Indianapolis Times, Volume 35, Number 184, Indianapolis, Marion County, 12 December 1922 — Page 8

8

A Hoosier Chronicle By MEREDITH NICHOLSON First Novel in thè Times Series of Fiction Stories by Indiana Writers (Copyright, 1018. br Meredi th Nlcholson.i

"He left a rood many orders, but I think you were to eat food wlth hlm in thè frosty halle of thè University Club almost at once. He’s In a state of mini In love with thè daughter of his father’s enemy—just like a Park Theater thriller. Wants you to teli hlm what to do; and you wUI pardon me for 6uggestlng that lf there’s to be an elopement you write ìt up yourself in thè Courier. I was talklng to a friend of mine who's on thè dingdlng desk at thè Whitcomb and she says thè long-dlstance business in that ta verri is painful to handle—hot words flying over thè State about this Thatcher-Bassett rumpus. You may take it from me that thè. fight is warm, and I guess somebody will know more aster thè convention. But *ay—l" “Um,” said Harwood, who*e gaze ■was upon thè frante of a new building that was rislng aerosa thè Street. He was thlnklng of Alien. If Marian and Alien were subjects of gossip In connection with thè break betwoen thelr fathers he foresaw trouble; and he was sorry, for he was slncerely devoted to thè boy and Marian he llked also, in eplte of her vagaries. A great many people were likely to be affected by thè personal difficulties of Thatcher and Bassett. Even quiet Montgomery was teemlng and on thè way from thè station he had met half a dozen acquaio tances who had pauaod to shake hands and say something about thè politicai situation. Hls ignorance of Bassett's reai Intentions, whlch preaumably thè defiance of thè Courier cterely cloaked. was not without lts embarrassment. He had been known as a Bassett man; be had received and talk ed to lnnumerable pollticians of Bassett's party in thè Boordman building; and durlng thè tour years of hls Identification with Bassett he had vislted most of thè county seats on politicai and business errands. The closeness of thelr associatlon made all thè more surprislng this sudden exclusion. "I sald ‘say.’ *’ repeated Miss F&rrell, lightly touching thè smooth cliff of yellow bair above her brow with thè back of her hand. “I was about to give you a message from hls majesty our kir.g, but lf you're on a pipe dream don’t let me cali you home.” "Oh. yes; pardon me. What were you about to say ” “Mr. Bassett said that lf you carne in before I quit to ask you to come over to thè Whitcomb. Mre. Bassett blew in today from that sanatorium in Connecticut where they’ve been working on her nervo Miss Marian brought her back, and they’ve stopped in town to rest. And say,“—he;-e Miss Farrell iowered her voice.—"thè Missis must try hls soul a good deal! I wonder how he ever picked her out ot that bunch?"

"That wlil do'." sald Harwood sharply. "J’ii find Mr. Bassett at thè Whitcomb and I shan't have anything forJQU today.” There had been a meeting of thè centrai committee preliminary to thè approaching State convention. A number of candidates had already opened headquarters at thè Whitcomb, members of Congress, aspiranti for thè govtmor’s seat. to be fllled two years lience. and petty satraps from far and near were visible at thè hotel. If Bassett's star was decliiiing there was nothing to indicate It in thè conduct of thè a.ivance guani. Harwood sound him established on a settee in thè lobby in plain view of all seekers, and from thè fixed appearance of thè men clustered about him he had held this position for some time. He had precipitated one of thè most interesting politicai struggles thè State had ever witnessed, but his air of unconcern before this mixed company of his fellow partlsans, among whom there were frlends and foes, was well calculated to inspire faith in his leadership. Some one was teliing a story, and at its conclusion Bassett caught Harwood’a eye and called to him in a manner that at once drew attention to thè young man. "Hello. Dan! You're back from thè country all right, I see! I guess you boys all know Harwood. You’ve seen his nome In thè newspapersl” Several of thè loungers shook hands with Harwood, who had cultivated thè handshaklng hablt.Vmd he made a point of addressing to each one some personal remark. Most of these men slncerely liked and admired Bassett, and many of them accepted thè prevailing superstition as to his omniscience and invu! nerability; even In thè Hepublican camp many shared thè belief that thè spears of thè righteous were of no avail against him. Dan's loyalty to Bassett had never been more flrmly planted. Bassett had always preserved a certain formality in his reiations wdth hlm; tonlght he was calling hlm Dan naturally and as though unconscious of thè transltion. This was not without its effect on Har wood; he w r as surprised to find how asrreeable it was to be thus aedressed by thè leader in such a gatherlng. Bassett suggested that he speak to Mrs. Bassett and Marian. who were spending a few days in town, and he sound them in thè hotel parlor, where Bassett Joined them shortly. Mrs. Basset and Dan had always got on well together; hls nearness to her husband brought him dose to thè do mestlo circle: and he had been inva-j varlably responsive to her demanda upon his time. Dan had learned in- ! evitably a good deal of thè inner fife j of thè Bassets, and now and then he] had been awar© that Mrs. Bassett was sounding hlm discreetly as to her hus band’s plans ani? projeets: but these] approaehes had been managed with ' thè nicest tact and discretion. She] prided herself on bei'ng a woman of thè world, and while she had flinched sometirr.es at thè attacks made upon her husband, she was nevertheless i proud of his influence in affairs. Bas sett had once, at a time when ho was ] being assailed for smothering some j rneasure in thè Senato, given her a j number of books hearing upon thè anti-slavery struggle. in whlch shej read that thè prominent leader* in that movement had suffered thè most unjust attacks, and while it was not quite clear wherein lay Bassett’s likeness to Lincoln, Lovejoy and Wendell Phillips, she had been persuaded that honorable men in public Use are often thè targets of scandal.-

