The Mena weekly star., 1913-09-04
CHAPTER III.
The Machine,

NI %put what difference does it make 11o,s one of the biggest men in Wash ,1oton inst now, of course. Perhaps +be tie biegest. But if you're going to ralo up that silly subject of social standing again"
 "Tm not"
 oTben why does the fact that I'm his "Did VOL ever hear your father sneak of Frank E. Kelly?" she asked :; l ord tba slangy light manner had fallen away from her.
 "Frank E. Kelly?" repeated Tom oNe Not that I remember He's a ,oveIr, to me. Who was he? A white hope, or"
 He was my father"
 "Oh I didn't mean to- So dad know y9ur father did he?"
 oFes. My father was a congress nan. From New York. Just about tla fine when MT. Blakes organiza- ,,on was first getting it's teeth into the c,rntrg's throat. Unluckily for my ia her. he was honest. Of course Mir. rlo,-e and the rest didn't know that when hey put him in office, or they" och come now! That's rather rouah on
 "When one of their crooked bills came up-a bill as crooked as this 7rrYiss bill thst every one is so ex- clfaa over. this session-when such q b.I cane up, father refused to vote for fit I, was a close fight, and fathers y5.e. with a few more that he inlu. ac.l. beat the bill So Blake and the others made an example of him-'for ta -.g1 oi the party as they eX. .j it'
 ee ceased speaking And a littla '..... r.-.c3 ECtwCeu thCr- Thei. .m sand m voice none 600 steady "I wish 1 could tell you l know you're mistaken But I'm afraid you're not l know they do those things-as 8 you said-'for the good of the party! Oh he broke out tiercely, its that sort of game l cant understand. I can never understand I know them all And personally they're white men, ter. der-hearted. clean. honorable. But pro fessionally- Why, for instance, ! there's my brother-in-law, Mark Rob ertson. He and Grace have been mar ried over three years now, and his love for her is still a sort of adoration. He's the perfect lover-husband. But as lawyer he won the name of being a bloodhound. And, as a politician well, he's like the rest. They'll all re. sort to the dirtiest trickery, the rot tenest sort of corruption. cant make 4 it out But why should dads political deal affect you and me? I'm not to I blame if-"
 And I'm not blaming you. But I've been brought up to hate Jim Blake and his crowd and to pray for chance to get back at them. I know that isn't meek and womanly way to talk. But & It's the way l feel. I-I loved my fa- ther so! My square. honest, white ia ther And they killed him. An, there I Blake and all of them, And it's com. Ing from me. Some day may be able to deliver the goods! I-I oughn't to
 talk so to you," she caught herself up half alphabetically. I'm afraid I hurt you. Perhaps you didn't fully know Why in blazes did it have to be 4 your father, of all men, that they # chose to-!"
 It didn't He was just one of hun.
 dreds that the party machine smashed
 lie used to say the machine was like
 the Juggernaut car, crushing every.
 Inlng that dared stand in it's path. Jim
 Blake guides that car And he guides
 II over the bodies of better men. He
 and his crowd prosper But some
 'hihgs coming to them, just the
 same
 # But"
 hemachine has tried to run over
 'he wrong man at last. And it's joints
 ana wheels are rattling with fear
 p'ahdish became an insurgent But he
 nad the cleverness and the strength
 No' 10 be crushed, And he has rallied
 weaker stupider insurgents around
 Hiin, tiIl he has formed an obstacle the
 mainline can't override. He's done
 loie' Hes reused the whole people
 ana the people are watching their rep
 e'en'atives so closely. at last. that a
 .S' ,S or crooks have to play fair or lose
 ae'r Joos. On, I'm following Standish'f
 IO'A. When he clashed horns with
 ti, m nlake over this Mullins railroad
 S.il It did me good all over. For when S'"huish defeats the Mullins bill hell
 ,,,'t eah the backbone of Jim Blake's DO
 T,a power Yes, and he'll smash
 ,.i D'akes plan to put Governor Rob
 t.oon m the speakers chair. Hell
 ,he ep robertson out. And he'll sit
 hIe 'e himself. And when he does
 nan saver blows will beat the Jugger
 e car into scrap-iron."
 "ahda!" protested Tom, amazed al
 ,o trade Haven't We better things sho,.a saih than politics? I'll tell dat
 wO",. your father and see If he
 ,ss ' You mustn't. You must prom
 aop ' to tell him who am. Promisel'
 canS | promise. if you like. But
 das "ear to have you go on hating
 chsn Hes the kindest, dearest olt
 "poe ailVe' Maybe he didn't know
 Jim p,' the organization do anything
 @M,"a .aNe doesn't know and dictate?"
 liyer,"ser Thomas Blakel" paged a
 ridor ooy' at the far end of the cor
 Ta Mister Thomas Blake."
 @a caught sight of a telegram or
 The o,s "eskness and Loss of Appetite