A Hoosier Chronicle

k, Bassett having given him five hundred dollars for expenses. The Boordman was one of the older buildings in Washington Street, and as it antedated the era of elevators, only the first of its thre

surance agency conducted by several active young fellows of Dan's acquaintance; and the office of a Pittsburg firm of construction contractors, presided

tch for his pipe while in the midst of his moving and

fairy stories we'll all die early. You might as well know the worst:-they do light housekeeping on the third floor and the smell of onions is what I call annoying. Oh, that's all right; what's a match between friends! The last man who had your office-you've taken sixty-six?-well, he always got his matches here, and touched me occasionally for a pink photo of George Washington-stamp, ha! ha! see! He was real nice and when his wife dropped in to see him one day and I was sitting in there joshing him and carrying on, he was that painfully embarrassed! I guess she made him move; but, Lord, they have to b

l. In the first Harwood set up a desk for himself; in the second he placed the library, and the third and largest was to be Bassett's at such times as he cared to use it. Throughout the summer Harwood hardly saw Bassett, and he began to regret his reluctant assent to a relationship which conferred so many benefits w

brushing the chaff into his wastebasket and retaining a few kernels for later use. He seemed thoroughly familiar with the state press and spoke of the rural newspapers with a respect that surprised Harwood, who had little patience with what he called the "grapevine dailies," with their scrappy local news, patent insides, and servile partisan opinions. Still, he began to find in a considerable number of these papers, even those emanating from remote coun

ound doctrine that favored government with the least restraint? Rather uglier had been Bassett's identification with the organization of the White River Canneries Company, a combination of industries on which a scandalous overissue of stock had been sold in generous chunks to a confiding public, followed in a couple of years by a collapse of the business and a reorganization that had frozen out all but a favored few. Still, Bassett had not been the so

eckerboard formed by the ninety-two counties of the Hoosier commonwealth seemed to have a fascination for the man from Fraserville. When Dan found him thus in rapt contemplation Bassett usual

ly cease from agitating the waters of the Wabash: somewhere some one is always dropping in a pebble to see how far the ripple will widen. In the torrid first days of September the malfeasance of

he Democratic scandal in Ranger County, Bassett called Dan into his office. Bassett's name had been linked to that of Miles, the erring treasurer, in the "Advertiser's" headlines; and

nod a copy of the "Ad

t corn margins are not legitimate investments for a county's money. He's a good fellow and will know better next time. We couldn't afford to have a member of the state committee in jail, so I met the bondsmen and the prosecuting attorney-he's a Republica

nding. Bassett p

my pocket,-and I want you to get all the publicity you know how for these things. Let me see. In my interview you'd better lay great stress on the imperative need for a uniform accounting law for county officials. Say that we expect to stand for this in our next platform; make it strong. Have me say

, Miles isn't guilty, but you would take advantage

lican papers to see all Democrats through black goggles." The humor showed in Bassett's eyes for an instant, and he added: "Praise the Republican prosecutor of Ra

oward the treasurer's sin was tolerant and amiable. Miles had squandered money in bucket-shop gambling, but the sin was not uncommon, and the amount of his loss was sufficient to assure his penitence; he was an ally of Bassett's and it was Bassett's way to take care of his friends. Bassett had not denied that the culprit had been guilty of indiscretions; but he had minimized the importance of his error and adorned the tale with a moral on

see. I wish you would do another interview changing the phraseology and making it short, and we'll give the 'Advertiser' a chance to print it. I'll attend to these other

"Courier's" change of ownership shortly after Dan's tentative connection with the paper began. Atwill had rarely visited the editorial department, but it was no secret that he exercised general supervision of the paper. It had been whispered among the reporters that every issue was read

ly employed on the 'Courier.' It was he that wr

ll n

ould follow your pencil up and down the state on our circul

. There was a tradition that he had been a "star" reporter in New York, a managing editor in Pittsbu

what I'm doing. He will probably write an editorial for you occasionally, and when it comes in it won't be necessary for the

ood, throwing his legs across a chair and showin

e first time in their intercourse,-"I've opened the door wi

te that, Mr

on. You understand, I trust you absolutely. And in coming to me as you did, and accepting

at Fraserville. When I don't believe in you any longer, I'll quit; and if that time comes you may be

e not tied. Be sure of that. If you should quit me to-morrow I should be disappointed but I wouldn't kick. And don't buil

t informed their new intimacy. The most interesting and powerful character in Indiana politics had made a confidant of him. Without attempting to exact vows of secrecy, or

sett was saying, "Atwill repres

suspected it,

pected it?" aske

said repeatedly that you ow

he shut his lips tightly so that his stiff mustache gave to his mouth a sinister look that Dan had never seen before. The disagreeable exp

his senator from Fraser, with his alternating candor and disingenuousness, his prompt solutions of perplexing problems. It was unimaginable that

and he watched them again as Bassett idly twisted a rubber band in

"Courier's" leader, and it appeared verbatim et literatim. He viewed his work with pride and satisfaction; even his ironical editorial "briefs" had, he fancied, something of the piquancy he admired in the paragraphing of

f Ranger County, had been playing the bucket shops with public moneys, and the Honorable Morton Bassett, of Fraserville, with characteristic zeal in a bad cause, ha

as sick, the devi

ot well, the dev

es Dan had contributed. The "Advertiser," finding that the Republican prosecuting attorney of Ranger County j

ssett, so the article averred, no longer satisfied to rule his party amid the pastoral calm of Fraser County, had stolen into the capital and secretly established headquarters, which meant, beyond question, the manifestation of even a wider exercise of his malign

