The Mena weekly star., 1913-09-18
CHAPTER VI.
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A Family Row.

A Family Row. nTbis-this story about Standish"- hooan Tom uncomfortahly; then
 noused involuntarily as Blake leaned bacl, with grunt of relief.
 "That all?" asked the father. "I
 ,yas afraid I was going to get another call-down from my wise son on my fo,Iies and sins. Honestly, Tom, don't know how I ever got through tbe first quarter-century of my life without your holy guidance and cor Srection."
 "Ts that quite necessary" said Tom. \ Fer only wanted to ask you"
 "Of course you did You wanted to
 osk me some question in politics. And &irs.ead of being glad that you are be oinring to show an intelligent interest Ein my affairs at last, I made fun of l &von. I'm sorry, son. I'm an old crank. Go ahead with your question. You veye asking about this Standish st5ry?'
 "ves. suppose it will give us the Efght
 "Igy!.s that way from where I sit" Irer'fad Blake. Such pretty romances #lave wrecked many a man as strong Has S.audish-and stronger" "Oh,7 exclaimed Tom, almost shud.
 de- "I wish you wouldn't use black ms F, win your fight
 aail?" echoed Blake slowly i.s paused The rugged mask Eof had not changed. But the pupl o the half-shut eyes had sud de- 7'dacted as though a binding IlieM - been flashed before them kYe,. caud later, when Blake spoke ag.. re w.s no trace of pain or ressuw at iu his dry drawling voice "Plao mau9' he said cnce more &'How about t-a way Standish dragged up that franch SC affair of mine last year? What was that but blackmail?" Well" demanded Tom, in the stark mercilessness of youth, you were stealing the franchise, weren't you, dad?"
 "Yes," asserted Blake with a de- .lightful absence of all false modesty q sure was. And was doing it neat ly, too Not a ripple, not kick, till Standish butted in with his measly reformers and queered the whole job and cost us a half million dollars I Son, every time think of that, I want to chase some one with an ax. 1 don't lie awake nights thinking how cum ming our friend Standish would look with seaweed in his hair and sand un- der his nails. But I keep that fran chise memory and a few others fresh on the ice And it sure doesn't break my heart to have chance now of getting back at him"
 But" persisted Tom, that was a public matter It doesn't justify you in dragging his private life into the lime-light"
 The deuce it doesn't? Who told you that?"
 My self-respect"
 "Oh! I thought maybe you might have got the tip from some reliable Il source Go ahead, son. Doesn't justi. fy me hey?"
 No, dad, if you want truth, it doesn't It isn't-clean!" Clean? Say, son. this is politics. Not prayer-meeting. You've got in the wrong pew"
 If the right pew justifies dirty work like that" flashed the boy. 'T'm glad have. And l want to stay there. This business of making political cap ital of mans dead-and-buried sins is enough to turn the stomach of a camel. A thousand times more so when one considers the Woman" "Well,' queried Blake, in high good humor, as he always was when he could stir up a quarrel between his adored only son and himself. What about herr"
 Everything. She made a fool ot
 neIseH. Presumably when she was
 young. She has probably repented
 u bitterly. ten thousand times. Sh0
 may have atoned for what she did. She may even be a wife and mother,
 now Respected, loved. All the world
 ana Heaven. besides, to her husband
 ana children. And, just to pass a rot. ten railroad bill. you are going to drag
 her out into the glare of the newspa. per world and cruelty her! You are
 eoihg to strip from her her husbands ,ove' you are going to make her
 itiehds shun her as an outcast: you're
 throwing black shame on her innocent
 'nldrens name You are" Excuse me, son." interrupted Blake. .t put m not doing a single one of enoSe terribly dramatic things. SoSnalsh Soa is doing it-or. rather, he 1S tune It. Not l. Catch the idea !! II 0'andish committed a murder and
 iounu the body, would you call me murderer? Hey? Well, that's what
 mas happened this time. When Stand. h ,an LOOK the lady on that little left "nueu wedding trip, five years ago .L h March' he rendered her liable to all 'aS' ana worse. A man doesn't think I such things at the time. Neither tues a woman, I guess. This one e n uldht or she'd never have t n'oWn own over her one hope of safety Oy lifting him.
 inc Ls'en' dad." returned Tom, chok-
 e Udck hot answer. Ever since ,b tUu brought me here into the thick of
 sbo to neht you and l haven't agreed O politics. But I've stood with % aS through and through. I've work nalu Tor the party, because I felt tht. working for you. But-well- o,b.s eine I'd rather be working for the st..a ti slde Because I believe they're