The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1914-04-03
CHAPTER TX.

- ceOAy Vll6At Adu plIItCu tnO
nrst day and the reply 1t drew from
the Banner the next morning caused
the News to be awaited with undis-
guised eagerness on the second after
noon. This was heightened on the
part 0! the men in the syndicate in
terested In the franchise by the peril
nent questions put to them In the
morning by News reporters. David
Kerr was called on the telephone half
q dozen times by his ~lieutenants. and
arrangements were made to have a
line open to Esmeralda Springs at
t~kree-thirty. the hour when the News
was issued.
Although they were prepared to dis
count some Of the story because of
the questions asked them, yet more Of
the ring men vas prepared for . reve-
iation Of the scheme such as the News
made. Black headlines ran across
four columns and the story also took
up Of the second page. There
was a map Of the proposed tnterurban
route. and pictures OF pretty homes on
Maple Avenue. But from one end of
the story to the other there was no
mention Of David Kerr or of the local
backing being given the bill before
the council. 1t al expressly stated
that the incorp0rators OF the new COM
pany were merely dummies and that
they were acting in the interest Of the
atOck-yards company.
Amos Gilbert in an interview denied
any knowledge Of the transaction. say
ing that his connection with the stock
yards company al merely nominal
and that he did not even know If the
company was interested In the line
proposed. He did not see how, as q
company. It could be.
Gilbert sat In his Office as soon rs he
secured a paper and read the story
word for word over the telephone to
Kerr. The latter promptly announced
that he would be home the next day.
and ordered that Gloria be taken from
Belmont on any pretext whatever for
= few days until the fight had been
allowed to die down. The next day
Wa8 Sunday, on which Wright pub
lished no paper, and Kerr would be
home before another issued appeared.
He agreed with Gilbert that the Ban
ner oughc to ridicule the alleged ex-
pose.
Sunday night. much to her surprise
but not much against her will, Gloria
went to st. Louis with Mrs. Gilbert to
pick out furniture for Locust Lawn.
She did not know that her father had
returned from Esmeralda Springs that
morning and had been closeted all aft
ernoon with Gilbert and John Ken
dali. who had hurried to Belmont in
response TO q telegram. The girl had
not seen Wright all day. nor had she
seen him Saturday. but there came
from him q box Of roses at noon.
Little witch that she was, she meant
to surprise him by sending him a note
OF thanks from st. Louis. She knew
he would join her and Mrs. Gilbert
there o. her hint that they would be
glad to see him.
Wright received her note and per.
ceived tim slightly yelled invitation.
but he was too busy wen to answer.
Il was 4 week that contained more ex-
element than Belmont had seen since,
. frontier village. 1t had struggled
with the question Of whether the state
should secede or remain In the Union.
David Kerr found himself confronted
BY q formidable line OF battle. The
Banner kept pounding away at the
News. but the afternoon paper was
not to be- diverted from its purpose.
The citizens on Maple Avenue formed
the Maple League, and wore buttons !
o. which were a maple leaf and the
legend, Help rs save our homes"
The = line was to run through the
seventh and eighth wards, and the
aldermen In those wards were del
iuked with letters. post cards. tele-
phone calls aud personal visits. Fin