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The Wingham Times, 1910-05-26, Page 7TAN WUSgirliAM 'TIMF.,M,. MAT 26 1.i11g. B Nf W Mayor' an G.f4 D,'oaehur ;y SaaacessPul Play BY LIBER g AYSON ! w UNE 22 77 1.ro r 3Y ST sin unhappy contrition, "he has acted honorably and as he thought I would 'have wauted him to and for my happi- ness. And 1, like the wretched little fool I was, couldn't understand and ,publicly humiliated him. Oh, if only it weren't tbo late to"— A vision of Gibbs flashed before her mind, and she shuddered, realizing all that her rash steps had entailed. "It is too late," she confessed to her- self, fighting back the hot tears that seared her eyes, "But at least I can tell him I know and beg his forgive- ness and thank him." The sound of voices in the corridor roused her from her bitter reverie. She sprang up hastily, unwilling that any should see her tear stained face, but the speakers, • though they drew near, did not enter Horrigan's office. Instead, they stepped into the adjoin- ing committee room. The messenger 'had left ajar the door between the two rooms. Realizing this and not wishing to be seen, Dallas shrank back toward the wall, fearful of detection. Then -the voice of one of the speakers sud- denly uddenly arrested her notice. • "Well," Bennett was saying in no es- pecially civil tones, "you said you wish- ed to speak to me in private. What have you to say? Be brief, for I am busy." Finding herself the unwilling witness ' to what promised to be a confidential talk, Dallas 'stole toward the door lead - ling to the corridor, but Horrigan, as Isms his custom, had locked it on going out She dared not enter alone the crowded anteroom in her present state, so hesitatingly she paused, forced to remain where she was. The sound of another voice chained her to the spot, and, unconscious of eavesdropping, she stood spellbound, hearing every word distinctly through the half open door- way. ' "I—I hardly know how to begin," • Gibbs was replying to Bennett's Burt demand. "It is a delicate subject . and"— "Then the sooner it is treated to open • air the better. Is"— "You've won the Borough bill fight," • began Gibbs. "Is that all you have tosay to me?" "No. You've won, but you've lost fax more. You've lost Dallas Wainwright." "I hardly need to be reminded of "that," retorted Bennett, "and. it is a •subject I don't care to discuss." "But listen," pleaded Gibbs as the +mayor made a move as though to leave the room. "One minute! I say you've Won the Borough fight. I've won Dal- las. Can't we"— "Well, what?' asked Bennett, with •ominous quiet as he paused in his de- parture. . "Can't we—strike some sort of bar- :,gain?" said. Gibbs tentatively. ."Explain, please," ordered Bennett, with that same deceptive calm. "Why," went on Gibbs, "emboldened • at the other's seeming complacence, "suppose you give up this Borough fight and I give up Dallas? I won hen by a trick. She doesnt really love me.. It is her,pride, not her heart, that made her throw you over and accept me. It ,7s you she loves, and I've known it all along, and 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 back on her promise, especially since she looks on me as a sort of high mind- ed martyr to your oppression, so if I hold her to her word she Will not back down. Now. if you, even now, with- draw your opposition the Borough bill Will go through. Let it'go through and t will break my engagement to Dallas Wain• wright and leave her free to marry you." "You premise that?" "Yes!" tried Gibbs, elated. "1 promise ou my word Of honer: Is it a bar- gain?" "Oibbs," re- plied Alwyn slowly, "I didn't think there was so feel a crit as you In all the world, 1 thought I understood how ut- terly, ti'rotten Sou were, but 1 didn't be- "Gibbs, , d:a t Wrtti k n�, r �l there IVO se foul ra cur as i/ou In all the uortd. " 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 a mo - meat," cut in Bennett, silencing the in- terruption. "You say I'm in love with Miss Wainwright. it is true, I love her in a way a dog like you could never understand if he tried for a lifetime, I'd give my life for one word of love from her, but I'd sooner go forever without that word than win it by a dishonest deed that would prove me unworthy of her. I asked her love as a free gift and tried to deserve it. $he refused, and I won't try to buy what she won't give me, especially since the price would hake me as unworthy, of her as you yourself are." "But you take the wrong view of it.. You see, if"— see this much: I'll have to speak plainer to get my view of the case into your vile mind. If ever again you meet me, stand out