White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1916-01-30

%rette." he begged her. 1--WE been try
ing to get a chance to talk with you
again the entire evening. but there's
always such an increasingly mad
scramble around you that the attempts
made me feel undignified."
you'd worry a lot about that" she
guessed.
Wouldn't ~ he laughed. "Win you
chill II we step out on the terraceT"
81 don't know how" she happily told
him, and they hurried outside, where
he led her to a seat in the moonlight
and deity made her comfortable with
three cushions from as many chairs.
Sledge and Senator Allerton passed
them as he lighted his cigarette, and
he looked after Sledge until the match
burned his fingers. :.
There is the biggest man l 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
ly, very much interested. You knew
that, didn't your"
VI COuIScs nt hnO lCuSC0, Vob
l 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 l can recollect, seemed
to have his elemental force. Wherever
he was born. he would have been a
leader. He is q wonderful man. Throw
hfr, 4. III oo.apfr, opd bo Uould
be king"
A huge figure approached them.
Hello, Watt" rumbled the deep
voice of Sledge. MY dance. Molly"
wei. you having a good timer"
asked Sledge, sitting comfortably In
the seat Mr.. Watt had just vacated.
"The time of my life." she assured
him, with happy animation.
'That'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-
1.-THE mayor has been very kind" ac-
knowledged Molly. beginning to
der.
He's got his orders" returned
Sledge complacently. Let me see
your dance program" and he took 1t
from her lap. II 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
B~unnchase. Andrew Lepton, the big
coffee m~onopolist, sneaked him in here
under an alias, and nobody's IN" He
puzzled over the card a 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 droyes of sheep. True, men
had sought her a second time OF their
own accord because Of that charm
which she knew she possessed
vaguely understood attractiveness.
which was more than beauty. more
thar 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 inflame 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 a 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. ever amid
the height of her excitement. She
should have been there to comfort him.
and yet-well, he had not seen ut 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 1t
then more than
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 it. Well. she possessed it too.
She felt it within her. stirring with
tho sauna phvSical uascencv "a the VI