Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1913-12-12

brought against the machine was that
It was eOlOnizing aoaters in lodging
houses In the low, thiekly-populated
river wards. Durken even admitted II
when Wright asked about it, and sew
eral days later suggested a tour Of in
spection. The blood of the star re-
porter warmed in the editors veins.
The idea was tantalizing. 1t was one
Of those stories a good man would sac
rifce half a years salary to handle.
Without saying anything to anyone,
the owner Of the News thought OF the
expedition for several days. The more
he thought OF it, the more it appealed
to him. The more 1t appealed to him
the less was the likelihood Of his con-
siderlng the axiom that In battle 1t Is
a generals duty not to get hurt. In
fact, the thought of physical injury
did not C to him. He was q
stranger to Belmont, no n knew BIN.
and in the daytime there vas no dan
ger.
When Wright finally decided to in
vestigate personally II was only a few
days before the election. He deter
mined that he would wander down
into the first ward two days before
the votes were cast to gather mate
rial for his story. The next afternoon,
just on the v OF the election. his
final attack on the machine would be
an expose Of ring methods Of handling
vagabond voters imported for the oc-
casion.
This programme was being carried
out as originally planned, notwith-
standing the break with Gloria the
previous day. when Wright was in
duced to go through Noonan's hotel"
Here, deserted by Durken. who had
been his guide, he had fallen into the
hands Of Turkey Ryan and Buck Kelly.
Although dazed by the unexpected
ness Of the attack. he had neverthe-
less managed to give a good account
Of himself. The cramped attic quar-
ters In which they had fought had
been In his favor. The two bruisers
had been surprised by what a scien-
tifc boxer could do in a r~ough-and.
tumble fight. To the momentary indie
cision resulting from his good defense
Wright owed his escape from the room
In which he had been trapped.
A etinging blow having taken al! the
fight out Of Kelly, he lurched and fell
forward against the door just as the
newspaper man had managed to elude
his a~ssallants for the instant and slip
out Of the room. FORCED to minister
to his companion, Turkey Ryan had
lost many valuable seconds before he
could take up the pursuit. 1t a dur
ing this respite that Wright. cropping
blindly for the stair, had tripped and
fallen, to be found unconscious by
Gloria in front of Little Elias door.
No one ever knew exactly what had
taken place in Noonan's lodging house
that afternoon in early spring. Re-
turning from the mission with DR..
Norton, Mrs. Hayes was surprised to
find the door OF the Windermere wom-
ans room fastened from within. When
no response greeted her knock. sur.
prise gave way to alarm, and she
called upon DR.. Norton to aid her in
opening the door. Gloria had not fast
ened it as securely as she had thought,
and 1t required no great strength on
the part of the physician to force 1t
open.
Gloria was removed to Mrs. Hayes
home in a carriage as soon as she
was revived. Little Ella, in a semi
conscious, delirious state, was hurried
to the city hospital in a police ambu-
lance. An examination having shown
that Wright had sustained no serious
injury, IS 500 as he regained con.
seriousness he was taken to his own
apartment.
David Kerr was not allowed to see
his daughter. Although the exact la
ture Of the shock to which she had
been subjected was not known, since
both Kelly and Ryan had disappeared,
yet the physicians did not think it
best in her nervous condition for her
to see even her father. The following
day she remained in bed, speaking
never a word, busy with her own
thoughts. The next day, that Of the
election, she dressed, but did not
leave her room.
When 1t was seen that Gloria was
under the cloud of a settled melan-
choly. there was debate how best to
minister to her. Her very silence
made the problem perplexing.
She uttered a word by which
they might pluck out the heart Of the
mystery. Strange as 1t may seem. she
did not even ask about Joe Wright.
She did, however, read the morning
and afternoon papers carefully. In
neither was there any reference to an
attack on the editor. As her mind
beat upon the bars Of its new iron
cage, 1t suficed her to know that all
must be we'll with him.
Joe Wright's injuries were not Of a
serious nature, yet 1t was thought best
that he remain at home for several
days. BY means OF the telephone and
through the men who came to the
house he edited the News the day
previous to election. Over the same
telephone line came the cheering news
the next night that the dominant party
had been defeated. David Kerrs rule
had been broken.
(TO BE CONTINUED1