Her early years In Washington with her father had lmpressed her imagination; thè dream of returning there as thè wife of a Senator danced brightly in her horizons. It would irasan much to Marian and Biackfora if their father, like thelr Grandfather Singleton, should aitala a seat in thè Senato. And she was aware that without such party servile as Bassett was rendering, with its resulting antagonisms, thè virulent newspaper attacks, thè social estrangements that she had not escaped in Fraserville, a man could not hope for party preferment. “What’s Alien doing?" asljed Marian. "I suppose now that papa is having a rumpus with Mr. Thatcher I shall never see him any more.” “You shouldn’t speak so, Marian. A hotel parlor ia no place to discuss your father’s affairs," admonished Mrs. Bassett. "Oh. Alien’s ever so much fun. He’a a Sociallst or something. Aunt Sally likes hlm ever so much. Aunt Sally likes Mr. Thatcher, too, for that, matter," she concluded boldly. "Mr. Thatcher ia an old friend of mine,” said Bassett soberly. "You can be awfully funny when you want to, papa,” replied Marian. "As we carne through Pittsburgh this momlng I bought a paper that told about 'Stop! Look! Llsten.’ But Alien won't mlnd If you do whistte to his father to keep off thè track." "Mr. Thatcher* name was never mentioned by me in any such connection,” replied Bassett, but he laughed when Marian leaped over and patted his cheek to exprees her satlsfaction in her father's clevemess. "I think it unfortunate that you have gone to war with that man,” remarked Mrs. Bassett wearlly. "I guess it will be a lively scrap all right enough,” said Marian. dellghted at thè prospect. “We’re going to move to thè city this fall, Mr. Harwood.- Hasn't papa toìd you?” Mrs. Bassett glanced at her husband with alert suspicion, thlnking that pehaps in her absence he had been connlving to this end with Maria n. Bassett emiled at his daughter's adroltness in taklng advantage of liarwood's presence to introduce this subjeet; it had been thè paramount Issue with her for several years. "I shall be glad enough to stay at Fraserville thè rest of my days lf I get through another Waupegan suznmer bafely,” said Mrs. Bassett. ‘The mere thought of moving is horrible. ' "Oh, we wouldn’c exactly move in comJng here; we'd have aji apartment in one of these comfortable new housea and come down while thè Legislaturc’s Ir session, so we can be with papa. And there's ever so much music here now. and thè theaters. and I could have a coming-out party here. You know I never had one. papa. And it would be nìce to be near Aunt Sally; she's old and needs us.” “Yes; she undoubtedly does,” sald Bassett, with faint irony. Her daughter's rapid Aro of suggestions wearied Mrs. Bassett. She turned to Harwood:

