Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-10
he ETERNAL FEMININE
Continued from page s

part will get the kids and once you get all
the youngsters of a town working for you
you've got the women and the men. This
scheme gets both the women and the chill
dren, and there isn't possible chance of its
falling down-provided of course that you
keep it a dead secret"
Plainly he was itching to shout the news
to his clerks, then to grab his hat and run
home and spill the news to Mrs. Horton, the
two Misses Horton, and to the Gawkeys,
mother and son; but he saw the necessity
of complete secrecy, and agreed promptly to
sit quiet and let US do the arranging.
We've got to visit four or five towns up
the State l told him: @but we'll be back
in Billport Friday. From that time until
circus day one or both of us will be in Bill
port experimenting the details of the mayor
atty slaughter. Now we're going to call and
pay our respects to your family and the
Gawkeys, catch train, and go on our way.
Horton slammed down his desk and
walked with us to his home, where we
passed few words with his wife and their
charming daughters. Mrs. Gawkey we
found in her kitchen, up to her elbows in the
ingredients of what she said would soon be
a new batch of bread Moisture appeared
in the corners of McCanns mouth, and l
had to use force to pry him away, but not
until he had found time to accept an invi-
tation for both of us to supper Friday.
please have fried chicken, said |.
@Mince pie and biscuits-don't forget
thern!' said Jack.
A HANDSHAKE with Isaac Mumford
Gawkey in his law office, hasty exit
from the hotel, and we were soon on train
headed north. Awaiting us in the next
town-Enid, think-was wire from Sam,
saying he thought he understood the tenor
of our messages, and that he had made
James Gawkey superintendent of the amuse-
ment amphitheater, whatever that was,-
that he had apprised the young man of the
reason for his sudden rise in the world, and
that until then he had never believed
clown could look happy. As for fried chick
en-, he was in favor of it; but mince pie must
be cold.
1t didn't take me long to transact the ad
vance business in these towns; so we had
plenty of time to dope out plans for the
election in Billport. Jack, who, although
he was trailing along just for the fun Of it,
had never failed to take lively interest in
Sans circus, now transferred his attention
to |. NJ. Gawkey. Exactly how much of his
ardor was due to Mother Gawkey's culinary
excellence am at loss to say; but he GER
tainly worked overtime revising the copy l
landed back on the scene of the impending
scrimmage, we were equipped with as fine a
lot of underhanded political ammunition as
was ever discharged on an unsuspecting
poppsH1lace
Leader" l asked Horton as soon as we
could get to his store, us he strong enough
for Gawkey to do the printing and at the
same time keep secret?'
The old man said he was. He also said ne
had rounded up a sign painter who had two
sons working for him. The three could slap
up acres of paint overnight and keep their
mouths shut. That was all | wanted to
know. We showed the merchant our i'm
Elements Of warfare, and he fairly cried for
glee. Never, he said, had he seen the likes
of US in all his born days. That evening
Jack and l stuffed ourselves again with
fried chicken, hot biscuits, cold cider, and
hot mince pie at the Gawkey home. All the
Horizons were there, and we had even a
better time than on our first visit. The
blond Miss Horton played the piano while
her sister sang This time little Mrs. Cav
key joined in Aud Lang Syne, and must
admit that her voice was quite the sweetest
of the lot. She had had two letters from
James, and didn't shed a tear. She said she