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About The morning Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1899-1930 | View Entire Issue (June 7, 1908)
112 THE MORNING ASTOMAN, ASTORIA, OREGON. SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 1908 111 rarJ . SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING ! CHAPTERS. Chapter I At the suburban home f Charles Wainwright, "high finan cier," he and his broker, Scott Gibbs, hatch up a scheme to corner Borough street railway stock. They rely upon the support of Dick Horrigan, boss of the neighboring city, who is coming to discuss matters. Alderman Phe lan, the thorn in Horrigan's side, whom Wainwright is anxious to con ciliate, is also coming. Among the members of Wainwright's household re his niece and nephew, Dallas and Perry Wainwright, and his secretary, Thompson, a secretive young man in whom the financier has implicit confi dence. Judge Newman, a neighbor of (Wainwright, whose continuance in office depends upon Horrigan's favor, requests Wainwright's intervention with the boss. Another visitor to the iWinwrights' is Alwyn Bennett, in loe with Dallas, who is calling to ask her about her rumored engagement to Gibbs. Perry is in love with Synthia Garrison, also a neighbor. II Cyn thia is the daughter of a bank presi dent who nine years before the open ing of the story was ruined by the 'dealings of an unnamed dishonest financier and shot himself. His son thereupon disappeared. Mrs. Bennett congratulates herself upon the imma culate record of her son's defeased lather. Dallas refuses to marry Alwyn unless he does something worthy of his family and education. Phelan and Horrigan face each other. III. Phelan defies Horrigan. Judge Newman is turned down by the boss, hut at Wainwright's request Horn fan becomes suspicious of Thompson, hut Wainwright scoffs at the idea. Horrigan and Wainwright makes a corrupt deal whereby the former, for a big consideation, is to procure from the board of aldermen a perpetual franchise for the Borough street railway. The boss is worried by the reform movement threatening his power at the coming election and is casting about for a candidate for mayor with a clean record. He hits pon Bennett,' who Has had some light political experience. The lat ter accepts, but warns Horigan that, if elected, he will be absolutely honest and independent IV. -Bennett is elected and ap points Cynthia his private secretary. Phelan tells him that the financier who caused the ruin of the Garrisons was Wainwright, who is also the pow er behind the crooked Borough fran chise bills, with Horrigan and Gibbs. Dallas and Mrs. Bennett visit the city lall. V Gibbs tries to induce Bennett to sign the bill. The mayor's talk with Dallas is interrupted by Horrigan. VI Bennett refuses to be bulldoz ed by Horrigan into signing the bill. ,The boss lacks one vote in the board f aldermen of the fourteen needed to pass the bill without the mayor's as sent. Despite the fact that defeating the bill means impoverishing Dallas and Perry, whose fortune Wainwright lias invested in Borough stock, Ben nett vetoes the measure. VII Ben nett's plan to save Dallas and Perry is to have Perry sell Borough stock short. The mayor's opposition cau es Horrigan and Wainwright to amend the bill, retaining however, some of the most objectionable fea-1 lures. VIII Alwyn's lovemaking to Dallas at the Mayor's ball is interrupted by Harrigan. IX Gibbs secretly plays false to Wainwright and Horrigan by buying Borough stock on his own account. Horrigan "fixes" Alderman Roberts, a waver ing member of his "solid thirteen." X Bennett warns Roberts against vot ing for the bill. In the presence of Cynthia, who is engaged to Perry, Phelan exposes Thompson as her brother, the long missing Harry Gar rison, whereupon sister and brother embrace. Perry entering suddenly, is astonished at the sight. XI Cyn thia explains to Perry. Dallas is con vinced by Wainwright that Bennett By vetoing the bill is trying to wreck her fortune. Thereupon Dallas prom oses to marry Gibbs. MAM Jk i3m Bated cn (Lfl.BrGzdhvrsrs SuccessM Play SUV !vT MIMi "Dutv!" anwrvd Waiuwrlgbt. "lour 'duty' was done wlieu you vetoed the bill. That act made your position clear ami showed the public how you regarded the measure, so why go on fighting tt nfter"- "I won't discuss this with you, Mr. Wainwright," interrupted Bennett "We already uuderstand one another, you and I." "My uncle says," pursued Dallas, "that you made jour broker secretly cell Borough stock short, knowing the deal would enrich