SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 1908.
THE MORNING ASTORIAN, ASTORIA, OREGON.
15
Basoil on
Synopsis ot Preceding Chapters.
Chapter IAt the suburban home
cf Charlei Wainwright, "high finan
cier", he and his broker, Scott Gibbi,
thatch tip a scheme to corner Borough
'Street railway atock. They rely upon
the support of Dick Horrigan, boil
of the neighboring city, whoii coming
to discuss maters. Alderman' The-
lan, the thorn in Horrigan' tide, i
whom Wainwright it anxious to con
ciliate, in alto coming. Among the
members of Wainwright's household
re his niece and nephew, Dallas and
Terry Wainwright, and his secretary,
Thompson, secretive young man in
whom the financier has implicit confi
dence. Judge Newman, a neighbor of
Wainwright, whose continuance in
office depends upon llorrigan's favor,
requests Wainwright's intervention
with the boss. Another visitor to the
Winwrights' Is Alwyn Bennett, In
loe with Dallas, who is calling to ask
her about her rumored engagement to
Cibbs. Terry lin love with Synthia
Garrison, also neighbor. U Cyn
thia is the daughter of bank preil-.
dnt 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 spn'a defeased
father. Dallas refuses to marry
Alwyn unless he does something
worthy of his family and education.
Thelan and Horrigan face each other.
III. Thetan defies Horrigan. Judge
Newman is turned down by the boss,
but at Wainwrlght'a request Horri
gan becomes suspicious of Thompson,
but Wainwright scoffs at the Idea
Horrigan and Wainwright makes a
corrupt deal whereby the former, for
a big consideatlon, 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
easting about for a candidate for
mayor witha clean rtcord. He hits
upon 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 ia also the pow
er behind the crooked Borough fran
chise bills, with Horrigan and Gibbs.
Dallas and Mrs Bennett visit the city
hall.
V Gibbs tries to Induce Bennett to
sign the bill. The mayor's talk with
Dallas is interrupted by Horrigan.
VI Bennett retuses to be bulldoi
ed by Horrigan into signing the bill.
The boss lacks one vote in the board
of aldermen of the fourteen needed to
pass the bill without the mayor's as-
.sent. Despite the fact that defeating
I ,V bill means impoverishing Dallas
I kmd Perry, whose fortune Wainwright
i n-J Invested in Borough stock, Ben
U nett vetoes the measure. VIIBen
'i ,! nett's plan to save Dallas and Perry
is to have Perry sell Borough stock
short. The mayor's opposition cau
ses Horrigan and Wainwright to
amend the bill, retaining however,
some of the most objectionable fea
tures. 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
mbrace. 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
ises to marry Gibbs. XII Horri
gan declares that if Bennett persists
in his opposition to the bill he will
publish indisputable proofs of grant
ing by the mayor's father. Bennett's
mother adviies him to face the thr?nt
ened disgrace and stick to his
course. XIII at the hearing on the
bill Horrigan packs the aldermanic
galbftes with police to overawe the
vvmk. He bulldozes , Roberts into
f-xponsenting to vote for the measure,
taking advantage of the alderman's
' financial necessities. XIV Dallas,
r
7ie , Now Mayor
4t.ff.Broadhursfj Successful Piny
MAN B
coining to attend the hearing, takes a
place in an;interooin. Wiltami, Hor
rigan's lieutenant, brings Roberts to
the private room of the boss. XV
Bennett wins Roberts from Harrigan
and in a contest of wills defeats the
lio himself. Gibbs, who stands to
lone all his money by the veto of the
bill, is induced by Horrigan to offer
to Bennett the breaking of his en
gagement to Dallas as the price of
Bennett's eeanins to fight the bill.
Terry tell Dallas of Bennett's secret
measures to save her fortune.
ClUI'TEH XVI.
D
ALLAH, left alone in Ilorrl-
gnu's private room, sat at the
big table, making no effort to
follow hr brother and The-
lao. A mcsspiigur, searching for llor
lignn, bustled In, looked Inquiringly at
tlio motionless, wblto faced girl, then
passed on to l lie commute room be
yond and on attain In bis search until
tbe sound of his footsteps died. And
till Dallas sut, Inert, dumb .
