Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1917-01-13

He Handled His SunJe
son sadly. Hes being fooled by
woman, I guess"
John walked straight to the fash
fonable quarter of the town, in which
the Temple mansion occupied one of
the largest and most exclusive sites.
After a slight delay, he was ushered
into richly furnished drawing room,
and found Mary there with her fiance.
The girl was in evening dress. A SUI
perb diamond necklace flashed from
the white skin of her throat. There
were diamonds in her hair, in her cor
sage, and on her fingers. The glitter
of them seemed to dazzle John. 1t was
with a positive effort that he forced a
hating tongue to announce the pur-
pose of his visit.
The girl heard him with a chilling
Indifference that soon merged into a
supercilious smile
Really, Mr.. Burton" she said, 'it
is presumption on your part to pay a
social call here. 1 fear you must have
misunderstood both the extent of the
service you rendered me and the ma
ture of the appeal 1 made subsequent
1y. 1 like to be outspoken in such
matters. That strike had to be ended.
Fathers clients were bowling for steel,
and 1 thought that a woman's tongue
might prevail where mans logic was
at fault Moreover, father promised
me $4,000 necklace if l succeeded.
Here it is. 1t was worth trying for,
wasn't 2" And she touched the gilt
tering gems on her throat with those
delicate fingers whose clasp had once
thrilled John Burton's being to it's in
nermost fiber.
He was literally struck dumb. He
heard, as one in a dream, Mary'si next
words to Reeves:
CT am under certain obligations to
this man, dear. Will you see that he
is rewarded?"
John could only stare after her in
blank amazement as she swept out of
the room. He was quite unaware that
Reeves had thrust some bills into his
hand. He almost staggered in the
effort to win clear of the house, but
halted in the hall to gaze at the bills
in his hand. When his benumbed brain
understood what they meant he threw
them from him sayagely.
On the way to his poor lodging he
remembered the union meeting, and
turned to go there, resolved now. to
cast in his lot wholly with his breth-
rem. Suddenly, he halted in the road,
and his weli-tanned cheeks blanched
at the thought which had come TO him.
What right had he to pose among his
mates as one who was whole-hearted-
ly with them in the never-ending
struggle between capital and labor?
Had he not betrayed them? Had he
not sold their trust for a tickle wom-
ans smile? How might he stand
up among those honest comrades and
confess that he had persuaded them to
call off the strike, not as he had put it,
because of the resultant misery to
thousands in the city, but because he
was cozened into the belief by Mary
Temple?
Sick at heart he went to his poor
lodging. He felt beaten and disgraced
Literally, he dared not face his COM
radesi
Next morning, when John arrived
at the factory, he was stopped by a
foreman and told that his services
were no longer needed. This was
Reeves mean revenge. John turned
on his heel He didn't care. At any
other time he would have sought the
help of the union, but he now regarded
himself as a traitor.
He went to his boarding house and
did not stir out again that day. To
wards night visitor was announced,
not lady this time, it was explained,
but a stranger.
Entering the parlor, John was con-
fronted by a short, dapper-looking
man, who said that he represented a
firm of solicitors in London John did
not know what solicitors" were, and
thought the man meant to sell him
something This minor difficulty soon
vanished when the stranger began
questioning him as to his birth and