you. Won't you even deny this?" "No." "You realize what all this foolish stubbornness must mean to me to all it us," continued Dallas, "and you stiU persist in your opposition?" "I must," said Bennett "I can't turn back. Oh, Dallas," be added, dropping bis voice till noue but she could hear, "can't you trust me only till Friday? I'll come to you on Saturday morning and tell you the whole miserable story. I only ask you to wait until then. Please" the toiviimut of their aort it ml nuovo nn ' shadow of itusplclon. j Little by Utile I Ins mimlmeNH lifted ! from his lirnlu, and lu It place crept a j horrible conviction of tint truth. Ills father- the irnllnnt young soldier who j had won a imtlou'u nppluiiMO In the ; civil warthe man who, poor and tin ! aided, had built up a fortune ngaliiKt ' keenest competition nml had earned a ! repute for Bleillug probity which hud ' ever been the delight and model of bis ; son this was the man whom n low I blackguard like llorrlgati now had the right to tvvlle-n man apparently no j better than the Ikss hlmsolf-thau any dishonest heeler In the organlatlout chuckled uorrigau. And, as If It were not enough that to n showdown lie-! the Idol of n lifetime were hurled, tweeu us two 1 put n staff of men to crushed and dollied, from Its bright looking up your record." "Hut "When 1 have." It came "You found nothing you could uw. Is that"- "No; It Isn't even the beglnulng. Then I remenitored about your fa ther." "About my father?" It grated on lUmnett that his dead father's honored name should bo spo ken by this low politician, but before he could protest more forcibly Horri gan went ou: "What d'yo'i think If I said your fa ther was a crofter-one of the worst of his time?" "I'd say yon lied," answered Bennett i imi mull,, tllllllV Mllini IHTAl be dragged through the mire of polit ical tilth and 111 repute and .the dead man's memory forever Hasted". ICItlier that or his son must withdraw from the gallant right he was waging against civic corruption, for that Uorrlgao would curry out his threat and blazon forth to the world the story nud proofs of the elder ltennett's shame Alwyn had no doubt. With nil his faults the boss was n man of his word. "Stop your right against us," Horri gan had suM, "and the report Is burned." Yea, the boa was a man of his word calmly, "ami I'd drive the foul He j Kven Bennett admitted that. He would down your throat with my fist. You'll j fultlll bis promise lu either eveut. have to think of some better scheme j Listlessly Alwyn began to review than that." j the cn8(., j tne e ,H.ruaj "Do you tliluk I d be Idiot euough to ' Quixotic fight for an abstract principle I. ...... ...ill. l , . i . 11 n.iuo m-ii- im me Murj u i uiuu i a tight whose reward was political have full proof of It?" osked Horrigan ; death, loss of the woman be adored. m contempt. family shame that might crush uN ,no. uespue nimseir, Alwyn saw the i fragile old mother to the verv crave "I see no need of waiting for an ex- "luu was 'l,"''K ' wievea to;)n the other wealth, honor, love, the planatlon," retorted Dallas aloud. "l tbe tr,l,n- He l'aWHl 1,1 his Intptil-; governorship, a future happy and glorl- understand everything." "But you don't understand!" Insisted Alwyn. "I"- "I understand only too well," repeat ed Dallas. Checking his reply and Ig noring the anguished appeal In bis eyes, she turned to Gibbs. "I have kept you waiting long for your answer, Mr. Gibbs," she said, speaking in a level, firm, emotionless voice. "I am prepared to give It to you now publicly. You have often asked me If I would be your wife. My reply Is, 'Yes. " "Dallas!" gasped Bennett In horrified surprise. II LWYN BEXX ZA study at hi I nett house A V almost th CHAPTER XII. BEXXETT sat In his own home In the big Ben- house that remained as almost the last landmark of that solid middle nineteenth century wealth and fashion which bad once dominated a neighborhood now given over to office buildings and apartment houses. The hour was late. An hour and more had passed since the young may or and his mother had returned from the administration ball. The house was silent, and even the usually busy streets outside were wrapped In the hush that never falls until after mid night and Is dispersed by the gray of dawn. Late as It was Alwyn had made no move to discard his evening clothes. Alone he sat, his bead resting between Ms crossed arms on tbe desk before him. Motionless, Inert, hopeless, he had re mained there ever since his arrival from the ball. But if his body was moveless, his brain was awhiii. Try as he would