The Dermott news. (Dermott, Ark.) 1910-1977, 1913-10-30
CHAPTER VIII.
The Trap Is Sprung.

The Trap Is Sprung.
There was q pause Neither man
seemed DESTROYS 20 be first to return
20 the attack The buzz of the city
crept in from outside. The half-stttled
rhythm Of the dining room orchestra
reached them In snatches
Standish got to his feet slowly and
more like very old man than one in
his Urine hut he looked down With
Grass stolidity at his tormentor And
"a mis- deep tones there was more OF
sorrow than Of nervous dread.
MIR Blake" he said. there's one
point cant quite grasp Even your
admiration for my worthy qualities
and your very kind desire to save me
trouble, can not wholly explain your
action in telling me Why are You civ
ing away your hand like this
Blake looked palned
Cant a man do a decent thing tor
once" he grumbled, Without having
his motives picked apart
IN afraid not-in your case, an
nwered Standish
All right" agreed Blake in no whit
chagrined Let's look at it from
business standpoint. then. II YOU Il de
eide suddenly to let this Mullins bill
pass. and If you'll support Mark Rob
ertson for the speakership everything
will be perfectly smooth and har
monious And we wont have to use
these painful means
oh. see. A bargaiu''
Nv y
Bake "A mighty good one. since II
caves you your political skin. instead
of forcing us to nail it to the barn
Despite his confidence Blake was
vaguely worried tie knew men. as
pianist knows his keyboard And now
n subtle intuition quite at variance
with all his keen logic. warned him
That Standish was not in the least
frightened by the threat of political
death knowing the insurgeut htEh
ambitions as he did. Blake could not
account for this absence OF terror. So.
feeling his way. he shifted TO the 9th
ear tack.
The Woman. too. he added Think
of her'"
He grinned under his sparse mus
tache For again he saw Standishs
hands clench And he knew he had
struck the one right note
Yes went on Blake Think OF the
Woman She's walking blndly. uu-
suspectingly. right straight into the
trap we've set for her Itll be hell
for her. Pure. uuadulterated SKY blue
he'll II she's got husband or kids
or parents it'll blaekeH the whole
world for them all oh. don't make
Va do this thing. man Think it
over. Don't decide In a rush Take
your time. by eleven clock or so
vi nave her name Then it will be
early enough for YOU to tell mo your
decision You'll hnd me somewhere
about the hotel if I'm not over at the
Capitol. Good-by
He strolled off toward the dining
room. As he passed WaudH Sc glanc
ed covertly at her through his lowered
lids. She was raptly absorbed in the
novel she was reading
Standish watched blake out of
shit. His face now that the mask
was no longer needtul worked almost
xrotesquely. And his swarthy skir
was pallid yellow He i5uKed like
n pugilist who tries dazedly to rise
after knockout.
He was thinking rapidly despite his
aaze. After moment or two he
crossed hastily to the telephone
switchboard.
Get me New York wire please,
he said. looking neryously down the
corridor. "as quickly as you can
As ne spoke he was running over
the pages OF one of the telephone books
on the desk Wanda drove plug into
Che switchboard and droned
'Hlo! Long distance? That you
Iessief This is Wanda. Say. get me
~ New York wire-on the jump, please
Yes. oh. have YOU Good! Let the
other party wait, and give it to me,
won't your Thanks. I've got one al
ready" she added, glancing over her
shoulder at Standish What number
pieaseT~
One thousand and one. Plaza. he
answered. looking up from the direc'
6ssy,
-Plass ens-o--o-onsI" she droned