Mr. Crewe's Career, Book I.

es only a poor attempt at an appreciation of him may be expected. Mr. Crewe by no means underestimated this claim upon the community, and he had of

ctly rentable. He had a standing offer to erect a library in the village of Leith provided the town would furnish the ground, the books, and permit the name of Crewe to be carved in stone over the doorway. The indifference of the to

which he had organized); a member of the State Grange; president of the embryo State Economic League (whatever that was); and chairman of the Local Improvement Board-also a creation of his own. By

expressed him. It would not seem to be a very difficult feat, to be sure, to get elected to a State Legislature of five hundred which met once a year: once in ten years, indeed, might ha

course, that portion of Leith which recognized in Mr. Crewe an eligible bachelor and a person of social importance, for these qualitie

d. We did nothing from morning till night but electioneer for the Honourable Billy, and kissed all the babies in the borough. The mothers were so grateful. Now, Edith, do tell Jack instead of playing tennis and canoeing all day he ought to help. It's the duty of all young men to help. Noblesse oblige, you know. I can't understand Victoria. She really has influence with these country peop

ht have had, with King

he town clerk for a chec

hundred Republican vote

of what took place in

t emerges an automobi

ont of a neat farmhouse,

a chauffeur at last bri

pleasant face an

?" cries Mr. Crewe fr

Mrs. Jenne

I want t

ind him in the

e's t

es a Leviathan approaching him, careening over the ruts of his wood road. Not being an emotional person,

u Mr. J

" says Mr. Jenn

mphrey

Jenney, his eyes wander

this year?" asks M

dlin'," says

cience in cultivation helps along. I'm going to send you a Uni

y keeping silent on the subject of

much interest

deal," answer

e declares, "they don't care who represents '

," replies Mr. J

res Mr. Crewe; "I'm a candidate for the R

his beard. One would never suspect that this ha

interests of this t

ey, "there's five hundred

number," says Mr.

o," says Mr. Jenney. "I was th

ewe, combating the tendency of the

up my mind. Who's the candidates?" asks

and I hope you'll take it into consideration. Come and see me when you go to the v

t to see one of them thi

o they cost? Much as a

d Mr. Ball, of the village, who sold groceries to Wedderburn and was a general handy man for the summer people. Mr. Ball was an agitator by temperament and a promoter by preference. If you were a summer resident of importance and needed anything from a sewing-machine to a Holstein heifer, Mr. Ball, the grocer, would accommodate you. When Mrs. Pomfret's cook became inebriate and refractory, Mr. Ball was sent for, and enticed her to the station and on board of a train

ewe?" he said, "automo

gh for the town? Didn't I get 'em rural free delivery? Didn't I subscribe to

to him that it was unfair to make him responsible for the scurvy ingratitude of hi

rewe, "don't scratch t

the rubber-covered step, and be

ilrud,"

ocer clutch his arm in terror. "Don't pinch me like that.

said Mr. Ball, "don't t

got to do with it?"

, to make sure that no one

to do with anything in t

craf

shortly, "I'm a corporation man myse

w what they're about. By the bye, Mr. Crewe," he added, coming dangerously near the va

that name in my ear every day. If you mean that smooth-faced cuss that stutters and lives on Braden's Hill,

to indicate a feeling di

r at the hardihood o

ou, sir, Job

ldn'

s visits,-fol

to see me,

r. Crewe. Job holds h

this two-for-a-cen

Mr. Ball-for even the worm will tur

nt to know is, how this rascal manages to make anythin

t a good many of them hill farmers in a position of-o

ys their votes?" d

xample, he can always get money from Job. Job takes a mortgage, but he don't often close dow

ing cred

entials. He's in a position to negotiate. He was in all them railrud fights with Jethro Bass, and now he does b

my time with any pica

as any hand in this matt

d he

to a long-suffering chauffeur w

nds and raising his voice above the whir of the machine, "but of cou

ehaving like circus horses. On his own driveway, where he arrived in incredibly brief time, he met his stenographer, farm superint

m I would like an appointment at his earl

led and made for the telephone, and brought back the news that Mr. Fl

Mr. Flint worked when at Fairview. Like Frederick the Great and other famous captains, Mr. Flint believed in an iron bedstead regime. The magnate was, as usual, fortified behind his oak desk; the secretary with a bend in his back was in modest evidence; and an elderly man of comfortable propor

particular favour him of the watch-charm, whose cigar was not a very good one. "I wanted to have a little private conversation with

Senator Whitredge will

e is an old f

in with surprising alacrity,

have never had the pleasure of meeti

Mr. Crewe looked out of the window, and the senator's eyes were fixed on the telephone receiver on Mr.

o fatal to success he went on immediately:-"There is nothing which I have to say that the senator cannot hear. I made the appointment with

e faces of his hearers at such not inconsiderable news. Mr. Flint, however, looked

n, Mr. Crewe?" he asked,

is still alive and kick

phasize. Everywhere in Leith I am met with the remark, 'Have you seen Job Braden?' A

lew out a ring of smoke. Mr.