he could see no light In the tangle of events into which bis own sense of right had plunged him. He saw the future stretching out be fore him dreary and barren as a rainy sea. Through ail of his months of buttling he had ever struggled forward through, increasing difficulties toward one bright goal Dallas' love. And now that love' was snatched from his grasp, through no fault of bis own, and bestowed on a man unworthy to kiss the hem of her garment. At each step In the long climb Alwyn had asked himself, "Would she ap prove?" And now through trying to be worthy that approval he had for ever lost it. for Dallas, he knew, had, not only rejected him and engaged her self to Gibiis. but had done so with t'e belief that Lt-nuett was a heartless, un scrupulous i;;ti iguer, undeserving of la good woman's regard. A rap at the door aroused Benmtti slve forwanl move, reseated himself and nsked coldly: "What so called 'proofs' have you lieen fooled by your heelers into thinking" ous. Was he not n fool to hesitate? Had he not salved his conscience sufficient ly by vetoing the Borough frauchlse bill? Had lif flu. rk'lif to hrtnif tlila . r i . t.u . . -... . ... ium wnnB me. my: eii. you ew shame nnon his mother's miv head? Where lay his highest duty? The soft rusillng of silk and n bund will fast enough before I'm done. Un less you're afraid of what I've got to say." "I'm not afraid of anything you can say. The highest tribute to my fa ther's memory Is the fact that a cur like you cannot detile tt. Co on. I'll listen to yon." "Very good." suid Horrigan, quite unmoved. "I'll muke It as short as I can. I remembered your father got rich pretty quick, lie was a member of the organization, and his firm got the Jobs of building the aqueduct and the new library. That gave me my clew. I looked up the specifications for both Jobs, and I turned them over to ;he old engineering tlrui of Morris & Cherrlngton. You know the firm, per haps. If you don't, you can look them up. They don't belong to the organiza tion; they're the best experts In their line, and they can't be Juggled with." "I know them. !o ou." 1 "I paid them n fancy sum to go over those specifications and then examine the library and the aqueduct and see if they were up to the mark or If the city 'd been cheated by the Bennett Contracting company. I had a strong Idea I was right, but I wouldn't speak till I had the proof. When I got home after the ball tonight I found tbe Mor ris & Cherrlngton report waiting for me. I brought a copy of It along with me." "Well," asked Bennett Indifferently, "what then?" "Here's the copy of the report. Look ft over for yourself. The crookedest Jab ever pulled off in this city! Third rate material, when the material called for In the specifications was used at all. Granite f-hell filled with mortar Instead of solid granite: foundations barelv Imlf the ili-nth onUnA fw in. ! ferior tiles in place of fireproof ones; cheap, (.nimbly Iron and steel instead of first quality-oli. there's fifty such substitutions and frauds! It's the raw est, bummest job I ever heard of. If any of the organization tried it now adays the men who d'd It would be fearing stripes in a week. Graft, hey J iVby, your father was the boss grafter it the century, the star graft gutter of the bunch! lie" "Hush! For God's sake, hush!" pout ed Alwyn. "My mother sleeps only a few rooms beyond. I" "What do I care?" roared norrlgsu in triumph. "Let everybody hear! The whole world is going to hear It im- from his Litter thoughts. He lifted 1 Is less that Borough franchise bill goes head wearily and gave word to enti. through. Beat that bill and every pa A drowsy servant came In with a ca Pr m the country will have that report X CHAPTER XI CONTINUED. Her voice was almost tremulous In Its eager, confident appeal, but Bennett forced himself to answer: "Yes; it Is true, and i Knew tv The eager glow died from her eyes, leaving a look of dawning horror. "And, knowing this knowing Perry and I shall be made paupers by your action you still insist on" "On opposing the bill? Yes. I am Mtr. but it is mv dutv." He says it's important business, si said the footman. "And he wishes see you at once. If possible." I "Show blin up," answered Bennetty' dropping bis voice so as not to disturb his mother, who slept on tbe samf floor. "I will see him here." A minute later Horrigan's bulky fona' blocked tbe threshold. "Queer time of night for a call," ha' observed casually, as he entered unin vited, closed the door behind him and took a chair, "but my business wouldn't wait." "Then state