The Hattiesburg news., 1913-08-14
Jim Blake.

among the loungers than would the ar
rival of a stage beauty, had at first
glance little about him to Justify such
interest. He was long rather than
tall, thin with wiry compactness, and
of a pleasant non-committal face. His
age might have been fifty. But
closer glance at his half-shut eyes al.
ways gave an odd impression that they
were fully thousand years old. Per
haps this was why Jim Blake seldom
opened them wide.
Hello, boys" repeated Jim Blake,
glancing genially and inexpressvely
from one to the other, from beneath
his hanging lids. Seemed to me |
smelt something burning. How are
you, Standish? What's up, Tom?"
Why" answered Tom vaguely en-
barrassed, nothing very much. Just
a little political discussion"
so gathered" yawned Blake
Mark, you seemed to have been sup
plying the fireworks for 1t. l don't sup
pose 1t occurred to you that the whole
surrounding landscape is fairly crawl
ing with reporters? Nice little story
for the morning papers, hey? High
Words Between Speakership Aspirants
In Keswick Lobby And a half col
umn more of what you both would
have said If you'd said what the re-
porters thought maybe you might have
said. Fine business. Especially at
this time"
'He called me-" burst forth Mark.
And you showed your hand?'
hazarded Blake. Good poker, Mark.
But punk politics. Mark, I'm afraid
we're keeping Mr.. Standish from his
dinner"
Good night replied Standish, TAX,
ing the broad hint with no show of
feeling.
Good night-till the house meets
at ten o'clock" said Blake. Il suppose
you'll lead your gallant insurgent CO.
horts in person this EVENING""
YES"
Don't want to call it off and come
into the fold again, s'pose?" suggest
ed Blake quizzically.
NO, thanks smiled the insurgent,
and passed on toward the dining room.
Hello, Van Dyke!" called Blake as
the lawyer, with Neligan and Gregg in
tow, came along the corridor toward
them, from the bar. What brings you
to Washington? What's up?"
That's what I'm trying to find out"
answered Van Dyke, shaking hands
with Blake and instinctively leading
the way to the adjacent amen corner.
What is up? You're supposed to be
managing this fight, Jim. And here
we find ourselves in the very worst
hole we've been in since ninety-seven.
II you and hadn't fought shoulder to
shoulder for years and years, I'd be
tempted to say you were lying down"
] The crowd down on Broadway"
answered Blake, have handed US
raw proposition in this Mullins bill.
The bill smells SO rank that even the
Hear. dear public have got whif Of
1t. And when the public gets its sense
Of smell into good working order-Oh,
what's the use, Van Dyke? You can
see what we're up against. You know
VIC tCLuPCl VI luC we Gan \
even defend that bill of yours. And
this is no time to put over such raw
one. It's like"
"Still," argued Van Dyke, you said
you'd be able to put the deal through.
And there's surely enough In It for
US ALL"
II said eeNld put 1t through. And
4 could--when we started. But Stand
ish wasn't fighting it then. This isn't
the Bill versus the People. It's Mat
Standish versus the Organization. And
Standish has the people-the waked-up
people-behind him. He's their idol
He's the parsons pet. They look on
him as the Worthy Young Man who
couldn't do wrong If he tried and who
isn't wicked enough to try. In other
words, he's never been found out
There's only two classes OF men that
ever met-the sort that have been
found out and the sort that haven't
I II we can damage Standish in the eyes
of the people-if we can make the
clergy repudiate him"
That's just the point" cried vaT
Dyke. 'Why haven't you been able tc
do that, instead of sitting peacefully
to one side and waiting for him tc
wreck himself"
We've had detectives on him." put
In Neligan. II told you all that, Var
Dyke"
"Detectives?" snorted the lawyer
what good is that? Your detectives
win charge you seven dellars da,
and expenses expenses--fo
giving you full report of the wa,
Standish spends the day and what b
has to eat and the number of cigars b
smokes and the addresses Of some Q
the letters he writes. You'll never &c
standish that way. II ever he's broke
a law--and most men have"
sOh. not so many" gently contrs
dicted Blake. Two jails would b
plenty large to hold all the folks VIII
have broken any law. And the tw
iails could be built real easy-just b