Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1916-01-07
up. and you didn't get him."
"a dark horse?" she faltered

coffee monopOlist. sneaked him In here
under an alias. and nobody's on" He
puzzled over the card moment. Eek
cuse me till I fix it." and he stalked
away.
Molly sat silently. allowing a cold
wave of humiliation slowly to chill her
soul. Why. Sledge had carefully pre-
arranged her triumph of the evening.
He had assumed control Of her dance
card and of her succession of delight
full tete-a -tetes. He had driven the
star performers into her net as If they
had been droves Of sheep. True. men
had sought her second time Of their
own accord because Of that charm
which she knew she possessed-a
vaguely understood attractiveness.
which was more than beauty. more
than cleverness. more than mere sex
receptiveness. She had won by her
own power. but Sledge had given her
the glorious opportunities. His omnip-
otence began to annoy her and his
ruthlessness to in1ame her already in
famed resentment.
She knew precisely what was hap
pening at this moment. He was Great
ing havoc in not less than half dozen
dance cards. with no conjunction
about having disconnected or dis
tressed any one. Then there was Bert
downtown battling with disaster
which had thrown him completely
from his feet Poor Bert! She had by
no means forgotten him. even amid
the height Of her excitement. She
should have been there to comfort him.
and yet-well. he had not seene fit to
come to her for comfort. Men were
queer creatures. A woman when dis
aster overlook her did not need to
deaden her intelligence. She needed It
then more than ever.
After all. though, Bert was a man.
and that was the way Of men. and
there was no use to dream Of overturn.
ing the entire accepted order Of crea-
ton. She was certain. however. that
she could be of more help to Bert aft
er they were married. He was weak
er than she had thought.
Very well: Sledge had thrown down
the gage Of battle. He had laughed
when he was threatened and had ruin
ed Bert in challenging defiance. Let
him now take the consequences. If he
went to the penitentiary. well and
good. He had probably sent other peo-
pie there, with no more qualms of
mercy than she would now show to
him. She could be as ruthless as he.
What was it Professor Watt had call
ed the quality? Elemental force-that
was 1t. Well. she possessed it too.
She felt it within her. stirring with
the same physical nascency as the VI
rility of parenthood. to which it was
SO closely allied.
Just off the governors stuffed leath-
er library was Il small room. with a
hard desk and six hard chairs. and
hard looking letter file, and hard. fire
proof safe let into the wall. and here.
while Lord Bunnchase led Molly Mar
ley through the PAGES Of hard two.
step. Governor Waver and Senator Al
lerton and Sledge and Frank Marley
gathered for a few moments Of COM
Portable chat such as elderly gentle
men love to indulge in while frivo-
lous younger people dance the flying
hours away. All four being gentle
ment who. by the consent Of the pub
lie. bore the grave responsibility of
the public welfare on their shoulders.
1t was not strange that their chat
should turn to public affairs.
II am glad to be identified with the
enterprise" avowed State Senator Al
lertOn. who was q suave. clean faced
gentleman. with good forehead and
quite negotiable tongue. AT the
same time. as far as l am privately
concerned, can only regard it as q
temporary investment"
why temporary" demanded Frank
Marley, who was feeling particularly
capable this evening. His $4,000
worth Of street railway stock had been
increased to $2G2.500 He was to have
$1,000 cash out Of the undivided sur
plus of the old company. and his daugh-
ter, Molly, was the most popular girl
at the governors ball. THE street rail-
way company has always made money,
and the city needs additional trans
portation facilities. We have reached
the normal period Of extension. and l
do not see what is to prevent us from
limitless prosperity"
THE franchises" Senator Allerton re-
minded him. Your present permits
have less than FIVE years to run
II have never had any trouble in hav-
ing them renewed" objected Marley,
priding himself on his management.
"Times are changing" sighed Aller-
ton. There is a growing disposition
on the part Of the public to charge pub
lie service corporations for the use of
public property"
"The people are ungrateful," mourn
ed Governor Waiver, who had enriched
himself through furnishing electric
light ut his own price to a public
which had known nothing better than
gas. "The moment they see a profit
ON their luxuries they want part Of it.
An undivided surplus such as the street
car company has had is a constant
menace"
THAT was sinking fund for extern
sions and improvements" Marley re-
minded him. 1.-THE stockholders had
no right to ask for division Of It,"
"They would If we had not put it out
of harms road" insisted the governor.
THAT much has been saved to the
men who really earned it. but should
not like to see similar profit exposed.