The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-01-31


and deftly made her comfortable with
three cushions from as many chairs.
Sledge and Senator A1lerton passed
them as he lighted his cigarette, and
he looked after Sledge until the match
burned his fingers.
n sThere is the biggest man I have
seen in a long while,'' he remarked as
he sat beside her on the settee.
'"They say he is not only the boss of
the city, but of the State replied Mol
1y, very much interested. you knew
that, Didn't your
''Of course" he acknowledged, 'fbut
1 scarcely think that would influence
MY judgment. have studied a great
many men Of more power and influence
than he has, at present, but none Of
them, so far as 1 can reco1lect, seemed
to have his elemental force. Wherever
he was born, he would have been a
| leader He is a wonderful man. Throw
him in savage country and he would
be king"
A huge figure approached them.
Hello, Watt" rumbled the deep
: voice of sledge. my dance, Molly
.fWell, you having a good timer
asked Sledge, sitting comfortably in
the seat Mr. Watt had just vacated.
'sThe time of my life she assured
him, with happy animation.
'fThat's the word" he heartily ap-
proved. IF, there's anybody here you
want just tell Cameron. If he don't
trot 'em right over tell me"
''The mayor has been very kind ac-
knowledged Molly, beginning to won
der -
He's got his orders returned
Sledge complacently. 'Let me see
your dance program and he took it
from her lap. IT thought so,'' he COM
mented There's a dark horse turned
up, and you didn't get him."
"a dark horse?" she faltered.
"a ringer he explained. Lord
Bunnchase Andrew Lepton, the big
coffee monopolist, 5sneaked him in here
under an alias. and nobody's on" He
puzzled over the card moment. Eek
cuse me till 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 a 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
7ar oil Yz
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 a 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 seen 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 morestf1aR ever.
After all, though, Bert was 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
n in aIoI To&
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 it, Well, she possessed it too.
| She felt it within her, stirring with
| the same ph---eical naseency as the vi
: rility of parenthood, to which it was
so closely allied.
! Just off the governors stuffed leath-
er library was a small room, with a
hard desk and six hard chairs, and a
hard looking letter file, and a hard, fire
proof safe let into the wall, and here.
| while Lord Bunnchase led Molly Mar
| ley through the PAGES of a hard two
| step, Governor Waiver and Senator AL
| lerton and Sledge and Frank Marley
| gathered for a few moments of com
Portable chit such as elderly gentle
| men love to indulge in while frfvo-
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.
it was not strange that their chat
should turn to public affairs.
Il am glad to be identified with the
enterprise. avewed State Senator Al
| lerton, who waS. a suave. clean faced
gentleman. with a good forehead and