Little by tittle the was piecing to
got her the facts of the long miserable
complication In tho. llgbt of what Per
ry bad Just told her. It was absurdly
easy now that she hold tb key of tlio
situation. Klio could understand every-
thing-bow Wainwright bad put bor
fortune luto Borough Block to Influ
ence Bennett; how, railing to move tbe
latter, be hud used Alwyn't knowledge
ot the fact ns a weapon against the
young man; bow Jtennett bad sought
to save her fortune and wby be bad
forbidden Perry to bins ber feeling
by telling of tbe generous act
"From flrst to lam." the murmured
In unhappy contrition, "ho has acted
honorably and as bu thought I would
bavo wanted hlin to and for my bappl
ness. And I, like the wretched little
fool I was, couldn't understand and
publicly humiliated blm. Ob, If only
It weren't too late to"
A vision of Gibbs flashed before ber
uilnd, and she shuddered, realizing all
that her rash steps bad entailed,
"It la too IaU" she confessed to her
self, fighting back the hot tear that
eared ber eyes. "But at least I can
tell htm I know and beg bis forgive
nest and thank blm."
Tbe sound of voices In the corridor
roused her from bei bltttr reverie.
She sprang up hastily, unwilling that
any should see ber tear stained face,
but tbe speakers, though they drew
near, did not enter llorrlgao' office.
Instead, they stepped into tbe adjoin
ing committee room. The messenger
had left ajar the door between the two
rooms. Realizing this and not wishing
to be een, Dallas shrank back toward
the wall, fearful of detection. Then
the voice of one of tbe speaker" md
denly arrested ber notice.
"Well," Bennctt.was saying
peclally civil tones, "you said :
ed to speak to me In prlvn
bave you to say? Be brief, t
V
. nt t
'ii
busy."
Finding herself the unwilling -
to what promised to be a com
talk, Dallas stole toward the !
Ing to the corridor, but Horrlgnn.
was his custom, had locked it on going
out She da rod not enter alone tbe
crowded anteroom in ber present state,
so hesitatingly she paused, forced to
remain where she was. Tbe sound of
another voice chained ber to tbe spot,
and, uuconaclous of eavesdropping, she
stood spellbound, hearing every word
dlatlnctly through the half open door
way. v
"I I hardly know how. to begin,"
Gibbs was replying to Bennett's curt
demand. "It Is a delicate subject
and"-
"Then the sooner it is treated to open
air the better. Is"-
You've won tbe Borough bill fight,"
began Gibbs.
"Is that all you have to say to me?"
"No. You've won, but you've loat far
more, i ou ve lost Dallas Wainwrlcht."
"I hardly need to be reminded 'of
thnt," retorted Bennett, "and it is a
subject I don't care to discuss."
"But listen." pleaded Gibbs as the
mayor roude a move as though to leave
the room. "One minute! I say you've
won the Borough fight I've won Dal
las. Cnn't we"
"Well, what?" asked Bennett, with
ominous quiet as he paused in his de
parture, i I .
"Cnn't we strike some sort of bar
gain?" said Gibbs tentatively.
"Explain, please." ordered Lennett
with that same deceptive calm.
"Why," went on Gibbs, emboldened
at the other's seeming complacence,
"suppose you give up this Borough
light and 1 give up Dallas? I won her
by a tvk. She docsut really love me.
it Is her pride, not her bean, that made
her throw you over and accept me. It
Is you she loves, and I've known It all
aiong. nnd you are In love with her."
'What then?"
"Just this," returned Gibbs, wonder
ing at Bennett's quiet reception of the
strange offer, "She will marry me be
cause she Isn't the sort of girl to go
buck on her promise, especially Blnce
she looks on me ns a soil of high mind-
ed martyr to your oppression, mo if ,1
hold ber to her word she will not buck
down. Now'. If you. even now. with
draw your opposition the Borough bill
...111 , I. ,1,
Let it go
through and I
will break my
etigngemerit to
Dallas Wain
wright and
l62e her free
to marry you."
"You promise
thatr
"Yes!" cried
Gibbs, elated. "I
promise on my
word of bonor!
Is it bar
gain?" "Gibbs," re
piled Alwyn
slowly. "I didn't
tbluk there wss
so foul a cur as
roc n all the
"Oilibi, I didn't Mnh
there viae to foul a
tur at you in all the
imtrUl."
world. I thought I understood bow ut
terly rotten you were, but I didn't be
lieve there was a man living who could
debase himself as you've Just done,"
"But"- began Gibbs, in bewilder
ment "Now you'll listen to me for mo
ment," cut in Bennett, silencing tbe in
terruption. "You say I'm In love with
Miss Wainwright It is true. I love
ber In a way a dog like you could never
understand if be tried for a lifetime.
I'd give my life for one word of love
from ber, but I'd sooner go forever
without thnt word than win it by a
dishonest deed that would prove me
unworthy of her, I asked her Idve as a
free gift and tried to deserve ii. She
refused, and I won't try to buy wbat
she won't give me, especially since tbe
price would make me as unworthy of
ber as you yourself are."
