The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-07-29
CHAPTER xv.
Ind IIauaI Methlod.


 prosperous big president of the
 Earth and his prosperous
 friend to the Hotel de Renais- sance received $10 tip. The bell boys who carried in their elaborate luggage received S10 each. Before. dinner was over the joviaIly smiling big man was spoken of about the hotel as Spender Wallingford, and the pro- prietor himself went up tessee what was the, matter with the thermostat. tsI'n have the head engineer up here in just few minutes,'' announced Mr. Blount, who was bullet headed man upon whom dress suit sat with some < shame. If you want anything in the town let me know and I'll get it for you, MT Wallingford."
 'I don't think you're going to give me chance to want anything,'' re- turned Wallingford pleasantly. By. the way, though, I'll probably need some information. Do you imagine that 1t would be difacult to promote a big public amusement park here
 MT. Blount considered the matter graveIy, then shook his head. ''r couldn't tell you about that,'' he admit ted. You see, that's all politics here. The only two amusement parks we have are run by a county commission CT, and an alderman of opposite poll tics, and they're both backed by the traction-company, which is all politics. This is the only city in the country that has two healthy polfticaf gangs, and nobody knows who's going to lose next time.,s
 q could give you a guess, 1nterpo- lated Mr. WaIlingford's black haired and black mustached and black frock- ed friend. ssyVhen you hit town like that the voters 1ose.'
 "They lose any place. agreed Blount with laugh. 4@They'd ought to lose for standing for what they do. I've no more sympathy for them than n have for deacon that tries to buy coupterfeit money and gets a box of saWdustl It's so especially fierce De- Ncause these amateur grafters are lot of rabbits. | have no respect for a hoId1p man that will shiver while he's going through your pockets. They're planning to steal the courthouse right now, but they're so scared think they sleep with all the lights. turned oi1.''
 WaHingford chuckled in huge en., joyme1t- I've heard of stealing a grindstope and a hot cook stove" he observed. but stealing coprthouses is new speciality on me v It ought to be easy,' asserted Blount, stilI disdainfuH of his local ordinance tinkers- They've just built a profitable new courthouse, and the old one. which occupies the finest busf- ness situation in town, is to be sold next Saturday. A bunch of these burglars want to buy it in for about half Of it's value and open a beer hall cafe, but they're afraid to grab it be- fore election for fear it will swamp them at the polls. and they're afraid to wait till after the election for fear they won't get chance at 1t.
 ''That sounds Interesting, but it makes my scheme look like feeling q rattlesnake's fangs to see if they're who can tell me exactly how the land Nes.''
 .'.I'Il bring you Charley Jacks0n,e of fered Blount He knows so much about politics that he's changed his party four times and always landed on the winning side. !.
 When the proprietor had gone MT. WaIlingford's friend Daw came out of his modest retirement, and he came out grinning.
 You've always been a quick pro- ducer, Jim,'s he confessed, "but you dug up that public amusement park thought so suddenly that it's dizzy yet Would you run one?" F. q wouldn't run anything unless it went some place in a hurry.s asserted I Waningford, laughing. 'sI had to talk to the man, though, didn't I, and don't know any more entertaining con- versation than lie."
 That's right" agreed Blackie ad- l niringly. -It's the only thing there's no limit to- This town don't look so bad, Jim.''
 'It's a pleasant town,' approved l WaIlingford 'sIt can't have much over 100000 population, yet the hotels, churches and banks look like real I money, and we're paupers.
 ] T told you that Fannie objected to my investing $5OO,OOo in a railroad scheme to put another little crimp in l the bank roll of E. H. Falls,'' patiently explained Wallingford. ''so I took the l $S,OOO I hsld already drawn out for us to go on that little hunting trip. turn ed the balance of the bank roll over to | Fannie, brought you along to com plete your education, and now I'm hunting that $5Oo.O0O, Let's. go and show ourselves and throw away some more money. There hasn't reporter asked about us yet"
 (To Be Contfnue0.J