"Mr. Bassett and Marian have been teliing me, Mr. Harwood, that Aunt Sally went back to college with Sylvia Garrison aster Professor Kelton's death. Poor girl, It's quite like Aunt Sally to do that. Sylvia must be verv forlorn, with all her people gone. I think Aunt Sally knew her mother. I hope the girl isn't wholly destitute?" "No, the professor left a small estate and Miss Garrison expeets to teach,” Dam answered. "Well. I haven't seen her In five years; she was only a young girl that summer at the lake. How soon will Aunt Sally be back? 1 do hope she's comlng to *Waupegan. If I'd known she was going to Weilesley. we could have waited for her in New York, and Marian and I could have gone with them to see Sylvia graduateci. I always wanted to vislt the college.” “It was better for you to come home, Hailie," said Mr. Bassett. “You are not quite up to sight-seeing yet. And now,” ho addod, "Dan and I have some business on hand for un hour or so, and I'm going to send you and Marian for an automobile ride before dinner. You must quit ti c moment you are tired. Wish w r e could all go, but I haven’t seen Dan much lately, ard as I'm going homo with you tomorrow we shan't have another chance.” When his wife and daughter had Leon dispatched in the motor Bassett suggested that they go to a private room he had engaged in the hotel, first giving orders at the office that he was not to be disturbed. He did not, however, escape at once from men who had been lying in walt for him in the lobby and corridore, but he short work of them. "I want to thresh out some things with you today. and I’ll be as brlef is possible,” said Bassett when he and Harwood were alone.’ "You got matters fixed satisfaetorily at Montgomery—no trouble about your appointment?” “None; Mrs. Owen had arranged all that.” “You mentioned to her, dld you, my offerto help?” “Oh, yes! But she had already arranged with Akins, the banker, i bout the administrator's bond, tuid we went at once to business.” , “That’s all right: only I wanted to be sure Mrs. Owen understood I had offered to help you. She’s very kind to my wife and children; Mrs. Bassett has been almost like a daughter to her, you know. There's reailv some property to administer, is tharc?" “Very little, sir. The professor had been obliged to drop part of his fife insurance and there was only two theusand in force when he died. The house he lived in jnay bring another two. There are some publishers’ contraets that seem to have no vaìue. And the old gentleman had Invested what was a larga sum for him in White River canneries.” Bassett frowned and he akkedquickly: “How much?” “Five thousand dollars.” “As much aa that?” - He had taken an unsliarpened lead pendi from hls pocket ad was slipping It through bis fingerà obsently, allowlng lts blunt ends to tap the arm of liis ebair at lntervals. Aster a mo-

DOINGS OF THE DTJFFS—

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DAYS IS GONE FOREVER—

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ment's silence he plunged into hls own affairs. “You probably saw my tip to Thatcher in the Courier? I guess everybody has seen It by this time,” he added, and he went on as though making a statement his mind had thoroughly rehearsed: “Thatcher and I have been pretty thick. We’ve been in a good many business deals to-

OUT OUR WAY—By WILLIAMS

THE OLD HOME TOWN—By STANLEY

gether. We’ve been useful to each other. He had more money than .1 had to begln wlth, but I had other resourcee—influence and so on that he needed. I guess we're quits on thè business side. "Thatcher and I got along all rlght untll he saw tfciat thè party was Corning into power again and got thè senatoria! bee In his bonnet. He's got

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

thè idea that he cari buy bis way in; and to buy a Beat he's gotto buy my friends. That’s a clear proposi tion, isn’t itV” "Yes, sir; I haven't seen that he had any personal influence worth countlng.” “Exactly. Now, I don’t intend that Ed Thatcher shall buy a aeat In thè United States Sonate Jf our party in

Helen’s Pian Fizzlos

Produce This On Your Ranoforte.

Indiar e, has one to dispose of. Fm not so good myself, but when I sound that Thatcher had begun to build up a little machine for himself, I reeolved to show him that I can’t be used by any man so long as he thinks he needs me and then kicked out when I’m in the way. And I’ve got some State prlde, too, acid with all the scandals going around in other States over the

FRECKLES AND HIS FRIENDS —By BLOSSER

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OUR BOARDJLNG HOUSE—By AHERN

sale of seats at. Washington I’m not going to have my party in the State where I was bora and where I have lived all my fife lend itself to the ambltions of an Ed Thatcher. I think you share that feeling?” “The people of the whole State will commend that,” replied Dan warxnly. “And lf you want to go to the Senato—”

Dm 1923

—Bj ALLMAH

—By AL POSEN

"I don't want anything frora my party that it doesn't want me to have,” interrupted Bassett. He rose and paced thè floor. Aj un usuai color had come lnto hls face, but otherwise he betrayed no agitetion. He crossed from thè door to tbe window and resumed hls seat. (To Be Contlnued)