It as briefly as you can,'' directed Bennett, making no move to rise or welcome his unbidden guesfc "It is very late, and I am tired." "I've come to see you about our Bor ough bill." "So I supposed." "You won't call off your fight against us?" "That question Is hardly worth an swering. No." "I thought not. Well, Mr. Alwyn Bennett, I've got you! I've got you! Do you understand me'" "Perfectly. Is that nil?" ' "No, it ain't all," mlnlcked the boss. "And I'm In earnest. I've got you where I want you." "That doesn't interest me. If you've notnlng else i? a" to publish. Stop your fight against ui and the report Is burled. That goes.' See? Now, do as you please about the bill. You're a fine man to preach about graft, you are! The very roof over your head, the clothes on your back, were bought with graft money!" Bennett scarce ly heeded the coarse Insult, nor did he note II o r rlga n's grunt of good fa y and the clump of his de parting feet on I the stairs, The young man sat. lost. hopeless, horror gripped, his eyes run ning mechanically over the closely typewritten pages of the engineer's re liort. Outsider as he was in matters of practical business, Alwyn could see that Horrigan had in no way exag "erafed the document's contents. He knew, too, that the firm of engineers who had drawn ud tbe report wer i' "TTie clothes on your buck were bought with graft money!" laid In light caress upon bis head aroused the miserable man from bis reflections. Bennett looked up to see bis mothc standing lieslde him. She bud throw- on a wrapper nud in slippered feet had stolen uolselessly Info the study "I was awakened by voices," she ex plained. "I thought I heard some one talking excitedly lu here. Is anything the matter?" "Nothing, nothing dear," he answer ed gently, drawing the little old lady affectionately down to a seat ou hi knee and smiling manfully Into be sleep flushed face; "nothing Is the mat ter. Only a business call." "A business call nt 2 o'clock In the morning!" she exclaimed. "Dear boy you are working too hard. Your father never brought his business worries and work home. He always left them at the office. Can't you do tbe same? You'll wear yourself out." "My father"- liegnn Bennett, but tbe name choked him. "You are growing to be so much like him," went on Mrs. Bennett fondly "And it makes me so happy that you are. Your splendid light against that Infamous Borough bill, for Instance. How proud lie would have been of that! It Is Just the sort of thing he himself would have done In your place. lie was surrounded with wicked and dishonest men Just as you are. But through It nil he remained true, hon oranle, Incorruptible. What a grand heritage for my son! He Alwyn!" Ihe broke off, alarmed, "why do you look at mo that way? 1 never saw such a look In your eyes before. Are you III? Has something happened that you are keeping fioin me?" "No, no," evaded Bennett. "I only "You had n caller here before I came In," pursued the mother, refusing to abandon tbe clew to which her wo manly intuition had led her. "He brought you bad news? Tell me, dear! I'm your mother, and I love you." "You are making my course more difficult for me by asking such ques tions, mother," he answered wretched ly, "and I"- I 1 only want to help you, Alwyn, n t bear to see you miserable. A woman's wit and a mother's love are often a combination that can solve problems beyond even the wisest man's powers of logic. Let me help you." "I was trying to make up my mind," vaguely replied Bennett, sorely dts tressed by her pleading, "whether a man ought to follow his conscience, even it It leads to heartbreak for those be loves, or whether he ought to let conscience go by tbe board for once and protect the happiness of bis loved ones." "Alwyn! now can you hesitate a second over such a question. One must do right, no matter what tbe conse quence." "I don't know about that," he said moodily. "You know It perfectly well. It Is what your fathei would have advised and But, Alwyn, you surely are not making yourself unhappy over n mere supposititious case?" "Well," lie continued, "let us take a 'mere supposititious ease' If you like Suppose, for Instance, that n man'hold- Ing a posllloii of trust had had a fa ther whoso memory he honored and revered as I do my own father's" "Yes?" prompted Mrs. Bennett as li paused. "Suppose some one tempts him to be tray his position of trust, even as I have lately been tempted, and threat ens In case of his refusal to inula public certain facts which would prove his dead father to have been a scoun drel. Now, what