The Washington herald., 1913-12-19
DAILY SHORT STORY

tell me that your attitude toward this
bill Is al absurd as those awful pictures.T
A few minutes late Kingdom came TO
Louise In the hotel lobby. Come for
walk" he said briefly. 81 need you"
You saw those people" he said. when
they had left the hotel. They were
Ralph Manwood, his brother and his
brothers daughter. Manwood brought
them here to persuade me to vote for this
bill. The brother threatens me with po-
litical ruin In my district. which he con-
| trolls and the niece, Corinne Manwood,
and have been engaged a long time.
She threatens to break our engagement
unless 1 vote for the bill"
Your fight against 1t will prove ex-
pensive," said Louise, dryly.
Kingdoms firm mouth was set In hard
lines, but In his eyes was an almost
boyish perplexity. ''Of course, I can't
vote for the bill. believe IL Is a wrong
one. No man with an ounce Of legis-
lative honor will support what he be-
leves is a wrong measure. I told
Cortnne this and she said I was silly,
She will break our engagement tomor-
row when vote against her uncle's bill"
He turned and faced Louise, meeting her
eyes squarely. II want her to break II.
want the right to tell you that love
you. Corinne and I grew Up In the same
| little country town. / liked her better
than any other girl had known. ! had
rneyer known woman like you. have
loved you ever since I-came here To.
night ] realized II when / listened tn
Corinne's childish prattle, her pleas with
me not to be silly and sentimental, NOT
not to act like a carieature. You would
not ask me 20 vote for this bill, although
your paper would have rewarded you
richly for doing so. You could not ask
man to do what he believes is dishon-
orable. I shall have the right to tell
you that I love you, to ask
You will not. She loves you. She
will not break your enlargement. She
will love you all the more because you
place your legislative honor above all
other considerations Sc will forget the
little hurt you give her vanity by re-
fusing to do what she asked You be-
long to her and you will not be untrue
to her"
The gas franchise bill was called for
the vote. In the rear Of the house stood
Ralph Manwood. his brother and his
brothers daughter. Kingdom voted against
the bill, 1t was defeated by one vote.
As the crowd surged toward the door
Louise saw kingdom walk slowly toward
the Manwood party. Corinne Manwood
raised her band and laid 1t in Kingdoms.
Louise turned her eyes away.
At the entrance to the Statehouse King
OOI was want lCll gOuf
he began.
Il saw her" Louise said hurriedIy. "shs
truly loves you. She approves what you
did. saw her lay her hand in yours
and-and-"
she laid her hand in mine Just long
enough to put this in it" He opened his
hand to show her a diamond ring. she
said, You are not the man once
thought you were. The cartoonist Of the
Journal understands you and draws you
as you really are, a caricature whom
can neither love nor respect"
The Spartan young woman who since
she learned OF Kingdoms engagement had
been valiantly striving to suppress every
feeling concerning Corinne Manwood and
the man to whom she was engaged, sud
denly relaxed the tension OF her virtuous
determination. 'The cat!' Then she
spoke gently. The cartoonist does un-
derstand you The caricature was only
the scrawl OF q pencil. The real man is
the real man is everything g man should
be-"