EL H

importance that highly amused him. It was quite like the Fraserville boss to choose a young man of good antecedents, the graduate of a great university, with no previous experience in politics, the better to bend him to his will. Dan's talents and his brilli

g distance telephone and told him of the dis

o-night and read it carefully. Better cut the stuff out and send it in an envelope, to make sure. Call Atwill

was not disturbed by the references to himself. He winced a little bit at being called a "stool pigeon"; but he thought he knew the reporter who had written the article, and his experience in the newspaper office had not been so brief but that it had killed his layman's awe of the printed word. When he

Street to Fitch's house. The lawyer came downstairs i

f my family's vacation. They've moved out of Maine into the Berkshires and the boys are going back t

t's all very amusing and my moral

ed him c

to get her acknowledgment, but you're a notary, aren't you? I've just been telephoning her about it. You know who she is? Come to think of it, she's Bassett's aunt-in-law. You'

maid said, but would be back shortly. Dan explained that he had com

ianapolis for a day on their way to Boston. The Delaware Street house had been closed all summer. The floors

nished. "I have an errand with Mrs. O

ll, but she will be back soon. She went only a

leave the young man to himself. Dan determined the matter fo

the year. Just when we're all tired of

Montgomery this afternoon and it was ve

him at Professor Kelton's house in Montgomery when he had gone there with a letter from Fitch, "You see," he said, "we've met before, i

not been for the curious manner in which the lawyer had received his report and the secrecy so carefully enjoined. It was odd that he should have chanced upon these people a

ame to see. He's here with me now, but he's gon

too rare for there to be any dimness of memory as to the visit of the stranger, partic

n casually. He was still bound in all honor to forget that excursion as far as possible. This

ou went off so kindly to find Professor Kelton I picked up the book you had been reading, and it quite laid m

good story," replie

to stagger through a page, but it floored me. You see how frank I

paring us unfavorably with other places. You implied"-and Sylvia

eep into my consciousness, and I am glad of this chanc

Dr. Wandless, who often struck a

is bamboo stick. His gray sack suit with the trousers neatly creased and his smartly knotted tie proclaimed him a man of fashion:

gone to a large co

ck straight enough

be rude," Sylvia p

membered what had been

ort courteous! My conceit at being a

too," said Sylvia, with a generous in

rsions shall I assume that you a

'm on my way to

to see a girl I had met at a Prom-such is the weakness of man! I had arrayed myself as the lilies of the field, and on my way through Pokip I gathered up a beautiful two-seated trap with a driver, thinking in my ignorance that I should make a big hit by driving the fair one over the hill

t any rate. But ho

he go driving with him. That was her idea, I assure you,-my own depravity could suggest nothing more euphonious than Canajoharie. And would you believe it, the consent being forthcoming, she came back and said she wouldn't go-absolutely declined! She rested on the fine point in ethics that, while it was not improper t

the changes on these adventure

and my grandfath

began Dan, g

Sylvia, "whether my grand

seriousness after Harwood's visit; it seemed wise

didn't," replied Dan, relieved tha

nyhow and I didn't know what

ell," said Sylvia, "and woul

at once, it was unnecessary for Sylvi

ption of the property conveyed while she held the deed. At one point she took a pen and crossed a t; otherwise the work of Wright

ch's office, are y

appened to call on Mr. Fitch this evening

't believe I know

ough to be known," answered

ere a nuisance in this world and not worthy of serious consideration. She c

o affix the seal. I'm to give it to Mr

ice, Mr. Harwood?"

urprised to find himself uncomfortab

sett's young man who was wri

a prominent man and the 'Advertiser' chose to put its own interpret

to be inquisitive, or disagreeable; I was just looking for information. I took notice of that 'Adv

Owen, I u

hange of tone, that she had no intention of pillorying him for Bassett's misdeeds, he began to enjo

ning up this way. I just came to town yesterday and Edward Thatch

ll

the conversation. Mrs. Owen's tone was who

-well, she's one of those Terre Haute Bartlows, and those people never would stay put. Edward's made too much money for his wife's good, and the United States ain't big enough for her and the girls. But that boy got ti

ind himself. He's amusing"-and Dan laughed, remembering their first mee

ood to that boy, and you won't lose anyt

ope. He's treate

r eyes upon him with

s to think Morton Bassett is croo

mmered at this dis

able and bent toward him, th

d you that. Be your own boss. Morton's a terrible persuader. Funny for me to be talking to you this way; I don't usually

. I see that I have a responsibility

alone when I'm at home, and you may come whenever you

a, who had been upstairs saying good-night to her grandfa

and Mr. Harwood are

, "that we haven't

Mr. Harwood. He's a Yale Colle

ew that!" replied

arrison, about the Kalamazoo cousins,

introduction," observed Mrs. Owen. "Don'