Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1914-01-14
CHAPTER Viii.
r]ha iran n spruna !


There was a pause. Neither man
seemed DESTROYS to be first to return
to the attack. The buzz Of the city
:crept In from outside. The halfstined
rhythm OF the dining-room orchestra
reached them in snatches. a 4
standish got to his feet; slowly and
more like q very old man than one In
4 his prime. But he looked down with
Grass stolidity at his tormentor. And
4 in his deep tones there was more OF
sorrow than of nervous dread.
sa.Mr. Blake" he said. there's one
point L can't quite grasp. Even your
admiration for my worthy qualities
and your very kind desire to save me
trouble. can not wholly explain your
action In telling me. Why are you CIV
ing away your hand like this?" .;2
Blake looked panied. 5tS 81
.S9 Cant man do q decent thing for
once, :" he grumbled, without having
his motives picked apart z 10
$.sTm afraid not-in your case" an
sswered standish. II
''All right" agreed Blake in no whit
4chaxrined. Let's look at it from q
business standpoint, then, II you'll de-
eide suddenly to let this Mullins bill
1 pass. and II you'll support Mark Rob
ertson for the eakershp, everything
win be perfectly smooth and har-
monious: And we won't have to use
these painful means-----''''s q.
"Oh, j see "A bargain q y Il.
{ zone that you won't lose by" said
Blake. "A mighty good one. since 1t
saves you your; political skin. instead
Of sforcing US to nail3it to the barn"
Despite his confidence Blake was
vaguely worried. He knew men, as .
/ pianist knows his keyboard. And now
! subtle intuition, quite at variance
with all his keen logic, warned him
that Standish was not In the least
4 frightened by the threat Of political
death. Knowing the Insurgents high
ambitions as he did, Blake could not
account for this absence Of terror. So.
feeling his way. he shifted to the 9TH
Or tack 57 & h 5s:s. y 5s
..'The Woman. too.'' he added. Think
OF her!"; 5$i e 5s:
He grinned under his sparse mus
$tache. For again he saw standish's
hands clench. And he knew he had
struck the one right note. .,,5
ss#s3 81, 2 went ON Blake. Think Of the
Woman! She's walking blindly, un-
spnectingly, right straight into the
trap we've sst for her. It'll be hell
y for her. Pure. unadulterated. sky-blue
hell. II she's got . husband or kids
Aor parents It'll blacken the whole
world for them all. Oh. don't make
IN do this thing, man! Think It
Yer. Don't decide in = rush. Take
your time. BY eleven o'clock or 90
I'll have her name Then.it will be
early enough for you to tell me your
decision. You'll find me somewhere
about the hotel. II I'm not over at the
Capitol. Good-by.' q Z
He strolled OF toward the dining
room. AS he passed Wanda he glanc-
cd covertly at her through his lowered
$lids. She was raptly absorbed In the
novel she was reading. ,@ss
Standish watched Blake out Of
sight. His face, now that the mask
was no longer needful, worked almost
\ Srotesquely. And his swarthy skin
was pallid yellow. He looked like
pugilist who tries dazedly to rise
after q knockout. 5a
He was thinking rapidly; despite his
] daze. After a moment or two he
crossed hastily to the telephone
switchboard. "a II;
Get me New York wire, please" "
he said, looking nervously down the
corridor, ''as quickly as you can.
AS he spoke he was running over
4 the pages OF one of the telephone books
on the desk. Wanda drove plug into
the switchboard and droned: IA
"H'lo! Long distance? That you,
Jessie? This Ii Wanda. Say. get me
- New York wire-on the jump. please
Yes. oh, have you! Good! Let the
other party wait, and give It to me,
won't you? Thanks. I've got one al
ready" she added, glancing over her
shoulder at Standish. What number,
plesse7.' Il
One thousand and one, Plaza." he
answered. looking up from the direc-
tory. v. s 3e5
plaza one one !" she droned
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