Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 55, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 October 1911 — THE MAN HIGHER UP [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE MAN HIGHER UP

BY HENRY RUSSELL MILLER

CHAPTER V. 'w . A SEW ACQUAINTANCE. Bob walked hastily through the crowded streets, half ashamed of his errand. He came to a jewelry store and, entering, took his place in the long line of holiday customers. A young man beside him nodded. "How do you do, Mr. McAdoo?” Bob returned the nod carelessly. He was growing used to- be addressed by strangers. A dapper clerk bustled up to him. “What can I show you?" he asked politely. Bob frowned in perplexity. “Well,” he said slowly, “I hardly know.” The young man beside him laughed heartily. "Is there, then, one thing the great McAdoo doesn’t know?” Bob turned on him sharply, fixing on him the cold, steely glare that even MacPberson feared to meet. The young man returned it with a quizzical smile. “Yes, one thing—how to take impertinence.” The young man laughed again. “I’ve heard of your acrid humor. Here, you’d better let me attend to this job for you. You’re out of your element, and I’m at home at it” ' Bob grinned in spite of himself at the young man’s gay assurance. “All right Go ahead" “Whom is it to be fpr—a lady?’ the young man inquired briskly. “Two, and one man.” “Any iimit?’ “No." “Let’s take up one of the ladies first What’s she like, young or old, complexion dark or light, slender or plump? And what sort of jewelry does she affect?” “She’s not young. Hair red. Complexion? Weil, red too. She’s not plump. She’s fat" “Ah, I see! Mrs. Flinn.” “What do you know of Mrs. Flinn?" “I know a good deal of you,” the young man smiled quizzically again. “We want something gorgeous. A ring. I should say—something in diamonds and rubies. Let’s see what you hare.” The dapper clerk brought a tray on which precious stones glittered in all colors of the rainbow. At last a ring, set with a ’large ruby and two fine diamonds, was set aside. “We’ll take that” the young man decided.

For Molly Mehaffey and Patrick—he ! seemed entirely familiar with Bob’s home relations—he chose respectively a very pretty pearl pendant and a silver cigar case. This done, he laid the three purchases in a row before him and surveyed them critically. “There," he said finally; “I think those will help make a very satisfactory Christmas for the lucky ones. But aren’t you forgetting something?" “For Miss Flinn? Not here. I’m much obliged to you, though.” Bob said as he filled out a check that ran Into four figures. “Oh, it’s been a pleasure, you may be sure,” the young man replied pleasantly. “I like to spend money, even if it is some one else’s.” , When they left the store the young man turned up the street with Bob in the matter of fact way of one whose company is justified by lifelong acquaintance. Bob. grimly amused, permitted it. “It takes Christmas time - to make a fellow expand. There’s a lot in this ‘good will to men.’ after all. That’s what I like about Christmas.” “It’s nonsense,” said Bob. “I don’t believe in giving Christmas presents. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent this week in this city by people who have trouble scraping enough together to make ends meet” “I’ll admit it is the dramatic view of it that appeals to me. I always go broke myself Christmas time, and I positively gloat in my bankruptcy, not because others see it as a fine thing—few people have the superfine theatrical sense I have—but because I see it so myself and like to look on at myself in a gorgeous role. You don’t understand that, do you?” “I do not” “No, of course not. You have been too busy driving ahead, trampling the world under your feet, to cultivate these finer pleasures.” “There are some people who would be afraid to say these things to me,” