Gilpin observer., 1917-05-31

/
make any mistakes now. Be sure OF
your ground and then pay 'em enough
to buy house and lot. I'm sending
Carruthers down ON the mail train
Consult with him and then get action
Well, human nature is the same the
world over. It wasn't hard for Beh.
rens to buy three Of those halfbreed
councilmen.
Then Behrens made a mistake. HI
tackled "Tink" Mcdonald and OLAF
Christensen, about as hard-fisted and
at the same time thoroughly honest a
pair Of timbermen, as ever rode a raft.
"Ye Gamma bribe me, ye diel," roared
''Tink," as he swung canthook within
an inch of Behrens' ear. "Oot WI
We noo-Ah'm a mon o. small patience" /"
you gat ia haal fem har,". drawled
Christensen, as he stared at Behren's
five twentydollar bills. "Ay ban on
de water wagon"
Morrisey and Clay, with Helen Daw-
Son helping them every minute of the
day, soon learned of the detection of
: the councilmen and set about to rem
edy the situation.
Shonts being recognized as the ring
leader Of the renegades, Morrisey ad-
dressed him.
"Fm not going to threaten you fell
lows" said the Irishman. 'but I figure
that after thinking things over you'll
probably decide to stick with the
bunch. The people round here don't
propose to lose their jobs because of
any crooked councilmen betraying
them into the hands Of the Amalga-
mated. Get that through your heads,
men,"
The night of the council meeting
there was an enormous bonfire burning
outside the town hall in the middle of
the main street. A big mob Of lum-
bermen had congregated about the
fire and huge pot was bubbling in
the middle of it.
"What's this, barbecue?" demand
ed Shonts.
Depends" was the laconic reply.
"Plenty Of soup here for any good
use," and he stirred the tar with a
long pole.
"Shonts!" gasped st. Cyr, the half
breed who had first taken Amalgamat-
ed money. Here your d-n money
no tar feathers this Injun-got too
d-n much sense"
Shonts was desperate. The other
three purchased votes were no good
to him. Besides, st. Cyr had threat
ened to spring the whole bribery story
on the council floor for the purpose Of
clearing his own skirts. There was
resign before they could suspend him
under charges.
'Mr. Mayor" shouted the Amalga-
mated agent, as soon as the meeting
had been called to order, II resign my
position in the council"
Accepted" roared the president;
'get out"
Then something happened that was
unexpected. st. Cyr and the others
who had taken bribes also resigned.
There was no quorum.
For a moment Behrens sat stunned
in the rear Of the courtroom. Then
realizing what had happened and that
without a quorum present, he decided
to claim credit with Holmes for a re-
markably astute piece of plotting.
"Good work." was Holmes laconic
telegram in reply to one sent by Behr-
ems.
The meeting adjourned and an Or
der for an election Of cOuncilmen was
Immediately posted. At once the
money of the Amalgamated was put in
to circulation where it would do the
most good. Meetings were held some
Of which were addressed by the ANAL
gamated supporters and far larger
ones addressed by Helen Dawson, Nor
risey and the independent leaders.
And the night of the election Helen
made final speech that set the town
afiame.
AS she progressed the young girl,
clad in her white sweater and spot
lighted by the glare from huge fire
of logs, so excited the gathering Of
rough men that they waved their hats
and coats in frenzy of excitement.
AS she leaped lightly to the ground,
brawny axman sang out, "Now boys,
all together! Three cheers for Miss
Helen. the lumbermen's friend" and
the answering roar showed how power
fully she had swayed her hearers.
"She's spilled the beans, damn her."
Behrens whispered to Carruthers.
There's nothing to 1t now. We'd bet
ter be clearing out of here or they may
make 1t hot for us after what she
said about that old fool, Thomas"
Behrens was quite right in his esti-
mate of the situation. 1t was all over
but the shouting, or rather. the voting,
for, when the polls closed it was found
that the independent ticket had been
elected by an overwhelming majority.
The passage of the resolution was now
a foregone conclusion. When the new
council met the following evening the
town hall was hacked tO sufrocotion