of my' way. Don't Speak to me or come where I am, for heed to marry your she stormed. "1 let you kiss me. My lips 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 shame—the horrible. shame of it all! But I shall thank God on my bended knees that I have found out the truth before it was too late." "Too late?" he echoed in horror, his voice rising almost to a scream, "Dal- las, you're not going to throw the over? You aren't"— "Scott Gibbs," she answered Quietly, a world of wondering scorn in her level tones, "you do not even know how vile a thing you are. Now leave me, please. Your presence sick- ens me." Ile tried to speak, but some- thing of the in- effable con- tempt ' in her steady eyes si- lenced him. Without a word he slunk out of the room and out of her life. Phelan, agog with eagerness for the coming struggle in the aldeitanic chamber, bustled past through the cor- ridor. The alderman had many duties today, and as the performance of each brought him nearer to his 'longed for revenge on. Ilorrigau he was positively beaming with righteous bliss. Dallas caught sight of him. "Alderman!" she called faintly. Phelan halted, still in haste to fulfill bis mission. "Could --could I see Mr. Bennett?" she asked, a new timidity transforming her rich voice. "Do you know where I can find him?" "Is it important? He's pretty busy." "Very important!" she pleaded, "I must see him at once." "I'll look him up," agreed Phelan, "but I ware you he's too busy to see you just yet. S'pose you let me take you back to the meetin'? Our bill's C002111' 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 be'S got a spare minute an' bring you back here to him. Sorry to keep you waitin'," 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 beginnin' of the excite- ment yet. We're goin' 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." The_eamesdropper. • if you cross my path again I'll treat you ten thousand times worse than when I thrashed you inyrthat football game. That's all." Bennett, restraining his wrath with a mighty effort, turned on bis beet and strode orf into 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 the last time." "Dallas!" gasped the desperate man. his drawn face turning positively yel- low. "You were—you—you heard?" "Mr. Bennett just now called you 'the foulest cur in all the world,' " said Dallas, her voice scarcely louder tinin a whisper, yet every syllable stinging as n whiplash. "He put it too mildly." "But, sweetheart"— "'Miss Wainwright' please. I heard you offer to sell we to him in exchange for his' conscience., If my own brother lied told me such a thing 1 would -not have believed hits, but I myself heard it. And i heard his splendid answer." "But, you know, i was joking! That it was jest a trick to"— "Just such a trick that made me promise to be your wife? Yes, but this time you had to clo with a man— n man in a million—not with a poor, credulous little idiot like me. And he answered you as I should have an- sst Bred you had my eyes been opened in time. I"— "Dallas," 'groaned Gibbs, "for heav- en's sake don't look at me like thatl I can't bear it! I love you! And I"— "And 1 in my criminal folly prom - The American pension list last year totaled close upon 1.000,000 persons, who received among them about $150,- 000,000, There is still on the roll one daughter of a soldier of the war of the revolution, which closed in 1782.; and the last surviving widow of a revelation- ary soldier died less than three and a half yeare ago CURES AT Rf; .ASTHMA0 Bresteldfis, dello, dates and Colds, or trioti.? back. Sold and gtarmteed lay► WALTON' bi:oittl3BON, "Now leave me, please. Your presence sick- ens me." • CHAPTER XVII. E'S in there!" observed Phe= Ian in high excitement, jerk- ing his thumb toward a doer leading off the committee room, "an' 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 the punk to the fuse an' set off the whole giddy bunch of fireworks under 'em. Gee, but it's good to 'a' stuck to this old world just for the sake of beim' here today an' seein' what I'm due to see!" The alderman chuckled, but his joy- ous anticipation found no reflection in Bennett's white set face. The two were in the committee room, whither Phe- 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," went on Phelan, again nod- ding mysteriously toward' the farther door, "he's in there, trained to the minute for the blowout. There's seine one elSe wants to see you, too—some one who'll make more of a hit with you if I'm not overplayin' my band. But good news can wait There's so little of it in this tneasly life that it gen'rally has to. I" -- From the corridor