"But you take the wrong view of it
You see, If"
"I see this much: I'll bave to speak
plainer to get my view of tbe case Into
your vile mind, if ever again you
meet me, stand out of my way. Don't
peak to me or come where I am, for
The eavesdropper,
if you cross my path agnln I'll treat
you ten thousand times worse than
when I thrashed you in that football
game. That's all."
Bennett, restraining his wrath with
a mighty effort turned on his heel and
strode off luto the corridor, leaving
Gibbs staring after him In dumb, im
potent despair.
When the.broker had recovered him
self sufficiently to start from the room
Dallas Wainwright stood before him,
barring the exit Her face was dead
white, her big dark eyes ablaze.
"Wait!" she commanded. "I must
speak to you for tho last time."
"Dallas!" gasped the desperate man,
his drawn face turning poslUvely yel
low. "You were you-you beard?"
"Mr. Bennett Just now called you
'the foulest cur in all the world,' " said
Dallus, her voice scarcely louder than
a whisper, yet every syllable stinging
as a whiplash. "He put it too mildly."
"But, sweetheart"
" 'Miss Wainwright.' please. I heard
you offer to sell me to him In exchange
for his conscience. If my own brother
had told me such a thing I would not
have believed him, but I myself heard
it. And I heard his splendid answer."
"But. vou know. I was Joking! That
It was Just a trick to"
"Just such ar trick that made me
promise to be your wife? Tee, but
this time you hnd to do with a man
a man in a mllllon-not with a poor,
credulous little idiot like me. And he
answered you as I should hare en
swered vou bad my eyes been opened
tA
re
y
"
in time, I"
"Dallas," groaned Gibbs, "ofr heav
en's (take don'e look at tnc like that!
Ican't bear it! Hove you And 1"
' And I in my criminal folly prom
ised to marry your she stormed. 1
let you kiss me. My Hps are degraded
forever by that touch of yours. I let
you speak words of love to me, I broke
a brave man's heart for your worthless
sake. Ob, the abaiuethe horrible
sbnme of it all! But I shall thank God
on my tended knees that I hare found
out the truth before It was too late."
Too litter' he echoed In horror, bis
Tolce rising almost to a scream. "Dal-
Zfc ) going to throw
mo over? lou
aren't" ,
"HcottGlbbs,"
she answered
quietly, a world
of wondering
J WW " kwel tones, "you
F jW i know bow vile
ffl vY. l' ' a tlilnir von lira
Now leave me,
please. Your
presence sick
ens me."
He tried to
speak, but some
thing of tbe In
ef fable con
tempt in ber
steady eyes si
I e n c e d blm.
"Now Uave i c, please.
Your pn nee tick
ens me."
Without a void he slunk out of tbe
room aud ou: of ber life. .
Fbelunag with eagerness for the
coralug stru'glo in tbe aldermanic
chamber, bin lied past through tbe cor
ridor. Thf i Merman bad many duties
today, and in the performance of each
brought him nearer to bis longed for
revenge on Horrigan be was posiUveJy
beamlug with righteous bliss. Dallas
caught slgty of him.
"Alderman!" she called faintly.
i'belun halted, still In haste to fuliil
his mission.
"Could-could I see Mr. Bennett?"
she asked, a new timidity transforming
her rich voice. "Do you know wbere I
can find him?"
"Is it important? Die's pretty busy."
"Yery important!" she pleaded. "I
must see him at ouce."
"I'll look him up," agreed Phelan,
"but I warn you he's too busy to see
you Just yet. S'pose you let me take
you back to the meetln'? Our bill's
comlu' up In a few minutes now, an'
you don't want to miss it Then I'll
scare up his honor for you as soon as
he's got a spare mluute an' bring you
back here to him. Sorry to keep you
waltln'," he went on as they started
toward the council chamber, "but be
fore this session's over all sorts of
things is due to explode, an we ain't
hardly at the bcglnnln' of tbe excite
ment yet. We're goln' to make a
Fourth of July celebration in a giant
powder fact'ry look like a deaf mute
fun'ral by the time we're done."
CHAPTER XVII.
H
E'S in there!" observed Phe-
lun in high excitement, Jerk
ing his thumb toward a door
leading off the committee
room, "tin' I've sent for Wainwright
an' Horrigan to meet your honor here.
An" I've fixed it so the Borough bill
won't come up for ten minutes. Now,
all that's left is to touch tbe punk to
the fuse an' sot off tbe whole giddy
bunch of fireworks under 'em. Gee,
but It's good to 'a' stuck to this old
world Just for the sake of beln' here
today an" scein' what I'm due to see!"
The alderman chuckled, but his Joy
ous anticipation found no reflection In
Bennett's white set face, Tbe two were
In the committee room, whither The
lan had repaired after. depositing Dal
las In a chair beside her brother at the
meeting and attending to one or two
details of greater Import.
