Putnam patriot., 1913-11-28


 son-in-law in the speakers chair. that smashes your enemy and that means millions Of dollars to youl That's what the telephone number means to you. Sir. Blake. That and mans eareer-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 lleve me when l warn you that there is such thing as being just trifie too ambitious. Still. there's no time to argue. Standish caght to be here by now. Shall we say thousand dol lars?"
 'I-I''n have to think it over" said Wanda eonfusedly And. anyway. she added there's no use making a price till I've got what you want, is taere? 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. "Hell's full of nice men But there's 10 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 whither a page had at last tracked him. He saw a most unruffied telephone girl absorbed in 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 minute or two. if you can spare the time. I took the liberty of sending that message about your being wanted on the phone, because" leading the way to the amen corner, q have a mat ter of private business to talk over with you
 Private business?" echoed the pug zled Standish, instinctively following Blake to the corner. Private busi- 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, un- moved. Please explain. My time is limited"
 If you're referring to your time in politics, it is. It ends tonight. There! Therel Don't get huffy. You've got nerve all right I grant you that. What affair, hey? Why, the affair with the Woman whom you registered as your wife, under the name of Fowler, at a country hotel up in New York state. That's all. Hardly worth mentioning. hey?"
 As he had talked, Blake had let his gaze wander over the ceiling the walls-anywhere except at Matthew Standish. Yet he had missed not ona detail of the younger mans expres. sion. There was nothing, however, ta be read in that expression. Standish'i heavy face was mask-like, blank, save for a faint tinge of polite bewilder ment.
 But Blake was far too wise a reader of men to go by the sign in face. He let his mildly wandering glance shift as if by accident, to Standish's hands They were tight-clenched So tight that the knuekles showed white from the conyulsive pressure.
 "Another campaign yarn," smiled Standish, and his voice was as mex pressive as his face. Isn't it rather old-fashioned to spring lies of that sort? The public doesn't stand for them nowadays. Proofs are needed
 'Really?" drawled Blake. Why Standish, sometimes your knowledge of up-todate conditions simply dag. zles me That's what 1t does. Dag zles me-"
 And now" pursued Standish turning to go.
 And now" echoed Blake, we've got you with the goods. Don't bluff man. No bluff ever won a penny after the cards were laid face upward. And they're face upward now. You know what I mean. And you know we've got you dead to rights. Five years ago you spent week with woman at a hotel whose proprietor can and will identify you. Any expert can swear that the registered name, Fowler, is in your handwriting. It was in March. Congress was still in session. But you gave out word that you'd gone to the mountains to rest. We've got the dates. We've got ever fact proved. Man, can't you see I'm trying to help you? Give me a chance to"
 Standish, his face still mask, was staring at the floor At last he raised his eyes-the dark tired eyes in whose depths Self and Love and Happiness had so long ago burned out And turn ing to Blake, he said evenly:
 50 you have dug all that up, have you? l might have expected it. In fact have expected it. But 1t hasn't worried me. Because you can't harm me with such a story"
 "No?" asked Blake, with real inter- est. Why not?"
 You know perfectly well why not. " answered Standish. the story won't amount to the paper you would print it on unless you can supply the name of the Woman. And you cant do haf