The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-07-21
Copyrtzas 81 Tho Bobb.. MerriI ronnanr
BY BRAND WHITLOcK

might begin to call his studio, now that
he was getting ten thousand a year. TO
look for sketch he had promised No.
Ian for the sporting page. And there
on his drawing board was an unfin-
ished cartoon. He had begun & few
days before TO use on the occasion OF
Clayton's REORGANIZATION. It had been
4 labor OF love. and KIttrell suddenly
realized how good II was. lie had
put into 1t all OF his belief In CLAYTON,
all OF his devotion TO the cause for
which Clayton toiled and sacrificed.
and in the simple lines he experienced
the artists inefable felicity; he had
shown how good, how noble, how true
u man Clayton was. All at once he
realized the sensation the cartoon
would produce, how II would delight
and hearten Clayton's followers. how
II would touch Clayton. Il. would be
4 tribute TO the man and the friend
ship. but how a tribute broken, IN
finished. KIttrell gazed a moment
, longer. and in that moment Edith
came.
THE dear, healthful soul" she ex-
claimed softly. Neil. Il is wonderful.
II is not n cartoon; II Is n portrait 1t
shows hat you might do with @
brush.
Kittrell could not speak, and he
turned the drawing board to the wall.
Kittreii found the task OF telling
Hardy just as difficult as he expected
II 20 be, but by some mercy 1t did not
last long. Explanation had not been
necessary; he had only 10 make the
first hesitating approaches. and Hardy
understood, Hardy was, In a way,
hurt; Kittrell saw that, and rushed
TO his own defense:
Il hate to go. old man. l don't like
1t little bit--but. you know, business
Is business, and We need the money"
After he had made the break 1t did
not seem so bad as he bad anticipated.
I At first things went on smoothly
enough. The campaign had not opened,
and he was free TO exercise his tai.
ents outside the political field.
But March came. and the politicians
began 10 buster like the season. Late
one afternoon he was on his way to
the Office with a cartoon, the first in
which he had seriously to attack Clay
ton. Benson. the managing editor Of
the Telegraph, had conceived 1t, and
Nttrell had worked on II that day in
sickness OF heart Every lying line OF
this new presentation of Clayton had
cut him like some biting acid: but he
had worked on, trying to reassure him
self with the argument that he was 4
mere agent. devoid of personal re-
sponsibility. But ii had been hard.
and then Edith. after her custom, had
asked 10 see Il. he had said:
"Oh. you don't want 10 see 1t: it's
no good"
is 1t of-him?" she had asked.
And when he nodded she had gone
away without another word. Now, as
he hurried through the crowded
streets. he was conscious that 1t was
no good, indeed; and he w5s divided
between the artists regret and the
friends JOY in the fact. But II made
him tremble. Was his hand to forget
its cunning? And then. suddenly, he
heard a familiar voice. and there be-
side him, with his hand on his shoul-
der, stood the mayor.
why. Neil. my boy, how are you?"
he said. and he took Kittreirs hand as
warmly as ever. For q moment Kit.
trcll WAS relieved. and then his heart
sank: for he had n quick realization
that 1t was the coward within him that
felt the relief. and the man the sick.
ness. II Clayton had reproached him,
or cut him, It would have made It
easier: but Clayton did none OF these
things. and Kittreil was irresIstibly
drawn TO the subject himself.
You heard Of my-pew job?" he
asked.
Yes" said Clayton. Il heard"
Well" Kittrell began.
I'm sorry" Clayton said.
80 was l." Kittrell fastened 10 say.
"But felt it--weII. duty. some way
to Edith. You know-we-need the
money" And he gave the cynical
laugh that went with the argument.
What does she think? Does she
feel that way about it?"
Kittrell laughed, not cyulcally now.
but uneasIly and with embarrassment,
for Clayton's blue eyes were on him,
those eyes that could look into men
and understand them So,
"of snurse you know" kittrell went
on neryously. there Is nothing per.
sonal In this. We newspaper fellows
simply do what We are told: We obey
orders like soldiers. you know. With
the policy OF the paper we have moth.
Ing 10 do. Just like Dick Jennings, who
was n red-hot free-trader and used TO
write free-trade editorials for the
Times-he went over to the Telegraph
you remember. and writes all those
/ protection arguments"
The mayor did not seem to be In.
terested in Dick Jennings, or In tho
: ethics Of his profession.
OF course. you know I'm for you.
! Air. Clayton. just exactly as I've al
Wnys baen I'm rninr 10 vnsa To-