Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1914-01-07
cHAPTER vI.-contInued.

CHAPTER VI.-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 IS though a binding
tight had been flashed before them.
Yet, a second later. when Blake spoke
again, there was no trace of pain or
resentment IN his dry drawing voice.
"Blackmail2" he said once more.
'How about the way Standish dragged
MP 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 a de-
gightful absence of all false modesty,
81 sure was. And l was doing it neat
Iy, too. Not a ripple, not kick, till
Standish butted in with his measly
Eeformers 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. l don't
lie awake nights thinking how cum
dl1uA our IA1Clld OIcAlOAOh nOhA0 AOOo
with seaweed In his hair and sand I'M
der his nails. But l keep that frau
chise memory and few others fresh
on the ice And it sure doesn't break
my heart to have a chance now of
getting back at him.
But" persisted Tom, that WAS
public matter. 1t doesn't Justify you
in dragging his private life into the
fime-light"
The deuce it doesn't? Who told
you that?"
MY self-respect."
obi I thought maybe you might
have got the tip from some reliable
source Go ahead. son. Doesn't justi-
fy me. hey?"
NO, dad, if you want truth, it
doesn't. It isn't-clean!"
Clean? Say, son, this is politics
Not a prayer-meeting. You've got In
the wrong pew"
If the right pew justifies dirty
work like that" flashed the boy, I'm
glad have. And want to stay there
This business of making political cap
ftaI of a mans dead-and-buried sins
IS enough to turn the stomach OF a
camel. A thousand times more so
when one considers the Woman"
Well" 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 oven be wife and mother.
now. Respected loved. All the world
and Heaven, besides, to her husband
sad childrea. And, just to pass a rot
Gan 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
Lends shun her as an outcast; you're
throwing black shame on her innocent
childrens name. You are"
Excuse me, son, interrupted Blake
Bat I'm not doing a single one of
those terribly dramatic things.
Standish is doing tor, rather, he
has dope It, Not l. Catch the idea?
II Standish committed a murder and
found the body, would you call me
a murderer? Hey? Well, that's what
has happened this time. When Stand
fish took the lady on that little left
handed wedding trip, five years ago
IN March, he rendered her liable to all
that and worse. A man doesn't think
Of such things at the time. Neither
does a 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-
tzs back a hot answer. Ever since
you brought me here into the thick OF
the fight. you and l haven't agreed
about politics. But I've stood with
you. through and through. I've work
% hard for the party. because felt
I was working for you. But-well-
Shis 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 we'll why
don't It's because you are on this
stde-the wrong side just now"
Go over to them" snapped Blake
hiS rare anger still unspsnt They d