The Dermott news., 1914-07-02


and he paused significantly, did yua
put It into the evening papers?"
Strickland's laugh was practical
admission.
1T would mean a hard fight. Slade.
The waterfront crowds against you.
and you can't get on without their
influence"
Not In this town. at least" amend
ed Katherine
You've got to have Wesley Merritt,
his paper, his highfaluting editorials
and his speechmaking- his wife. !"
Strickland explained. He and his
crowd run the town
"Oh. you mean my neighbors p"
asked Slade. They'll come around"
he finished. meaningly.
But, man alive! Only today Mer.
ritt's attack on you was scurrilous
demonstrated with him myself. He's
your out-and-out enemy. I've tried TO
get him-to-to come over and shake
hands. but he swears he'll never cross
your Threshold"
Il guess they'll come when | wnnt
EN- TO come" Slade interrupted with
an assurance his auditors could not
understand In fact. I'm looking for
EN- any minute now" and he consult
ed his watch
You're looking for them-here--to-
night" sasped Strickland. showing
plainly he thought Slade was making
joke OF the matter
Yes. tonight" replied the would be
governor quietly. and turned to Kath-
crime.
Strickland subsidized, question
growing in his mind as TO whether he
had fully measured the man he expect
ed 10 use for his own political and
financial ends. There was in SHADES
method OF fighting a direct and open
quality that would make him hard to
handle in the crooked and indirect
ways OF political life.
Katherine Strickland's eyes mar
rowed as she met SHADES gaze. Her
quick. calculating mind saw in this
man the possibility OF realizing her
highest hopes and ambitions. With
such a man a woman could scale any
heights-reach any goal. He was hard
-yesi But a man needs to be hard
In these days and times IL he is ever
to accomplish anything In her fer
tile brain smoldered ambitions as
great as his ambitions that she now
realized would never be attained I'M
less she made some great, radical
change in her life
She had pushed her father as far
as the man would-could so. She
had outdistanced every girl in her
circle She had reached high, but she
had triumphed Now she was at the
end OF her tether II was a matter
of making some one huge stroke or
sinking back into stupid obscurity. a
situation all the more bitter because
OF her previous successes. The
thought OF settling down into the ev-
eryday life OF the western city where
she was born made her very soul
squirm. Surely there was something
more in life for her Surely there
were bigger goals to be gained
She had never realized how empty
the old home life was until now. when
she suddenly found herself part OF
It again after the brilliant European
season and the stimulating. exciting
life in diplomatic circles at the capital
The thought OF remaining in the West,
a big frog In little puddle. had
grown positively hateful to her Big
or little herself. she wanted big
puddle She was quite satisfied in her
own mind that no puddle would be so
big that she couldn't become a frog
OF considerable size In IT,
Now, as her restless brain and soul
clamored for higher goals and wider
field. the thought of SHADES millions.
SHADES dominating. forceful personal.
ity, Slade's reputation for sweeping
everything before him. SHADES prob
able goyernorship. flashed through her
mind like a burning streak OF electric
fire With him. with his weapons.
what career lay before woman
Just as suddenly she found herself
wondering what sort OF woman had
been a mate to this man for so many
years She was conscious of poign.
ant pang OF snvy-Jeslousy almost
against this woman who had the OPP
portunity which was denied her.
Well. what do you think OF your
own country. now you're back" she
heard Shades voice saying. Seem
big to you ?"