The Washington herald., 1914-03-16
THE ACID TEST.

, Craft" snorted KeTrigan. the
young city attorney. He had just fin-
isned the reading of the craftiiy word.
ed franchise proposition submitted by
the attorneys of the Intercity Rapid
Transit Company. "Brazenest piece of
graft ever saw. Do you suppose" he
asked himself, that the hardened old
sinner intends to sell his daughter for
$4,000. .ooO?"
With q contemptuous shrus he toss
ed aside the document the city coun-
ell had submitted for his opinion His
nInble legal mind had grasped at once
the insolent though skilifully veiied
attempt of the Intercity Rapid Transit
10 obtain an extension of right-of-way
without giving the city a penny in re-
turn. 1t was his plain duty to recon-
mend that the ordinance be rejected.
But the situation was complicated.
For, as Fate would have il, the Inter-
city Rapid Transit consisted largely Of
one George Periolat traction mag
nate and power in politics, and George
Pcriolat happened to be the father OF
the dearest girl in the world.
For a moment Kerrigan groaned
and almost wished that some one
other than Warren Kerrigan were
y
Then his jaws snapped doEgedly and
he promised himself that though love
and politics were supposed to make a
bad mixture he would win in both.
We'll, my boy, rave you written that
opinion YETI" asked some one at his
elbow. Warren had been so absorbed in
thoughts that he had not noticed the
arrival Of the father of the dearest girl
in the wcrld. Periolat eyed him with
HI lis l1f ire
five-foot and ten riches bristled with
energy and exuded imrerious puSnacity.
Just the kind of man, kerrigan knew,
who either wins men or breaks them.
He kicked a chair toward him and
Periolat sat down. See you've been
reading my franchise ordinance" OBJ
served the traction magnate squirting at
the document Greatest thing ever hap
pened to this town, my boy. Means mu-
nicipaI wealth, viriIity, and progress.
Great opportunity for you, Warren. The
city council, as I understand it, will
be guided by your opinion. 1t is within
Your power to make or kill this town,
my boy"
Kerrigan fumed IF you think I'm a
child who can be fooled by soft talk
you're making the worst blunder of your
life" he rctorted. This franchise or
GInance is a brazen piece of thieveE.
and you know it. It's graft-plain graft.
And let me tell you something if you
weren't Cleos father / would kick you
out OF my Office
Periolat chuckled. There was a gleam
in the eyes of the man who had made
and unmade mayors and city attorneys
that might have meant either one of sew
eral things. For a moment Kerrigan
thought it was satisfaction and approval
But the traction magnate's next words
destroyed that vague impression.
Il came to have an understa nding with
you in regard to this matter" he said.
sternly. You have asked me for the
hand Of my daughter. Maybe l am old
fashioned. but i demand a test of your
worth. II it's an acid test it's all the
better-the result will be the more con-
vincing. I've decided to make this fran
chise measure 4 test of your capacity
for judgment and action. Do as you see
fit Good day, sir
Periolat strobe imperiously from the
Office. He paused for a moment at the
door. and saw that his words had been
effective. Warren. groaning with the
ferceness of the struggle. sat limp and
pale at the table, his head tilted against
lis hand. With an inscrutable smile
on his lips Periolat slammed the door
and left the office.
The telephone tangled. Warren un-
hooked the receiver in a dazed way.
Then sickly and reluctant smile crept
into his face. A girls voice that bubbled
laughter and love and happiness came
to him over the wire.
Too busy to see me. you naughty
boy?" Knocked Cleo Madison, and Warren
promised to call in the evening. He
must tell her, and the sooner it was
over the better. But the vision of Cleo's
laughing eyes and the girl herself white
slender. irresistible. melted rebellion be-
tween the city attorney and the lover
Warren roundly cursed the simple-mind-
ed voters who had made him city attor-
ney. Shucks, Wasn't a girl like Cleo
worth thousand offices and a million
franchises?
reached for the document A few simple
words and Cleo Madison would he his. A
mere scratch Of the pen, Others in his
position would have done the same thing
for few paltry dollars. . .
The penpoint touched the paper and
halted. \ vision other than that Of Cleo
Madison Obtruded itself. 1t was a white.
shrunken face. the aIl-reveaIing face of
n dying woman. He could still hear the
whisper that had come from her lips:
BE honest and upright, my son, and
God will bless you"
Warren smiled wistfullv as he pushed
the ordinance aside. The decision seem
ed so simple. the victory SO easy. now
that he had resolved. How could the
sly ways and crafty tactics of PerioIat
ever have tempted him? He clenched his
fingers and thuInped the table belliger-
entity and swore he would be a winner in
both love and politics.
Cleo listened with a tense and troubled
face as he told her that evening about
the acid test and tried TO explain the
tribUlStions Of young man caught be-
tween politics and love.
Il mast fight he told her. Either
YOUR father will break me or I him. It's
N0VTNG PTCTUREc