Putnam patriot., 1914-01-02

we've been working for, for years"
 I'm not beaten yet retorted Stand ish. And advise you. Governor Rob ertson, to be careful"
 "Oh. we shall be careful" returned Van Dyke. "The proprietor of the ho- tel is coming tonight. The hotel where Mir. and Mrs. Fowler were registered. We may not need him to identify her But he'll be on hand in case we do. Take my word for 1t, Mir. Standish. you'll save a great deal of unneces- sary trouble If youTl quietly step down and out"
 If did said standsh. T would be politically dead You know that"
 You're politically dead. anyway" insisted Mark. "If this story will beat you tonight it will beat you % years from today Particularly if this Wom- an proves to he-what shall We call it?--a trife off color?"
 "Robertsonl"
 "Ah! That hurts, does it? Then it's probably true. If the Woman is the kind that-that would not do you credit, you can understand how much more effective 1t will be-
 You are wrongt' denied Standish. "She is of good family. She"
 She may have been a good woman when you. found her." said Mark. But there must have been a bad streak in her. somewhere. You left her to sink as low as expect to find her and
 Drop that, Mark" burst out Tom Blake, jumping from his seat and con fronting his brother-in-law. Don't can't listen to 1t any longer. Standish is right What you men are doing is vile. If you've got a scrap of man. hood left in the whole bunch of you. you won't drag this Woman into your dirty schemes. F."
 "Oh," drawled Blake with the air of sleepy man bothered by fly, flor the love of Mike. don't you butt in! The situations punk enough as it is, without your laying your trophies of idiocy at it's feet"
 "Idiocy?" flared Tom. Perhaps common decencys a better term. Or perhaps in your vocabulary the two
 
 known as political leaders. The pub lie looks to you for examples. And yet you stoop to a currish trick like thisl Isn't there enough whiteness in the whole lot of you for single voice to protest against such use of wom- ans name? You've just been told she's of good family. That she has a tr nd litical necessityi' You know this story will destroy at least two lives. Prob ably several more. And again you an- swer: Political necessity!' You have the power to ruin these lives. If you use that power, I tell you now, one and all-my father as well as the rest I'm ashamed to have breathed the same air with you!"
 Good night, Tom," drawled Blake, nos so much as troubling to glance in his irate sons direction. "No," corrected Tom, "good-by." Its up to you," yawned Blake. "Good-by," reiterated Tom, stamp ing from the room and slamming the outer door of the suite behind him. The others stared after him in dull wonder. But an exclamation from their host suddenly shifted their attention. "Gracel" cried Mark in surprised disapproval.
 She had come, unnoticed, from her hiding place behind the inner door and was standing among them before they were aware of her presence.
 Mark" she panted. IT heard what Tom said. And he was right. You must not"
 Please keep out of this, Grace" re quested her husband in dire embar. rassment. You don't know anything about it. You couldn't possibly"
 "I do," she denied. I've heard. And"
 Grace, dear girl" soothed Blake. This is muddy business; at best It's no tine for you to be here. You'll only soil those pretty hands of yours."
 ''It is the time for me to be here." she declared. T can see this from the Woman's standpoint. You men cant" "
 "There is nothing in common be- tween your standpoint and that of the Woman we are talking about" protest ed Mark.
 "1om was right!" she persisted. You must not sink to using this story. I;-"
 The whirr of the buzzer interrupted her. At such high tension wore they all that the sound made them turn as though to confront a physical pres ence Neligan strode to the door, con- ferred foI an instant with some one outside. then returned with a slip of blue paper in his hand.
 "The duplicate list of phone num- bers from central" he announced, turning over the paper to Van Dyke.
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