"Yes," weut on Phelan, again nod
ding mysteriously toward tbe farther
door, "he's lu there, trained to the
minute, tot the blowout. There's some
one else wants to see you, too some
one who'll make more of a hit with
you if I'm uot overplayin my hand.
But gcHxl news can wait. There's so
little of it in this measly life that it
geu'rally has to. I"
From the corridor Horrigan stamped
into the committee room, Wainwright
at bis heels.
"Well!" cried the boss defiantly, glar
ing at Bennett and Ignoring Phelan.
"You sent for us. What do you want?"
"One moment!" Intervened Wain
wright. "We are beaten!1 ,We admit
that without argument. So we need
waste no time going over details."
"Have you sent for us to say what
you'll sell out for?" queried Horrigan
coarsely,' "because if you have you've
only to unme your price. You've got
us where you want us. We've got to ,
pay."
"I should have thought." replied Ben
nett with no shade of offense, "you
would know by this time that I have
no 'price.' "
"Then what do you want?"
"Kothlng-from you."
"Why did .vou send word you wanted
to see us?" growled Horrigan Impa
tiently as he aud Wainwright, unin
vited, seated themselves at the table.
1 "To tell you," answered Alwyn.
glanclug from one to the other, "that
every step you two have taken in this
whole Infamous transaction from the
very flrst has been carefully followed,
and, to use your own phrase, we've got
you with the goods!"
"Same old bluff!" commented Horri
gan contemptuously, with a reassuring
wink at the somewhat less confident
Wainwright .
"By tomorrow noon," resumed Ben
nett, "you will both be IndJcted on a
First National
DIRECTORS."
Jacob Kamm
J. W. Ladd
Capital...........
Surplus.,.:. ...
Stockholders; Liability
J. Q. A. BOWLBY, President
0. 1. PETERSON, Vice-President.
Astoria Savings Bank .
Capitfl Paid in f 115,000. Surplus and Undivided Profits, $100,000
Transacts General Banking Business Interest Paid on Time Deposits
FOUR PER CENT PER ANNUM.
Eleventh and Duane Sts. Astoria, Oregoa.
6 MONTHS
Paid January lf 1909, on
money deposited on or be
fore July 1st, ia our Sav
ings Department.
Scandinavian
Commercial St.
I! A
LITTLE
OVER
3 CENTS
A Small Savings Bank.
A Small Savings Account.
An Example in Thrift.
' A Small Fortune. A happy home.
THE BANKING SAVINGS AND LOAN ASS'C'N.
168 10th St. Phone Black 2184
charge of bribery. Even now'there are
detectives on the watch for you. Es
cape Is Impossible."
"Rot!" sneered Horrigan. "You're
no evidence that will Indict, and yon
know It Even lf you bad,' don't I con
trol most of the Judges and tbe district
attorney's office besides ? Swell chance
you'll have of getting a conviction past
that buncit' Bah! You talk like man
toad of mud. I s'pose It's the affair
of those Roberts notes you're counting
on. That don't feaze me any. M
lawyer can 'twist that around so if 11
look like a charity gift No, no,
youngster. You'll have to think of
something better If'
"And, anyhow," put m Wainwright
nervously, "you can't prove any con
nection on my part There's nothing
against me or"
"I think there is," retorted Bennett,
wheeling about on the financier. "And
even if I can't nail the Roberts brib
ery to you I've plenty more counts to
hold you on."
"All these generalities and vague ac
cusations prove nothing, Bennett," an
swered Wainwright, drawing courage
from Horrigan'a colossal calm and
speaking with more assurance. "Mr.
Horrigan and I are not schoolboys to
be scared by baseless threats. ThlB Is
all guesswork on your part Come,
now, name one specific charge you can
prove."
"One will be enough to convince
you?" asked Alwyn. "Well, then, how
about this ns a first guess? Mr. llor
rigan's bribe of $2,000,000 In mouey
and '23,000 shares of Borough Btoek for
agreeing to put through the Borough
franchise? Tor 'guesswork' that doesn't
seem to me very bad."
Wainwright's hard mask of a face
twitched convulsively, but the steady
brain that had carried him unshaken
through u thousand risky financial
deals came r.t once to his rescue.
"An excellent guess," he agreed In
splendidly feigned amusement, "but
unfortunately tho courts demand proof
before convicting a man, and there is
no proof whatever of '
"Are you sure?" queried Bennett.
Turning to Thelan, he added:
"Tlease ask Mr. Thompson to come
In."
The alderman,, with an expansive
grin, flung open the door of the farther
room.
(To be concluded next week.)
The Morning Astorian, 60
f Bag-SB".
THEHlOTRENTON
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INTEREST
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