Lower coast gazette., 1913-08-16
The third Of the trio was an iron.gray
man of ~clean-cut face and scrupulously
we'll groomed aspect.

Wanda knew him well, by sight For
whenever political crises swept Wash.
ington he was as certain to appear as
are vultures to congregate for the
feast. He was Ralph Van Dyke, q
New Yorker. and counsel for a great
railroad. His al mi of the shrewd.
est legal minds in America. And he
had so carefully trained that mind to
the million dark intricacies Of corpora,
ton law as to be doubly worth the an
nual fortune he reaped from the Inter.
ests.' What Jim Blake was in politics.
Ralph Van Dyke was in corporation
law. The chance word Wanda had
just overheard had been spoken by
him.
Are things still going as badly with
the Mullins bill as when you wired me
today?" he had asked Neligan.
"Oh," returned Neligan, I'VE had the
house cinohed when 1t was reported.
We'd have passed it, hands down, II
We could have damned 1t through then.
But now-we may as we'll stand up to
facts-we're as good as licked"
But, gentlemen urged Van Dyke
impatiently. this bill has to pass"
Sure 1t has" gloomily assented
Neligan. "Only 1t can't. Unless some
thing explodes Standish before it
comes to a vote. Oh, it's the people!
They're reform-crazy. They don't know
what they want, and nine years out Of
ten they don't want anything except to
stay asleep and let the right crowd
handle the country. But when a man
like Standish gets them to listen To
him, they all wake up and yell for re-
form and purity in politics as hard as
a waking baby squalls fer It's bottle.
They've made him q popular IDOL"
1.-The people!" sconed Van Dyke.
They make an idol one minute and
overturn it the next"
That's right" agreed Gregg, "but
the Mullins bill will be defeated before
they get time to overturn Standish.
The people ara awake. They really
seem to have an idea We ought to keep
some Of our promises. And. say! After
all. We did promise them q lot Of
things"
did we?" echoed Neligan. I'VE
made our platform look like a cross.
section Of the Ten Commandments,
fringed with pages Of Pilgrims Prog
ress. Yah! That's the trouble. We're
over.promised."
III we could loosen Standish's pull
with the parsons" said Neligan, wed
have him against the ropes In one
round"
Now you are talking sanity" ap-
proved the lawyer. That was Just
what I was waiting to suggest"
We'll. we didn't wait for you to sug.
gest it." retorted Neligan. we aren't
corporation Observation-Disclosures, per.
haps, but we've got a few grains Of
gray matter left. That's the first stunt
we tried. We put good men on the
case to look up Standish's record-to
find one break that we could hang q
story on"
We'll"
well, from their reports, standish
seems to have led q life that would
make Saint Anthony and Sir Galahad
and the Pilgrim fathers look like a
bunch Of soused TenderleiE FOUNDERS"
You're sure your men LETT nothing
uncovered?
do you think we'd overlook any.
thing when the whole game hangs on
It"
That's right. Van Dyke" supple
mented Gregg. We've been over
Standish's record with q microscope.
He's cost US enough to make tho
search mighty careful. Even II you
don't give us credit for sense enough
to probe the business, you'll have to
allow that Mark Robertson's no fool.
And Robertson's moved heaven and
he'll to get something on Standish. But
he can't. Robertson's got more at
stake than any of us. If Standish ticks
him in this fight and gets the speaker
ship it'll cost Mark Robertson more
than most people could understand.
%Self.respect and ambition and future
and"
1T sure WILL" agreed Neligan. Lets
sect must be close on five years,
now, that Standish and Robertson
have been at. each others threats. Five
years-no, six. Ever since Robertson
ran for governor and Standish dug up
that smelly franchise deal against
him. Robsrtson's had It In for him
ever SINCE"
Just when I'm all loaded up to the
guards with perfectly good stock that
will go to pieces like a card house
when the bill fails!," walled Gregg.
"Cut out the whine!' ordered Nell.
gan. "You aren't the only man who's
bought stock that Standish will turn
into waste paper. Oh, that mar Stand.
ish! He's got the country running
after him like a flock Of hens after the
farmer at feeding-time. They think
his private life's got Saint Peter and
Anthony Comstock dashed to the mast
and that his politics are so pure they'G
make Abraham Lincoln feel like q
ward heller. He's no man. He's a
bloodless saint. I don't believe he
ever SO much as squeezed 3 woman's
hand in his life or swigged anything
stronger than sarsaparilla. How are
we going to get the hooks into a Eel.
low like that?",
Il don't know howl" fared Van
Dyke. But it's Jim Blake's business
to know. He was supposed to be run.