Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1914-01-14
CHAPTER VIII.
The Trap Is Sprung.

me trap
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 half-stifed
rhythm of the dining-room orchestra
reached them in snatches.
Standish got to his feet; slowly and
more like very old man than one in
his prime. But he looked down with
Grass stolidity at his tormentor. And
In his deep tones there was more of
Eorrow than of nervous dread.
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
fng away your hand like this?"
Blake looked panied.
Cant a man do a decent thing for
once" he grumbled, without having
his motives picked apart?"
I'm afraid not-in your case" an
swered Standish.
"All right" agreed Blake in no whit
CudSA1nCQ ACb AOOA at II AAOAA q
business standpoint, then. If you'll de-
eide suddenly to let this Mullins bill
pass, and if you'll support Mark Rob
ertson for the speakership, everything
will be perfectly smooth and har-
monious And we won't have to use
these painful, means"
@Oh. see. A bargain?"
Zone that you won't lose by" said
Blake "a mighty good one, since it
saves you your political skin. instead
OF forcing us to nail it to the barn"
Despite his confidence Blake was
vaguely worried He knew men, as a
pianist knows his keyboard. And now
a subtle intuition, quite at variance
with all his keen logic, warned him
that Standish was not in the least
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
er tack
The Woman, too he added Think
of her!"
He grinned under his sparse mus,
tache. For again he saw Standish'A
hands clench. And he knew he haE
struck the one right note.
Yes" went on Blake Think of TIE
~W3manl She's walking blindly, gn-
,suspectingly, right straight into she
trap we've set for her. It'll be hell
for her. Pure, unadulterated, skynlue
hell. If she's got a husband or Kids
or parents it'll blacken the Ehole
~oTid for them all, Oh, don't make
US do this thing, mani Thick it
over Don't decide In a rush Take
your time BY eleven o'clock or so
I'll have her name. Then Il will be
early enough for you to tell me your
decision. You'll find me somewhere
about the hotel, II I'm not ovsr at the
Capitol Good-by"
He strolled Oft toward Nde dining
room AS he passed Wanda he glanc.
ed covertly at her through his lowered
lids. She was raptlY absorbed in the
novel she was reading.
Standish WATCHED Blake out of
sisht His face. ROW that the mask
was no longer needful, worked almost
grotesquely And his swarthy skin
was a pallid yellow. He looked like
a pugilist who tries dazedly to rise
after a knockout.
He was thinking rapidly; despite his
daze After moment or two he
crossed hastily to che telephone
switchboard.
Get me a New York wire, please.
ne sSld, looking nersously down the
corridor "as quickly as you can"
AS he spoke he vas running over
the pages of one OF tne telephone books
OF the desk. Wanda drove plug into
the switchboard ard droned:
"H1oi Long dixtauce? That you,
Jessie? This Is Wanda. Say. get me
Sew York wire--oh the jump. please
Yes Oh, have your Good. Let the
other party wait, ard give it to me,
won't your Thanks. I've got one. al
ready she added. glRncing over her
shoulder st Standish. What number,
rIease?"
One thousand and one. Plaza he
answered, Looking rp from the direc-
Gg5
plaza ,ne-o QUA" she dronea