The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-01-13
CHAPTER II,
The Thsorist.

at MS UedEL, Sd w the ulSLdSLe PLAINLY
written on the young mans face. The
twinge was because the time had
come to grind his young friend through
the mills Of the organization. The
sanator. who set a low value upon
gratuitOus services, proposed to make
the grinding process worth while to
the man who was to be ground He
was already forming vague plans Of
setting him on the road to high pO-
litical station Perhaps John might
even prove to be an Elisha. some day
to assume a fallen mantle.
To the portrait Of the state leader al
ready painted we may add that William
Murchell was a bachelor, q matter for
which he is not to be censured too Sc
verely, since he once made an earnest
effort to repair the condition. His had
been a very simple romance He had
loved, had laid himself and his aspira-
tons at the Iady's feet and had been
rejected. A short time afterward he
stood with his best friend as the latter
took the same lady in holy wedlock.
1t is probable that he had his period
of suffering; but. as became a man of
ambition, he quickly put an end to it
and gave himself to the climb to pow
err In time his romance was almost
forgotten.
Almost. for in later years some
times in a mellow hour he would
construct for himself scene in which
a gentle faced woman with gray
green eyes sat across the hearth and
around them an indefinite number of
the second generation. In the scene
was always pleasantly laughing
young man who peered out on the
world through eyes like his mothers
This often occurred after Senator Muir.
chell had met or heard something OF
John Dunmeade, a young man in whom
he thought he saw a masculine replica
of the woman of his romance. The
senator's memory must have been
good, for she had been dead many
years. He was seeing her that June
afternoon
John returned to his chair. Murchel
looked around at the dingy Office. Over
the desk hung a calendar and another
faded, old fashioned print of DAME
Webster. Save for this adornment
the walls were given over to calf and
sheep bound bOoks-rOws and rows set
upon plain pine shelves. The old ma
hogany furniture, doubtless splendid
in its day, had been battered and
scratched by many careless hands and
feet.
you keep the old Office just the
same, l see. | remember when your
grandfather built and furnished it"
YES; l don't like to disturb things
though Aunt Roberta thinks it's fear
full mess. Three generations of Dun
meades have used this Office just as
it is"
81 used to come here to borrow books
from your grandfather and talk poll
tics. He was a mighty smart man
He would have been governor during
the war if he hadn't died. He gave
me my start
YES" John said idly. SENATOR
he leaned forward abruptly-"what dc
you think of Sheehan? Why don't you
with all your power, put men like Shee
han out of politics?"
Young man." Murchell answered
dryly, ''if l were strong enough to pu
all the rascals out of politics I'd make
the Almighty Jealous. Are you going
to take the nomination.
Il hate to be under obligations II
Sheehan."
you won't be under obligations-tt
Sheehan."
81 don't want to be under obliga
tions"-John hesitated a moment-"tt
you. Something might come up tina
would make me seem ungrateful.''
"Tll risk it.
But I'm not sure I'm the kind o
man you want"
'I'Il risk it." Murchell repeated
But l don't think you understand
John persisted. I've been-bothereC
little lately about some things. Tha
trust company affair, for instance-i
doesn't look right. And then Sheehan-
l can't quite stomach his power.
don't like to seem to criticise. senator
but it looks to me as though the sys
tenn that allowed that trust compan!
affair must be wrong somewhere"
Tut, tut, young manr the senator
answered, a trifie testify. Don't e.
flying off at tangent with harebrain
ed theories about perfect systems"
John shook his head in troubled fash
ion, I've got to figure that out in N!
own way, senator"
MurcheIl looked out of the window
into the square thoughtfully. 1t wa!
warm. listless day. There was moth
ing in the peaceful. indolent scene Il
tell him that the serene waters upoI
which he had sailed to power were t
become a seething. passion dashed fur!
whose subsistence he would never see
He knew only that the people, even
sad example Of the ingratitude Of re
publics-the people Of Benton county
were stirring restlessly, asking ques
ton and critcising answers. But tina
would pass. as such ebullidons had al
ways passed.
He pointed TO the sleepy square. ."YoJ
won't want to sit here looking out a
that all your life, if you're the man
take you for. You'll want to go GU
and make your place-a big place-iT
the life of men. If you do you can
stop to hit every ugly head that pop;
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