The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1916-09-15

tempt OF his townspeOple, he realized
that his days Of political power were
numbered.
Charlie Thomas didn't have to see.
his subjects in person. He drew from
photographs. He did not miss FIRE once,
nor was it necessary for him to confine
himself to portraiture. Now and again
he made picture of home that drink
had ruined, Of pitiful children, of for
lorn women. People studied these pic
lures and cried; then they went saw
agely to the polls and drove a nail into
the coffin Of the liquor business in Shelf
field. After election the mound of
votes on the grave of the enemy was
so high, as the jubilant Jones an
nounced in the Evening View. that it
could be surmounted only by aid of a
| fireman's ladder. p
"And there's only one more picture
for you to draw. good old boy" said
Jones, on the day after the obsequies.
you've been doing some great work;
| but it's been so uniformly negative, I'm
thinking the public would be delighted
with the portrait of real good citi-
zen-let's run John Willett's picture
tomorrow. He's been stanch through
it all, put his money, brains and infiu-
ence into the scales, and is the one man
who deserves the thanks of this COM
munity. His personal interests have
been sacrificed, for he is thousands of
dollars poorer today than he was yes
| terday. For instance, his stock in the
Waldemere is probably cut In half.
But Willett's true blue; let's run his
picturer'
Jones produced photograph Of John
Willett, and Charlie set to work. Jones.
standing at his elbow, frowned.
Hold on. boy" he said, you're get
ting all mixed up. This is John Willett
you're drawing, not Simon Legree.
Say, it'd never do to print that"
Charlie surveyed his handiwork with
horror. His picture of John Wfllett
equaled in the unpleasant quality Of its
revelation almost any that he had done
during the campaign. Dominating the
caricatured features was Seifshness,
a refined, subtle and Indifferent Self
ishness. 1t was not hoggish-no. it
was nothing SO frank as that. But the
menace was there. unspeakably ter
rible. Charlie covered his face with
his hands.
"Oh, Jonesy," he cried. lyon
couldn't use that; you couldn't use that.
Why, Mr.. Winett's one Of my very best
friends" He sat and pondered.
| Il will get you picture of Mr.. Will
Iett," he said. "You wait here, Jonesy.'
He hitched briskly away, although
the defect in his gait was notably di-
minished. In ten minutes he was in
John Willett's Office
A man sat at John Willett's desk.
man with gray at his temples and deep.
haggard lines in his face. Gray streaks
appeared. too, in his closely trimmed
beard, but his eyes laughed when he
greeted Charlie Thomas.
Hello, Little Sir Galahad," he said.
How goes the Quest today?''
Il think we gained few steps yes
terday," said the boy.
81 should say we did" cried John
Willett. "Say, young fellow. what are
you doing?"
Drawing your picture for tomor-
rows View"
What's that? You young imp, are
you going to- Look here, Charlie,
boy. How many people know you are
the mysterious cartoonist? There are
men in this town who would be de-
lighted to skin you.'
"Only three or four people know it.
and they'll never tell. I'm afraid I've
hurt a lot of feelings. It's dreadful to
know that you have done that"
II used to think so, too. Charlie: but
this thing we have been fighting has
hurt your feelings and mine, hasn't ii /?
We don't regret the results. do we,
boyg
Nope" said Charlie. "TAere, that's
better"
He drew out the sketch he had made
from the photograph of John Willett
six years younger; jaunty. care-free,
indulgent John Willett
'Murderw cried Willett. "You don't
/ say ever looked like that?"
your soul used to. l guess" said
Charlie: ''but it doesn't now. The pic
ture in tomorrow's paper'll suit you
better"
I'm never get over this, Charlie"
said Willett. 1T isn't the sketch that
hurts: it's knowing that can't deny
the truth of it. No man can look at
one of your portraits of himself and
say truly that it does not reveal his
soul"
Next day, when people got the View.
they nodded sagely and commented:
'That's just like John He always
was fine man; this proves it. He's
aged lately, but he doesn't lose char
/ acter. That certainly is our own John
Willett. the one who's always been our
most useful. publc-spirited citizen"
CHAPTER XIV.
TWO Years Later.