est in others. I am a director in several. I believe that it is the duty of property to protect itself, and the duty of all good men in politics,-such as the senator here,"-(bow from Mr. Whitredge

politics is always a good thing for th

zen who is a not inconsiderable property holder, a gentleman, and a college graduate,-a man who, by st

better," sa

re must have studied to some extent the needs of the State, and it must have struck

enator?" said Mr. Flint. "I think that is

t, "I have here bills which I have carefully drawn up and which I will leave for

Mr. Flint, and the se

er places. The State would have its money back in taxes and business in no time at all. I wonder somebody hasn't seen it before-the stupidity of the country legislator is colossal. And we want forestry laws, and laws for improving the condi

was in a rare posture for

busy man, Mr. Crewe," sa

on them well worth your consideration from the point of view of advantage to your railroad. They are typewritten, and in concrete form. In fact, the Northeast

stand you, Mr. Crewe," said Mr.

rove of the bills, and I am confident

e to do?" asked the

e, unabashed, "send word to your man Brad

time of a loss of patience, "that neither the Northeastern Railroa

man of the world,

about politics in this State as any man of my acquaintance, have you ever

laugh that was par

tions ever since I was a lad. He's a back number, one of the few remaining disciples and imitators of Jethro Bass: talks like him and acts like him. In the old days when there were a lot of little railroads, he and B

as regarded Job Braden, but Mr. Crewe may be pardoned for thinking that Mr. Flint was not showing him quite the confidence due from one business and corporation man

you. You can't fail to see my arguments, and all I ask is that you throw the

drummed on

less to say I am chary of making suggestions. But I am surprised that you should have jumped at a conclusion which is the result of a popular and unfortunately prevalent opinion that the Northeastern Railroads meddled in any way with the governmen

, who was anything but a fool, and ju

been a director in railroads myself for nothing. I have no objecti

erty holder in the State, and an admirer of its beauties, and as its well-wisher, it will give me great pleasure to look over your bills, and use whatever personal influence I

spoke these words, and held out his hand to Mr. Crewe.

enator, "I shall be happy. And if you are ever in your automobile near the town of Ramsey, stop at my little farm, Mr. Crewe. I trus

ou could see your way to drop a hint to tha

hook his head

, "I'm afraid he'd regard that as an

Crewe would have been interested if he could have heard Mr. Flint's first remark to the senator after the door was closed on his back. It did not relate to

sed in front of Mr. Ball's store, and that

den once in a while?

looked

we. "I've been to see Mr. Flint, and I think matters ca

ing or two," said Mr. Ball

dy, his man entered and stood respectfully waiting

t is it no

number twelve of the Ripton House to-morrow at ten o'clock. They wouldn't give any name, sir," added the dignified Wat

t," said

t him to go. But he ordered the motor at half-past nine, and at ten o'clock precisely the

er twelve?" said t

wisdom of his calling, he smiled broadly. "I guess you'll find hi

cked on the door

said a voic

rocking-chair in the centre of the room, between the bed and the marble-topped table: a man to whom, evidently, a rich abundance of thought was sufficien

ed, accepting the hand with no exaggeration of c

n the road once or

ewe sa

u are Mr. Bra

ed a waistcoat pocket full of cigars that

e of mine

e after breakfast

Never could find that

hop. It was not usual for Mr. Crewe to find it difficult to begin a conversation, or to have a companion as self-sufficient as himself. This man Braden had all the fun, apparently, in sitting in a chai

d, "to see about some business matters. And after I

ne," said Mr. B

we, "I certainly got

ephone," sai

message from you,"

s from me-didn't

d Mr. Cre

ted to have me see

velled this sentence, did n

and that I had called on you, and you weren't at home. Ball i

" was Mr. Braden's som

ell," said Mr. Crewe.

r representative from Le

bly know what I have don

ayer, and an all-the

Noo York-

to ask the town for this nomination. I have some bills here which I'll request you to read over, and you will see that I h

I hav

oods to market for about a tenth of what it costs him now. We have infinitely valuable forests in the State which ar

en, drawing a little closer and wavin

nderstan

en, confidingly laying his hand on Mr. Crewe'

to resent the manner in which he deemed he

out before you was ch

grew red i

n these questions,

. Them don't amount to a hill of beans in politics. Nobody pays any attention to that sort of fireworks down to the capital, and if they was to get

Mr. Crewe, "but yo

ics more years than you've be'n livin', I guess. I don't wa

, "I'm a practical man myself, and I don't indulge in moonshine. I am a director in one or two ra

r. Braden, who did not seem to be greatly impresse

I am rather a close friend of his. My going to the L

aning over until his face was in close proximity to Mr.

as a little

ntioned your na

he man to see if you wa

lk to Job Brad

g whether Senator Whitredge had been

our name casually, in so

ew

reproof, "You'd ought to come right to me in the first place. I could have saved you all that unnecessary trouble of seein' folks. There hasn't be'n a representative left the town of

quare, climbed into his automobile, and turned its head towards Leith, str