EfOrrigan Stamped into the committee room, Wainwright at his heels. "Well!" cried the boss defihutly, - - glar- ing at Bennett and ignoring Phelan. "You sent for us. What do you want?" "One moment!" Inter'Vened Wain - Wright. "We are beaten. We admit that without argument. So we need waste no time going over details." "Rave you sent for us to say what you'll sell out for?" queried Horrigau eoarsely, "because if you have you've only to name your price. You've got us where you want us, We've got to pays, "T should have thought," replied Ben, nett, with no shade of offense, "you Would know by this time that I have no 'price.'" "Then.what db you want?" "Notrink=from yeti." "Why did yen send 'word yon wanted to see us?" growled I e Tigan. imps- tiently as he and Wainwright, unin- +vited, seated themselves at the table. "To tell .yen; 0 answered Alwyn, glancing from one to the other, "that every step you two have taken in this Whole infamous transaction froth the IT 15 SIMPLY MARVELLOUS NOTHING TO •COMPARE - WITH "ERUIT.A-TIVES." After Physicians and Ordinary Remedies Failed to Relieve This Famous Fruit Medicine Promptly Cured, Thousands of people owe their good health to "Fruit-a-tives," Thousands of others are rapidly being restored to health and strength through the mar- velious powers of this extraordinary medicine. Here Is just one case in Lancaster, Ont: "For years, I was a martyr to Chro- nic Constipation, I tried pills, etc., and consulted physicians without relief. Then.I began to take "Fruit-a-tives" and these wonderful fruit tablets en- tirely cured me." (Mrs.) ZENOPHILE BONNEVILLE. 50e a box, 6 for $2.50, or trial size 25c. At dealers or from Fruit-a-tives, Limited, Ottawa. very first has been carefully fellowed, 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 indicted on a charge of bribery. Even now there are detectives on the watch for you. Es- cape is impossible." "Rot!" sneered Horrigan. "You've no evidence that will indict, and you know it. Even If you had, don't I con- trol most of the judges and•the district attorney's office besides? Swell chance you'll have of getting a conviction past that bunch! Bah! You talk like a man made of mud. 1 s'pose It's the affair of those Roberts notes you're counting on. That don't feaze me any. My' lawyer can twist that around so it'll look like a charity gift. No, no, youngster. You'll have to think of something better if"— "And, anyhow," put in 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 it 1 ,can't ,uu[I ;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 Hot'rigau's colossal calm and speaking with more assurance. "Mr. FIorriga❑ and 1 are not schoolboys to be seared by baseless threats. This 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 as a first guess? Mr. Hor- rigan's bribe of $2,000,000 in money and 25,000 shares of Borough stock for agreeing to put through the Borough franchise? For '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 throuh a thousand risky financial deals came at once to bis rescue. "An excellent guess," be agreed in splendidly feigned amusement, "but unfortunately the courts demand proof before convicting a man, and there is no proof whatever of"— "Are you sure?" queried Bennett. Turning to Phelan, he added: "Please ask Mr. Thompson to come in." The alderman, with an expansive grin, flung open the door of the farther room. At sound of his secretary's name Wainwright' had sprung to his feet and, dumfounded, was leaning heavily on the table, staring across the threshold of the suddenly opened door. There, framed in the dark doorway, his face deathly pale, his eyes glowing with a strange light as of murder, stood Cynthia's brother. Ills presence in the city hall was no mere chance, but the climax of a series of conferences between Bennett, Phe- lan and himself, dating from the night of the administration ball, when, de- spite his own resolve, the secretary's hand had been forced by the inquisi� thc•o alderman and his identity re- vented. ret into the sec been o t �• had bee E d.anett h. next day, and the trio had had a three hour talk from which Phelan had emerged with the gleeful air of one who had unexpectedly found a $1,000 hill Thompson, too, bad left that con- ference with a look of calm, intense -•ntis•i'actlon that transfigured him, tinter conversations had followed, erne of them in the presence of notary, -<tcnugrapher and lawyers. The trap at last was ready to be sprung '11.e financier for the first time in his nig year close association .with the 1 • ,y:ary feet the younger man's gaze i1 itIwut seeing the latter droop in clef e'teutial stibmission. Now he received