The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1913-10-03
CHAPTER VI.-continued.

CHAPTER W.-continued.
Then he paused. The rugged mask
of face had not changed. But the
pupils of the half-shut eyes had sud
denly contracted as though binding
light had been flashed before them.
Yet, second later, when Blake spoke
again, there was no trace of pain or
resentment in his dry drawing voice.
"Blackmail?' he said once more.
How about the way Standish dragged
up that franchise affair Of mine last
year? What was that but blackmall?'
We'll" demanded Tom, in the stark
merciiessness Of youth, you were
stealing the franchise, weren't YOU
dad?"
Yes" asserted Blake with a de-
1ightful absence of all false modesty'
81 sure was. And | was doing 1t neat
iy, too. Not ripple, not kick, till
Standish butted in with his measly
reformers and queered the whole JOB
and cost lis a half million dollars.
Son. every time think Of that, want
to chase some one with an ak. don't
lie awake nights thinking how cum
ming our friend Standish would look
with seaweed In his hair and sand I'M
der his nails. But | keep that fran
chise memory and few others fresh
on the ice. And it sure doesn't break
my heart to have a chance now OF
boo oil of
But" persisted Tom, that was
public matter. 1t doesn't justify you
in dragging his private life into the
1ime-light.
THE deuce it doesn't? Who told
you that?"
MY self-respect."
"Oh, thought maybe you might
have got the tip from some reliable
source Go ahead, sen. Doesn't justl-
fly me. hey"
mo, dad, If you want truth, 1t
doesn't. 1t isn't-clean!"
Clean? Say, son, this is politics
Not q prayer.meeting. You've got in
the wrong pew"
"If the right pew justltes dirty
work like that" flashed the boy, I'm
glad have. And want to stay there
This business of making political cap
ital of a mans dead-and-buried sin'
is enough to turn the stomach Of
camel. A thousand times more 81
when one considers the Woman"
well" queried, Blake, in high goo
humor, as he always was when h
could stir up quarrel between hi
.adored only son and himself VIVA
about herr"
Everything She made fool c
herself. Presumably when she wa
young. She has probably repente
1t bitterly, ten thousand times. Sh
may have atoned for what she di'
She may even be a wife and mothe
now. Respected, loved. All the worl
and Heaven, besides, to her husban
and children. And, just to pass a 70
ten railroad bill, you are going to dra
her out into the glare of the neWsp
per world and cruelty her! You al
going to strip from her her husband
love; you are going to make h
friends shun her as an outcast; YOU
throwing black shame on her innoce
.children's name. You are"
Excuse me, son." interrupted Blak
.sBut I'm not doing single one
those terribly dramatic thint
standlsh is doing tor, rather,
has done it. Not l. Catch the ide
II Standsh committed murder a.
I found the body, would you call I
a murderer? Hey? Well, that's wh
has happened this time. When Star
ish took the lady on that little he
handed wedding trip, five years a
IN March, he rendered her liable to
sbat and worse A man doesn't thl
of such things at the time. Meth
does a woman, guess. This
sure didn't, or she'd never ha
thrown over her one hope OF safe
by lifting him."
Listen, dad returned Tom, en-
sng hack a hot answer. Ever slr
YOU brought me here into the thick
the fight, you and haven't agrf
about politics But I've stood W
you. through and through. I've wo
cd hard for the party, because
was working for you. But-Wel
this time I'd rather be working for
ether side. Because believe they
right and we are wrong: /,
"Wel, then" blazed his father
dry gust of unwonted wrath, "
don't YOU work for the other side?
ahead! It's no great loss to US
"You know perfectly well WI:
don't It's because you are on
.side-the wrong side Just now. -.
600 over to them!" snapped BIZ