The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1913-07-09
CHAPTER TX.
A Lion In a Rabbit Trap.

Mark hurried into the nearest tela-
phone booth. Wanda stared after him.
In scared fascination Her face had
turned oddly white.
"0ne--o-o--one," she repeated to
herself, dazedly. as she mechanically
iotted down the number on her pad
Now them Jim Blake was de-
handing at her elbow, you and will
settle this thing. my girl, / want that
number"
But" she pleaded
You've got a bit of knowledge that
we need-and need id bad A
bit Of knowledge we've got to have
and mean to have, Understand that?
And what wo've got TO get we get
Now. Is It fight or not? VIII YOU take
the money I've offered you or will you
run yowr sIlly young head into the
hottest bunch of trouble a gal ewes
met with? Whichn 1t be? Spsak
out!"
II don't know. u1l Disgrace the
Woman, won't It. if tell9"
"Itll smash you if you don't! What
is It to YOU if she's disgraced or not 2"
That's So" purred Wanda, suddenly
recovering her shattered nerves.
What is it TO me--or to you--if she's
destroyed, 80 long as the machine
wins? And it'd be perfectly terrible
IL the machine shouldn't win. Now
wouldn't it,"
'ItlI be terrible for any one who
tries TO block It," retorted Blake, grim
and wrathfuI
Well, sighed Wanda distractedly.
"Tll just have TO think it over very
carefully, OF course, | like you. Mr..
Blake. I've always admired you a lot.
You've got such lovely personality
and"
Drop that" he roared
And" pursued Wanda, I've always
admired the machine lot, too. It does
things in such a businessllke way. But
but, Of course. | couldn't really take
money from you. If tell that mum.
b%y it'll lust be because want you to
win. That's all Just because | want
to see you win
That's betteri" grunted Blake. his
face clearing. you won't be sorry I"
You bet / WON'T" she retorted. and
her young voice was as kesn as a knife
blade. and as hard, Il won't be one
bit sorry. And my conscience will be
clear TIN be load off my shoulders.
But" she ended, falling back on In
decision, I'll must think 1t over a
while"
"A while?" echoed Blake. There's
no time to lose. You understand the
situation. i've made it all clear to
you. II / don't get that Womaus name
before the Mullins bill comes up for a
vote 1t will be of no use to me. And
wen lose. l must know the name
tonight, T."
I'm make up my mind tonight" am
swered Wanda graphically, and she
returned to her novel.
Blake glared at her in angry doubt.
Before he could speak again, Robert.
son came out of the booth.
4 must be off, said Mark. MY but.
Ter says Grace took the train that's
due to reach Washington at eight this
evening. I've no time to waste If I'm
to be at the station when IT comes in"
He hurried off After a second
glance toward the utterly oblivious
Wanda. Blake followed him from the
corridor Wanda did not look ND. Her
eyes were still bent eagerly on her
book But the type was a twisting
blur to her senses. To herself she
was murmuripg disjointedly;
His own daughter-Mark Robert
sons wife-Tom's sister, And Jim
Blake moving heaven and earth and a
quarter-section Of hell. too, 30 get her
name Tor a campaign scandal. II |
give 1t to him, | guess big part of
fathers debt to the machine will be
paid off. If"
"Hello'" called Tom, crossing the
corridor from the dining What
are you reading? BY the way you
stare at that book It must have all the
best sellers looking like the Congress
sional Record. What's It about2"