hart look for look frdm Ills fernier ab- ict Slave, and it was his own glance unit wavered before that concentrated glare of hate. "Thompson!" he cried, and his voice bore a world of incredulous 'reproach, tleforo him stood the one roan on 0;11';1) In '11an C"fti1itveiglit liacl ever pieced Itnp!leit mist; to Wheal he had. confided .his gravest bupineae Secrete; the man whom be had so shrewdly tested in .countless ways and who had proved stanchly incorruptible and ley Slain Ourrison, al, and now Thompson apparently con - 1' opted him in the role of traitor—of. exultant Spy. "Thompson!" be excl-aimed once more, almost with a groan, as the sec- retary advanced into the room until only the width of the table separated employer and employee. Then the newcomer spoke for the first time, in an oddly muffled voice. as though .fighting desperately for self re- straint. "No!" he contradicted, "'Thompson' no longer. henceforth 1 am Garrison." Wainwright's face grew gray. Breath• less, unbelieving,, he peered across at the pallid features oi' his new foe. true ing in them the likeness to the old friend whose ruin and death he had caused. The haunting resemblance that fuel often vaguely occurred to him when watching Thompson at work now returned in double force. But now, as In a flash. it was explained. and he knew that his secretary spoke the truth. "Yes." went on Thompson to dual same choked, struggling intonation, "I am Harry Garrison, You wrecked my father's life. You drove him to suicide. You blasted his memory. You beg- gared eegared his children. 1 am his son—Har- ry Garrison. Now do you begin to understand?" "You see, '.[r. Wainwright," inter- vened Bennett as the secretary's pent- up rage strangled the words in his throat, "ray guesswork has a fairly re- liable backing." But Wainwright did not bear. He still stared. as one hypnotized, into the blazing eyes .of the man he had trusted. "You've—you've played me false!" he managed to gasp at length. "You have"— "Sure he has!" cut in Horrigan. "What'd I tell you last summer, Wain- wright? I said then you were foolish to trust him so. I said he'd stand watching. The minute I set eyes on that lantern jawed, glum face of his"— "Played me false!" muttered Wain- wright again, dazed and doubting the evidence of his own senses. • "Played you false?" jeered Thomp- son. "Played you false? Why else did I become your servant? What else have I been waiting all these horrible years for? • I've sat at your desk and listened to your orders, never venturing to say' my 'soul was my own. Now you'll listen'to me." "Why do you bother with the little traitor,. Wainwright?" scoffed Horrigan. But the financier was standing mo- tionless, leaning on the table, his fin- gers spasmodically gripping its edge till the knuckles grew white. Ridiculously like a cowed prisoner before the bar of justice, he faced his fiery eyed young• judge. "They sent for me," went on Thomp- son brokenly, jerkily, scarce intelligi- ble as the suppressed hatred of a dec- ade battled for expression. "They sent for me. My father had killed himself. My mother lay dead, struck down by grief. Our honored old name was de- filed. My sister was a pauper. Who had done all this? You! Oh, they hushed it up, but I found it out! I found it out! And by my murdered fa- ther's body I knelt and swore I'd pay you for it. I'd pay you if it cost me my life. I would ruin you in name �t y :Ind fortune. as you ruined my father, and then tied then f d Arlt I'd kill you, as vnta, as you tilted you killed him! ncp ftrtier." • I'd ' t\'itb an e''foft that lefi !dm Ivr:;ct evl '„act trembbng, `I hn ;;•:.nti rowed bi:n- �clt' to canner :1l1, ce h 110.1 tnntilterod: "1 rttit%:'L'rerl 1'e'.: teelv,•1'1!r•e i:ot,i {Fir ti sectetirry, 1 hail 0;r rxper:,'t.rc, \ opt of nicety app!',•:1nt+. •ton I-ail>:t, te i'hat Avtw fair 1 !;t .•et- rho' t:,,)) n,.0 lay 1 should h. 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Don't have another dusty sweeping day, but get a 35c package of 1 "Dustbane". We are authorized by the manufacturers of "Dustbane" to send you a 35c can of their Sweeping Compound We want you to use thison trial for one week. At the end of this period , if not found satisfactory, we will take it back, and there will be no charge for quan- tity used. It Does Away with Dust on Sweeping Day. You want it. Sold in bbls., half bbls., and quarter bbls., for stores schools, churches, hospitals, banks,and public buildings, For sale in Wingham by A. J. MALCOLM, J. HENRY CHRISTIE, WM. BONE, RICHARDSON & RAE. Canadian Factories St john, N. R., Winnipeg, Man. as The Times TO January 15 0,, 1911 for s Ce :48