Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-09-18

called the past to mind lie hsa
wanted Gilbert to have before him
the many obligations under which he
rested. 1t is true that he could have
| commanded. but he was too much the
easy boss to issue orders where he
/ could hold forth giittering reward
as the price CT valuable services To
the ward heeler the wot,; 81 the boss
! is a fetish to be bliRdfy worsniped
To his few leading Heutenants the
/ command is coated with sugar which
has a negotiable value. Gilbert hav
| ing asked what he could do brought
Kerr at once to the arrangement he
had planned whereby the lawyer
would profit through the Introduction
Of Miss Kerr to society.
I've made bargains all nv life,
Amos,-tonight I make one with you.
Prosecuting attorney, judge. corpora
ton counsel. with all the money
you've made"
At this Gilbert made a 1isparaging
gesture which caused Kerr to add. ''in
fees-with ali the money you've made.
you still fall short of the riches that'H
purchase real freedom. | know how
you stand, and things are pretty much
in the balance
Think what it means to your
daughter. money" AS he spoke he
pointed to the girls picture. It's
leisure, travel, friends abroad. an as
F,,+. ri.
/. David Kerr; and I wilton one
condition. Gloria Kerr must have the
place she thinks is hers in Belmont"
He paused to let the lawyer grasp
the importance and the value OF such
an undertaking, and then disclosed
the means by which the fortune was
to be secured. II a man should ever
pay another out of his own pocket
for such a service he would be a
philanthropist and not q political
leader Kerr was certainly not the
former, and his life training had
never caused him to separate a dollar
from his own bank account when he
could extract it without pain-to him
from some one else
For this one thing" he exclaimed,
7 give freely into your hands any
franchise you may draw for the stock
yards belt line railway. Disguise it
as a street railway line to run down
Maple avenue Make what bargain
you like, five hundred thousand. a
million dollars, it's worth it. And al
ways remember, I'm back of you
The possibilities of the scheme
overwhelmed Gilbert What he was
to do for Kerr. even the fight for the
franchise, did not enter his mind He
was busy thinking of the freedom he
could purchase in so short a time.
All that he had ever dreamed of could
be brought to pass. Kerr. who knew
almost to a dollar the financial stand
! ing of every man in Belmont. was
well aware that Gilbert had been hard
hit in several stock exchange trans
actions, so badly i'll the last one that
he had called upon the boss for as
sistance- Yet he had just told Ken
dali that he would have nothing more
to do with that kind of work. He had
begun to develop a conscience-for
Julias sake. perhaps. for his daugh-
ter's future-and here came Kerr who
wanted him to go down once more
! into the maelsuom of shady politics
! for the sake OF his daughter,
His gratitude for what Kerr had
done for him was great enough tC
cause him to do anything for Kerr's
daughter he could, but since the boss
had put it up to him and he had back
of him all the bOss's power. he began
to wonder why he should not accept
the opportunity to make fortune
/ quickly 1t had been held out to him
! as meaning leisure, travel, friends
and a roseate future for his Julia. He
I longed for those things for himself,
no less. and here was the chance of
his lifetime, He would know how to
( make those Chicago schemers pay
we'll for the legal advice he would
] give them
/ 1T won't be easy" said Gilbert
/ finally.
/ Kerr had won his first victory. The
! lawyer had surrendered.
That's why | came to YOU vas
/ the boss's answer, reply charged
/ with subtle flattefy. Gilbert really did
represent in his autocracy the best
element; SNUG set. perhaps, but
still the best. TO other lieutenants
were delegated hammer and tong
! Jobs: Gilbert was the instrument
/ when iinesse was required
There's a certain element, Mr..
! that wholesale clique. You have no
direct dealing with the men. and
well-that is-you see. they don't
know you and they might not be in
terested in Gloria. They're a clan
! nish lot"
CTO BE CONTINUED