should the man do? Should be let his father's sacred mem ory ite trampuM in the mud. let his duty go by default mid save" "It would be an awful rcspoiiHlblllly to decide such a question." said Mrs. Bennett, with n little shudder, "but there could bo only one reply." "And that Is?" "He nniHt do bis duty, be the results what thny may." , "You really think so?" "There cau bo no doubt. Bight Is right and" "It shall bo us you say,1 Alwyn, "What?" queried Mrs. Bennett, star tled ut the despair In his voice, "Do you mean It Is nn actual case? Some friend of yours, perlntps?" Bennett nodded, "Oh, the poor, poor fellow!" sho sym pathised. "What n terrible position for him! It was he, perhaps, that 1 heard talking to you In her Just now, No wonder ho seemed excited! The sins of the fathers shall be visited upon the children even unto the" "It Is something less hard ou the children thnu on the wives," mused Bennett, half to himself. "The wives? Your friend has n mother living? That makes It doubly hard. Oh, my son, every day I thank God In nil humility that my husband lived so blameless a life nud left so honored n name! How grateful you and I Itoth ought to be for"- "lt Is easy enough to decide for some one you have never seen," retorted Bennett almost rudely, "but suppose the dishonest man lu my story had Uhu father and" "I refuse to suppose anything of the sort!" Interrupted his mother Indig nantly, rising to her feet. "I wonder that you can speak so! How can you suggest so horrible a thing?" "Just a thoughtless, tactless speech of mine. That's all." lied Alwyu. "It's very lute. Y'oii'll have a headache, I'm afrnld. Won't you go to bed?" "Yes. It Is late, nud I'm keeping you up. Good night, dear. I wish your frlend"- Sho checked herself suddenly, with n little gssp. Bennett, glancing up to groaneu . W1,,ng, . ..I......... .i i.. 1 1 i i i w ,H mieuie umnuui m n niii-iinu fell over the room, Alwyu dnrod not look nt his mother, At Inst she pok; "I must know more. I refuse to be lieve one word. You spoke of proof. What me they?" Without a word, llennutt hftiided her the report lert by Horrlgnii. Vot i time silence brooded over the study, broken only by the occasional turning of u pane of the report. Then, nfter what seemed to Alwyn nn eternity of the document slid to the floor, Bennett glnneed nt his mother. She w n standing rigid, her face cold nud hard ns grinlte. "Horrigan hat ferreted t b I i out," ht said, not daring to draw near or or proffer tfotn fort to the wo man whom the boss' disclosure had turned to stone. "lie bai e c u r d the proofs ii ud says he will publish them broadcast unless I withdraw my oppo sition In (lie Borough franchise mat ter. If 1 let that bill pass, Friday be will burn the report, nud" "There Is only one thing to do," la torposed the mother, speaking with slow decision, her voice as cold and colorless ns her face. "Itlght must pro Tall no matter whst"- "Mother!" cried Alwyn, trembling. "You advise me to You ndvlso me" "I do not advise, I command. Do right!" t'l'u be continued). " do not dilefw, eommdmi. Ihrlght!" If you will make inquiry it will be a revelation to you how many suc cumb to kidney or bladder troublei in one form or another. If the patient U not beyond medical aid, Foley's Ktdney Cure will cure It never disappoints. Cynthia Garrison. her, saw that ber eyes were riveted on a bit of pasteboard lying on the corner of his desk directly beneath tbe read ing lamp. It was Horrigan's card. Slowly the mother's gaze shifted from the card to ber son. From her face the color had been crushed by some swift emotion that left It very old, pale and sunken. "Mr. Horrigan!" she murmured. "It was he who was your visitor tonight? Surely he Isn't the sort of a man to uro about his miner's reputation for honesty. Ho" "You're tired, mother," Interrupted Bennett in haste. "Won't you" "Wult!" she panted. "His visit here- Alwyn!" her voice rising to a wall of panic stricken appeal. "Did-dld that man dare to hint anything against vour father? Tell me the truth! I have a right to know. Did he?" Alwyn bowed his head In sllenco. "Tell me what be said!" "He aid," muttered Bennett, almost Incoherently, "he said my father made bis fortune by graft!" "And you thrashed him and threw him out of the house?" she cried, her old eyes ablaze. "No." "Alwyn!" "He be proved what be said!" "It Is a Ue! A wicked, abominable He!" "It is the truth, mother. Would I oave told you such a thing-would Horrigan have left this room alive If It were not true?'" 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