The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1916-01-27
CHAPTER XIII.

Other trains were making whirl-
wind tours of these United States.
Not every capitalist was on the side
of capital. A badly frightened and
very able man in the White House
was fighting for his political life. Into
| the arena there came at last drib-
bling of genuine patriots, who, like
their forefathers, were ready to give
for their country their lives, their for
tunes, and their sacred honor.
1t wasn't all smooth sailing, by any
means. Still no new movement had
ever made such progress in so short
a time, and the end was not in sight,
nor the beginning of the end,
A man gaining in strength from day
| to day, among those who stood for the
old order of things, and opposed Ce-
| lestia, was Tommy Barclay. He had
q great fervid quality of honesty
which no one could doubt and he had
look on his face, very lean now from
short nights, hard work, and the con
stant buffetings of trains, of young
hero who has set himself to do to
death dragon that is ravaging a
countryside. With experience and
practice had come quick initiative in
emergencies, ease, and the better CON
troll of naturally fine and far-car-
rying voice. (
His t~iumphs were many. His
downfalls came when he crossed
| Celesta's path too closely. If she
was speaking by chance in the same
town at the same time he would have
no more of an audience than he could
have counted on the fingers of his
hands If he followed her too closely
he spoke to deaf and unsympathetic
ears
The crime of the ages" said one
rough miner, who was suffering from
too much heart, too mvh whisky and
too little mind, you great big, whist
lin, thunderin boob, did you ever set
eyes on the LADY," ,
AMI Tommy to his horror had failed
to find an answer to that question
anywhere in his head, and had STAN
mered and become tongue-tied, and
been bored, and had done harm to
cause, which. so fanatical he had be-
come at this time, seemed to mean
life and death to him.
In exalted moments he felt that he
had crushed the love of Celestia out
of his heart.
Once in a little northern town.
standing on an improvised rostrum of
packing cases, and in the midst of
addressing a large crowd of quiet,
| sensible people, who appeared to like
him. and to like what he said, it was
Tommys bad fortune TO have Celes-
tia arrive from her snow-white car
and steal his audience away from him.
His sea of upturned faces" became
a pool. with more than half the faces
turned away to try and see what all
the excitement was about further
down the street and everybody get
ting more and more restless and mat
tentive A sudden tremendous cheer
ing took the rest OF Tommy's audi
ence away from him on the run, with
the exception of one young woman,
WHO NDat Il AlllN n ~ Wv IA NNlA t'i' '''''
half concealed by the stem of an elm.
For a moment or two Tommy did
not see her. His eyes were on the
backs and twinkling legs of his fast
disappearing audience, and there was
a smile on his face half rueful resig-
nation and half amusement He did
not notice the woman until she called
attention to herself by speaking.
Don't stop" she said they haven't
all gone. 1t isn't fair to me. I've
come a long way to hear YOU"
With an exclamation of pleasure
Tommy leaped down from his rostrum
and ran to greet her. why, Mary
blackstone" he exclaimed, what the
dickens are you doing way down
here"
Il told you came to hear you
speak. You are getting to be rather
famous. you know. and | thought 1t
was my duty-her eyes sparkled un-
der the veil-to hear you at least once.
Well" said Tommy, smiling back,
"you missed all the good parts
They turned and walked aoward the
little city park.
What are you really doing in this
far away place, Mary? You didn't
do all that travelling just to hear me
talk through my hat. did you?'
NO. | didn't, really; and you didn't
really talk through your hat. came
as a matter Of fact to tell you some
thing l think you ought to know"
They reached the little park, chose
a bench. and sat down.
You'll promise not TO let anyone
know you got the story from me-
I'll promise that, Of course
"Of course" said Mary, IF Mr.. Bar
clay is the next president 1t will be a
great thing fer his friends. among
whom he has told ne so many times
TO include myself that l have ended by
believing him. 1t would be a great
thing for me-
I 4 60 fhn