he goes at once" re-
ing and utterly astonished boy.
"Whyw sputtered Gerald, as he
backed doorward, before the menac-
ing approach of the Lacquer, 81
thought you'd want mel Oh, I'll
go, then, if you've no more sense than
that! But I'll find a way of downing
the old man in spite of you! Maybe
you'll be glad enough to get my help
when the time comes! /"
His heels hit against the threshold
in his retrograde march. Still de-
claiming, he stepped over the still into
the outer office, and Give Standish
slammed the door upon him, break
ing off his threats in the middle of
their fretful outpouring.
There" said Give, returning to
the gaping, frowning committeeman,
that's off our hands. Now let's get
down to business"
"Mr. Standish," remarked Ansel,
after a moments battle with words
he found hard to check, you're the
most Quixotic, impractical idealist
that ever got hold of the foolish idea
he had a ghost of a chance for sue
cess in politics. And" he added after
a pause, "I'm blest if l don't think
I'd rather lose with leader like you
than win with any other man in the
Mountain State"
Meanwhile, at the head of the great
study table in his Pompton Avenue
"Mausoleum" sat Caleb Conover, Rail
roader. And about him, on either side
of the board, like feudal retainers of
old, were grouped the pick of his lieu
/ tenants and henchmen. A rare
coterie they were, these Knights of
Graft Separated by ten thousand
varying interests, social strata and
aspirations, they were as one on the
main issue-their blind adherence to
the Boss and to the lightest of his
orders.
This impelling force was difficult
of defining. Love, fear, trust, desire
for spoils? Perhaps a little of all
four; perhaps much; perhaps an in
definable something apart from these.
Yet, whatever the reason of Caleb
Conover's dominance, none could for
a moment doubt its presence. So
ever-present was it that it had long
since choked down all opposition from
within his own ranks.
At the Boss's right in today's con-
clave sat Billy Shevlin, most trusted
and adoring of all his followers. At
his left was Guy Bourke, Alderman
and the Boss's jackal. Next to Billy
was Bonham, Mayor of Granite, and
next Giacomo Baltazzi, who held the
whole Italian section force of the G..
G. e. X. and the Sicilian quarter of
| Granite in the hollow of his un-
washed hand. Beyond was Nicholas
Game, proprietor of the Star, and to
his right Beiser, the Democratic State
| Chairman. Between a second news
paper editor and the President of the
Board of Aldermen lounged Kerrigan,
the Ghetto saloon-keeper. A sprinkl-
ing of railroad men, heelers and dis
trict leaders made up the remainder
| Conover was speaking:
"And that's the layout" said he.
"And that's why Pm not content for
this to be just plain win Two
years ago l thought Shearn would be
our best man for governor. SO | gave
the word, and Shearn got in with a
decent majority. But it's got to be a
landslide this time, and not a tricks
to be overlooked in the whole hand
Nick, you know the line of editorial
policy to start in tomorrow's Star
And be on the lookout for the first
break in any of the Leagues speech
es. It's easier to think of a foo
thing than not to say it, and those
Reform jays are always putting their
feet in their mouths when they try
to preach politics. md, knowing
nothing about the game, they're sure
to talk heap They never seem to
realize that the man who really prac-
tees politics hasn't time to preach it. ,
81 understand" answered Game
print, as usual, a spread on the
windy, laundering speeches, and for
get to report the others. Same as
when"
"Sure. And pass the 'press-gag
sign upstate, too. Standish is GER
tain to make tour. Beiser," turning
to the portly State Chairman, al want
the county caucuses two weeks from
Saturday. I've an idea we can work
the. same old snap move in more'r
half of them. Pass it on to the county
chairman to treble last years foaterS
and, to work the back door the way
we did in Bowden County in '97. They
understand their business pretty well
most of 'em. And I'll have Shevlir
and Bourke jack up those that don't
and 1aaryo ,ay,o tbair LITTLE lines TU,