Polk County news-gazette. (Benton, Tenn.) 190?-191?, 1913-10-30
CHAPTER VI.-continued.

CHAPTER W.-Continued.
Then he paused. The rugged mask
of a face had not changed. But the
pupils of the half-shut eyes had sud
denly contracted as though binding
light had been flashed before them.
Yet. q second later, when Blake spoke
again, there was no trace Of pain or
resentment in his dry drawing voice.
"Blackmail?" he said once more
How about the way Standish dragged
up that franchise affair OF mine last
year? What was that but blackmail?"
We'll" demanded Tom, In the stark
mercilessness of youth, you were
stealing the franchise, weren't you'
dad?"
Yes" asserted Blake with de-
alghtful absence of all false modesty,
NI sure was And was doing 1t neat
ly, too. Not a ripple, not kick, TIL
Standish butted in with his measly
reformers and queered the whole job
and cost us a half million dollars.
Son. every time think Of that, want
TO chase some one with an ak don't
lie awake nights thinking how cum
ming our friend Standish would look
with seaweed in his hair and sand I'M
der his nails. But l keep that fran
,chise memory and few others fresh
ON the ice. And it sure doesn't break
my heart to have a chance now or
getting back at him"
But" persisted Tom, that was
public matter. 1t doesn't justify you
in dragging his private life Into the
3ime-light."
THE deuce it doesn't? Who told
you that?"
my self-respect."
"Oh! l thought maybe you might
have got the tip from some reliable.
source. Go ahead, son. Doesn't justi-
fly me. hey?"
mo, dad. If you want truth. 1t
doesn't. 1t isn't-clean!"
Clean? Say. son, this Is politics.
Not a prayer-meeting. You've got In
the wrong pew"
IF the right pew justifles dirty
work like that" flashed the boy, I'm
glad have. And want to stay there.
This business of making political cap
ftal of a mans dead-and-buried sins
ia enough to turn the stomach Of a
camel. A thousand times more so
when one considers the Woman"
We'll" Queried Blake, in high good
humor, as he always was when he
could stir up quarrel between his
;adored only son and himself. What
about herr"
everything. She made a fool Of
herself. Presumably when she was
young She has probably repented
1t bitterly, ten thousand times. She
may have atoned for what she did
She may even be wife and mother,
now. Respected, loved All the world
and Heaven, besides, to her husband
and children. And, just to pass rot
ten railroad bill, you are going to drag
her out into the glare of the newspa'
per world and cruelty her! You are
going to strip from her her husbands
love; you are going to make her
friends shun her as an outcast; you're
throwing black shame on her innocent
,children's name. You are"
Excuse me, son." interrupted Blake.
N'But I'm not doing a single one OF
those terribly dramatic things
Standish is doing tor, rather, he
has done it. Not l. Catch the idea!
II Standish committed murder and
I found the body, would you call me
a murderer? Hey? Well that's what
has happened this time When Stand
ish took the lady on that little left
handed wedding trip, five years ago
In March, he rendered her liable to all
that and worse man doesn't think
of such things at the time. Neither
does woman, guess. This one
sure didn't, or she'd never have
thrown over her one hope of safety
by fitting him"
Listen. dad" returned Tom, chok-
ing back a hot answer. Ever since
YOU brought me here into the thick OF
the fight you and ! haven't agreed
about politics. But I've stood with
YOU. through and through. I've work
ed hard for the party, because felt
/ was working for you. But--well-
this time I'd rather be working for the
other side Because | believe they re
right and we are wrong"
well, then" blazed his father, In a
dry gust of unwonted wrath, why
don't you work for the other side? Go
ahead It's no great loss to US
you know perfectly well why
don't. It's because you are on this
side-the wrong side just now"
Go over to them!" snapped Blake
his rare anger still unspent They'd