The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1917-02-01

"or 20 get the handling or the tn
hal funds" suggested Vanderyyn.
''Therem be a fat slice of graft for
somebody out Of all those millions"
"You really think that?"
"What else can you expect--gOvern-
ment on one side and Poor LO on the
otherl It's the usual thing. ex-
pect to get my share"
"You?" exclaimed the girl, her eyes
widening with a look Of astonishment
and reprOach.
Vandervyn laughed amusedly.
wait bit before you dig up your
tomahawk, Miss Sitting Bull. II |
succeed in getting the tribe fifteen
or twenty millions, instead of the hve
that was talked about, it strikes me
they could afford to allow yours truly
nice little percentage as commits
sion"
"Oh, Reggie, pardon me! OF course
you should have good pay for proving
yourself such a friend to the tribe
"And to each member Of the tribe"
he added, his blue eyes glowing gold
en- with ardor. II don't want all my
pay in money. How about an advance
royalty in-something else?"
He had risen. and was coming
toward her. She blushed and retreat
ed around the tea table.
mo, no." she demonstrated. Il told
you we must wait until-until you are
freed from yOur-~-cOusin."
"Wait?" he resoined. you're try
ing to play me against that tinfoil
hero. Do you think I'm going to stand
for that? I'll have to go on at once,
and fix things so that the delegation
will not have to hang round the capi-
tol all winter"
"You will have to leave before the
delegatiOn?" The girl was almost dis
mayed at the unexpectedness Of the
announcement.
"Tll have to &C at once" repeated
Vandervyn, frowning. II thought OF
course he would have told me before
sending his messages. / could have
so wOrded them for him that the game
would have started off without a
hitch. AS it is, he has messed things
up in way that will require the
presence of a good lobbyist to pull
off the game in any kind of shape to
suit u.s."
II do not like the way you speak
of it--a game, lobbying" murmured
Marie.
Vandervyn smiled cOndescendingly'
MY dear girl, a crooked deal can
twist through the devious ways OF
congress and the departments without
trouble An houest, straightforward
matter, such as this treaty, needs
strong pulling to get as far as the
presidents signature"
"But you will use only honest meth
ods in your lobby:ng"
e "What else?" dueried Vandervyn
: his eyes wide and guileless. Il wisf
, to earn my commission all free anC
l above-board. You need not be sur
Y prised, however, if big slice of graf
is deducted from the amount apprOpri
ated to pay the tribe
a "HOw dishonest"
:. "It's the only way to get the tribe
: a just price for their mineral lands
Don't look so shocked, Miss Canada
n It's the regular way such things arr
e handled in all representative govern
e ments-ours, the Canadian and Eng
r lish parlaments, the German, tn
n French-all the same"
d The girls eyes clOuded. 81 do no
n like to hear you speak in that cynica
|. Tone"
h "Oh, it's not because l don't be
d lieve in democratic government. Il
e despotic countries the regular proce
l. dure would be for the officials to tax
r, the bulk of the appropriation, an
n give the tribe the percentage-O
l. nothing"
# II cannot believe that even you
d government will permit it's officials t
v rob either the tribe or the people c
D. the country" declared Marie. ether
cannot be a majority OF dishonest col
l. gressmen."
r. fools. They are managed by means
le committees and the plea of party 10,
id atty and log-rolling But that's nj
IN my fault, sweetheart. You know l.
II know you've yet to receive pc
n mission to call me that!" broke in tt
s. girl.
II. Vandervyn bit his lip. "You forg
III | am going away"
p. Back to Washington-and yo1
r. fianceew
Us "Quite true. And I'm going to sta
or unless there is some inducement fl
me to return here" he rejoined.
~ 1t was Marie's turn to bite her II
- "HOw can you say that, when "
know that THAT /"
,a 81 told you how 1t was, and wi
~ | cannot break off with her until
n n. N - 7