The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1920-03-18
A LOYAL
HELPER
BY ALVAH J. GARTH

81 am not given TO slang" remarked
Alison Buford," but the select commit
tee of the mogul of Lyndon handed me
a lemon.
"You expressed your views clearly"
"Pure simple fraternalism, Ross. l.,
observed dissatisfaction the moment
tackled the broad platform OF human
ity. War over, all pitching in for
the higher reconstruction and work
in hand. classes and masses alike, to
build up a new and better world, and
that line Of thought"
II see" said Willis Ross meditative-
~. Between you and myself, how
ever. l think you overdid the thing"
"In what wayT'
"You see, there's rock-ribDed
group of aristocrats who rule the up
per town here. They are less than
200. while the people in the lower
town number something like 1,3OO. Up
per Lyndon rules the roost because IL
has influence and money. To attempt
TO stir these bred-in-the-bone pluto
Gratis to anything like progress is to
invade their time-honored system as
yandal. A bad move, Buford. You
ought to have preached generalitles
and wound up with a tribute to the
sense and power OF the men who h0ld
the bulk of business, or something
like that"
"Well, | guess I've made mess or
IT," acknowledged Buford rather rue
IN m here
carry the county, and l fear l VIII
never get It. BY the way, the young
lady you got to copy my speech for
me--she sent her typewriter tran
script TO the hotel, but no bill. Where
will find herr"
AT home, | fancy, just now. for 1t
Is after school hours. Miss Gladys
Earle, 232 West Grove street. It's
two minutes walk"
Alison Buford was trifie nettled as
he started out TO locate the neat, trim
little school teacher TO whom Ross had
introduced him two days previous.
She was at home, and plainly told
him the cost of her labor, and accept
ed payment in n busnesslike, matter
of-fact way. but, as Buford arose to
leave bestowed frank look of inter
est upon him and said:
would YOU feel | was presumptU-
Gus. Mr.. Buford, if | made a sugges-
ton as to your business i'm LyndonT
"Why no. not at ALL" replied Buford.
81 have heard how your speech was
received and perhaps l might have
told you at the start ii would not
bring you success. 1t has occurred
TO me that you should not give up
your mission in any faint-hearted way
until you have looked over the ground
a little more closely. While the exclu-
sive set has considerable influence,
they do not always control the votes
and votes are what you are after, are
they not?"
She spoke SO clearly, womanly of
tone, yet fOrcefully. that Buford real
lied that hers was genuine helpful
spirit, and that she was going out o!
her way to do him service.
eff you would write out new
speech" Gladys Earle went on, land
Il
make an impression on the comrnu-
nifty"
''You mean 10 appear before those
high and pompous dictators and beg
for recognition 1t Is not in their
stubborn nature to award?" spoke Bu-
ford spiritedly. "Well, no."
Lyndon needs many things the dom.
inant set will never see to. Mr.. Blu.
ford. There is far cry for a man
to represent the real majority In this
district. | do not ask you to appeal
again to the magnates of the upper
town, but to the people of the lower
town. Shall | suggest text? Then
go among them on the basis of
champion of their sanitary needs. The
lower town needs drainage and water
system, long denied them, because of
its cost and the selfish avarice of men
who take no heed as to the rights OF
these fellow men lower I'm the scale
Pledge yourself to the Improvement
/ Indicate, make the fight squarely on
that issue. Your hearers will realize
that not only will the movement give
them work, but will add to the health
and welfare of their wives and chill
dren."
A new inspiration came TO Alison
Buford as he listened to an adviser
every moment more and more enforc-
ing his respect and admiration. II
was three evenings later when he made
the address of his life, to be cheered
to the echo by brawny, earnest men.
who traced in his words the sincerity
of one looking for the betterment of
their environment. More cherished
than this ovation, however, was the
discovery that way back in the au-
dlence, following his every word with
glowing eyes, was the little school
teacher who had given counsel and
sympathy when he needed Il mos<x
Alison felt 1t his duty to call upof
her first the morning that the newspa-
pers announced his nomination as