The Cairo bulletin., 1913-07-10
CHAPTER X.
In the DAY Of Battle

ington, sat by the desk lamp in the
library of Mark Robertsons Hotel Kes-
wick suit. reading-snd here and there
altering-several typewriter sheets.
Across the desk from him sat Jim
Blake, cigar in one hand. telephone
receiver held to his ear.
The master of the machine was not
leading his forces in person tonight
lie seldom did So The commanding
generals place Is on convenient
hilltop; not in the vulgar thick of the
fray. And for divers reasons. Blake
had chosen his son-in-law's apartment.
on this night, as his hilltop. The tele-
phone admirably filled for him the dual
roles OF spyglass and courier, Just
now. he was listening intently to a
report from Tim Neligan at the Capt.
tol.
Good old Tim" he broke out after
a momat's close attention to the re-
ceiver. What dye think OF that, Van
Dyke? We get the roll-call"
Good" pronounced Van Dyke.
glancing up from his reading
"Standish still In his seat?" queried
Blake into the transmitter Yes?
All right Keep right en- with the pro-
gram | gave you. No need to change
it unless something unexpected cuts
loose And it won't What? No.
Not yet Can't get word out of her.
But we will, Don't you worry So
long"
We'll" he added to Van Dyke, as
he hung up the receiver and pushed
the telephone back on the table desks
fiat surface. This roIl-call gives us
another hour to breathe in"
We'll need ii. And more" said Van
Dyke, retu~hing to his reading.
Sure you're making that strong
enough. Van Dyke?" he asked Don't
use the word uteRsil when spade
will do just as we'll Cut out any
fiowery stuff and bang away at the
point
II have. replied Van Dyke, handing
Blake the edited pages Look it over
and see how it strikes you.
Blake took the manuscript and
scanned Its contents from beneath his
dropped lids AS he read, a look of
unqualified approval replaced the
doubt on his face, He nodded en-
phatically, once or twice In his In
terest he unconsciously muttered half
aloud.
'Standish, the arch reformer. he
murmured "A moralist dethroned--
scandalous past OF a house leader
brought to light-disclple of purity In
politics convicted of dissolute private
life-Hm. That's the stuff. Itll
make EN- cit up, guess"
IF we can use it," corrected Van
Dyke. AS it standr. 1t represents
but three spoiled sheets of
white paper
"Itll represent one perfectly good
insurgent chief split up the back. be-
fore another hours past, retorted
Blake "I'll have the Womans name
by that time
What is that stubborn little tele-
phone girl holding out for wonder?" !
IT'S past me-" growled Blake, III
it was man could size up the game
at glance and I'd know just what
move to make. Every man has always
had his price. Except One. And We
crucitied Him But with women it's
different. You can't tell what wom-
an 8 going to do For the mighty good
reason that she doesn't know, herself
This Kelly girls got me guessing She
let me think could buy her dead easy
Then she played for time And now
she's thrown US down altogether and |
won't say word"
You've sent over to central for that |
duplicate list of all the numbers that |
we're called up from the Keswick to- |
day? Let me look at them"
They aren't here yet" replied |
Blake ~ only sent for them few |
ago. You see, / thought | |
could save lot of time by getting the |
direct, from the girl her
self"
ne 6lAIs SlhOCd al D1 ulB- I
gustedly. We've already wasted too |
much time on her. Cant we get bold |
Of Standish?"
He'll be along pretty soon"
You've sent for him? You're sure !
he'll come for your sending?"
No" drawled Blake, Il didn't. And
he wouldn't. But Gregg started a whis-
per in the house that scandal will
break before morning. And he threw
a hint of the same sort to the news
paper boys" /
"Oh, If we can publish this as it's
written here" broke in Van Dyke,
we've got him, This story makes
him out the lowest BLACKBOARD un-
hung"
And" amended Blake with In
genuous selfcohgratulation. there