Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1917-02-23

my llle--lull OF everybody else S
business, none of my own"
There was about it an air of
comfort and coziness produced in
some extraordinary way by the
mixture of homogeneous and unex
pected things-Mexican pottery
he had picked up on a brief in
spection of Villas army; auto
graphed photographs of a presi-
dent, a famous divine, and a
woman socialist nuggets he had
accumulated in his visit to the
Occur d'Alene mining strikes; a
rich Persian rug presented to him
by an importer in New York; a
revolver used by a murderess;
%curiously embroidered hangings,
a gift from an appreciative friend
at the Chinese legation; books
and magazines everywhere; a
photograph Of st. Gaudens' "Nir-
vana;" paper knives, pipes, ciga-
ret cases, quaint japanese jars of
tobacco-all in apparent disarray.
"The people I've had to know
and cultivate" he added, as if he
regretted the fact, "reach round
the world. They re SO many that
| got tired long ago. There are so
few that 1 like"
He lit a cigar and sank into the
chair near Smith.
But you re different" he ex-
cepted. "And it's because YOU re
real. You re a disturbance dis
turbance that really disturbs. You
know, Washington is walked up
every morning by the cry that a
real reformer is in it's midst. And
it goes to bed every night with the
knowledge that it has been fooled
again. You are the exception to
the rule"
He smiled broadly.
I'm a son Of a gun if I don't
believe you re going to last" he
said, affection in his voice.
Smiths impotence broke forth.
but tell me-" he said, striking
the arm of his chair lightly,
what difference can be made in
this fight by what I divulge or do
not divulge concerning myself?'.
Waller puffed his cigar twice
before he answered:
II know you pretty we'll. It's
my business to size up men as far
as L can. And | know there never
has been anything particularly
bad about your past-but not ev-
erybody is as charitable as / am.
Remember that. Furthermore,
the whisky lobby goes on the
theory that, when it hurts you, it
hurts what you stand for"
IF they can produce anything
to my discredit, Waller, they re
welcome to it."
There was in the emphatic de-
livery Of this sentence utter final
ity.
Waller returned to the attack.
Honestly" he said, q puzzled
look on his face, "why don't you
end all this Internal gossip about
your mysterious pasti You'v
gotten by in society thus far sim
ply because anybody with brains
can get by that way in Washing
ton. A man who can entertain a
dinner crowd need never pay for
a meal in this town-even if he's
an escaped convict. But there's
too much speculation and whis-
pering about you even there. And,
as for the political end Of it, it
just won't do-that' s ALL"
Smith leaned back in his chair,
the late sunlight full on his face.
1t was the only time Waller had
ever seen him look tired.
"Let them gossip if they wish,"
he answered the others protest.
Waller got up and put his hand
on Smith 8 shoulder.
"Old man." he said with quiet
forcefulnNss, "you can't ignore
them. The moment they convince
the public that there really IS
something in your past life Of.
which you are afraid and ashamed
that moment you will begin to
slip. And the public is a fool. It
will believe anything if You print
az ~ the newspapers often
49,"