Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-01-29

icS' houdihS HIS return 10 SleUge
grunt
Then it's time again" insisted the
senator pleasantly, ringing for another
cup, Or would you prefer a cocktail"
"a little Of your exclusive rye,
think, if you insist on anything" &C
cepted Marley, drawing a chair into the
cozy little circle You're trying to
save that rye or you would have of
fered it in the first place"
NO; only trying to promote sobrie-
ty,' bantered Allerton. II suppose,
however, that a memory of that good
Kentucky stock is what brought you
out here on this peaceful Sabbath
morning"
Hardly" denied Marley. Frankly
| suppose ! came on the same errand
as my rival and competitor here"
What's that" asked Allerton, with
a glance at Sledge.
To find out what the dickens you
mean by that infamous street railway
bill of which you are the disreputable
! parent"
| Allerton gaZed at him blankly for a
| moment and again glanced quizzically
at Sledge. There was a low rumble
down in Sledge's throat, but neither
his face nor his eyes betrayed any SEN
| timent or emotion whatsoever
Il mean to protect the honest work
| ingman, to save our houses and fire.
sides and add honor and glory to the
! American flag" responded Allerton sol
emily
Marley accepted that merry quip
with the courteous chuckle which it de-
served
Outside of that and drying the tears
Of the widows and orphans. what do
you propose to accomplish by it," he
, persisted in like vein. If | didn't
know you were above spitework l
should think that you had it in for the
street car interests"
Again the senator looked at him with
a puzzled air, then he turned to Sledge.
Doesn't he know anything?' he
queried.
Nav" rnmbled Sledge.
Il see" answered Allert0n coOlly. Il
supposed You all knew that before the
bill was passed 1t would be amended
TO conserve the important financial in
terestS."
Marley pondered that statement
awhile and then he laughed.
"Of course" he said. It's only p0lit-
ical claptrap. intended to make the
voter think you are etcrnally on the
job in his interests"
Il wouldn't put it in exactly that
way" soberly reproved AllertOn, justly
offended by this coarse method of i'm
pugning his motives.
Il apologize, said Marley. II should
have said the bill displays that you
constantly have the interests Of your
constituents at heart. We were rather
exercised about it, but we should no
have been. for in your long service foi
the public l do not think you have ever
promoted or fostered any Legislation
which would be destructive of capital
Certainly not" agreed Allerton, whit
! never let down his pose in the presence
of man who had not proved his RICH
to sit within the sacred circle. With
out the proper and legitimate fosterin;
of enterprises requiring extensive finan
cial support there can be no nationa
prosperity
That's sound enough doctrine,
, / INI Nov hot
amendments which are to soften thu
blow"
With kindly patience the senator ex
planned to him the amendments, one
by one, being careless enough, how
ever, not to mention the fifty yea
franchise clause
At the end of an hour Marley, muci
relieved in his mind, took his depar
, ture, regretting that Sledge was no
! ready to accompany him.
Its strange how easily a man II
, control of important investments take
fright" he acknowledged, as he aros
| to go. We can be put on the rul
! | with a penny's worth of firecrackers
, | Not long ago our friend Sledge, here
had me stampeded, but l checkmate'
the old villain. AS matter Of fact
the only result Of his campaign agains
, me was TO put me in control of m
: own company, and now, / fancy,
have the thing so well tied up that
j can't be hurt. / beat you at your ow
game, eh, Sledge?" and he chuckle
Y down at his defeated oppressor wit
a forgiving triumph.
Sledge looked up at him and smiled
: His thick lips parted, displaying hi
t teeth. The under side of his upper Ii
d showed a sharp roll of vivid scarle
d and his cold gray eyes combined I
4 give that facial distortion an EXPIRE
e sion of malignity startling even to A
" lerton. who knew the man even bette
q than Tom Bendix.
Y Marley was conscious of that Strang
o sensation which those who had ri
Il foul Of Sledge had described as a
'. actual physical chill, like the sudde
d" opening of a window to the cold rail-
e and the smile upon his own face froz
e He was conscious that his lips wei
J. still in the contour which his braggin
> chuckle had given them. and he fe
= the embarrassed awkwardness in r
II storing his features TO their normal e,
u pression, which man does who hf
;, committed some atrocious social blu
der,
n The horror and the menace and Ii
malignitY Of that smile increased upo