Charlevoix county herald., 1913-11-15

ne nau sought 10 cultivate. Ills
had not been the besottedness
that babbles, sleeps and forgets.
Even as his drink-inspired tongue
had betrayed no thickness nor
hiatus during his dwelling speech
so the steady brain had, on a.
waking, remorselessly told him
of his every word.
And, over and above all, his de-
claration of candidacy for Cover
nor
A knock at the door of his study
broke in on the audible groan of
self-contempt this last and ever
recurrent thought wrung from his
tight lips. Caleb stopped midway
down tle room his snorC red hair
bristling with fury at the inter-
ruption.
"What do you want!" ne snarled.
The door opened and Anice Lam
Ter came in. She was very pretty
and young, in her simple white
morning trock. She carried set
of tablets Wheron it was her GUS
tom to transcribe notes of Ca
lebs morning instructions for re-
fernce or for later amplifiCation by
Ills two stenographers.
"Wellw roared Conover, glow
ering across the room at her,
''wnat in hell do you want?"
"Io tender my resignation" was
| tle unruffled reply.
~ our what?" he gasped, stupid
My resignation" in the same
level, impersonal tones. "To take
effect at once. Good morning"
she was halfway out of her
room before her employer could
hurry after and detain her.
"What s--what's the meaning of
tnis?" asked Caleb, the brutal bel
ligerency trailing out of his voice.
Inen before she could answer, he
added: because | spoke like
tnat Just now? Was that it? Be-
cause 1 said-And you'd throw over
good Job Just because of a few
cranky words? Yes, / believe you
would. You'd do it. 1t isn't a
bluff. Maybe that's why you make
such a nit Win me, Miss Ldnier.
cure not scared every time
open my mouth. And you stand
up for yourself"
lie eyed ner IN a qu1zzically ad-
miring fashion as one might a
beautiful buC unclassified natural
history specimen. she made no Ie-
ply, but stood waiting in patience
Tor him to move from between
her and the door.
Caleb grinned.
want me to apologize, | s'poseY
he grumbled.
"a gentleman would not wait to
ask"
maybe you think a gentleman
wouidn OF said what | did, in the
first place, eh?"
eyes, do think so. Don't you?
swell, I'm sorry. Let il go at
That. Now let's get to work.
Say"-as they moved across to
their wonted places at the big
centre table, "you oughtn't to take
offence at anything about me this
morning. You must know how
sore / am
whats the matter?'
''As if you didn't know You
saw how many kinds of wall
eyed fool | made OF myself last
night. Isn't that enough TO make
a man sore? And to think OF il
being taken down by those news
the 'countryw
He gave the nearby chair a kick,
avalanching the morning papers to
the floor.
"Have you read those?" queried
Anice.
mo. Why should / rub it in?
know what they"
"Why not look at them before
you lose your temper?"
Caleb snatched up the Star, fore
most journal of Granite. He glanc-
ed down the last column OF the
front page and over to the second.
"Here's the story of the show
lust as we dictated it beforehand
he commented. List of guests
Where in thunder is that measly
speech? Have they given it a
column to itself? Oh-way down
at the bottom. in a singularly
happy little informal address at
close of the evening Mr.. Conover
mentioned his forthcoming candid
acy for governor. Is that all any
of them have got about it?"
"They have your pledge to run
for Governor blaZoned over two
columns of the front page of near
ly all the papers. But nothing
more about the speech ITSELF
'"But how"
81 took the liberty of stopping
the reporters before they left the
house, and telling them it would
be against your wish for any of
your remarks to be quoted"
"You did that? Miss Lanier,
you're fine You've saved me a
guying in every out-of-Sta.e paper
i'm the East.
want to show nv appreciation
~
'If that means another offer to
raise my salary, ! am very much
obliged. But, as I've told you sew
eral times before, | can't accept
it. Thank you just the same"
"But why not? / can afford
"But | can't. Don't let's talk of
il, plcaser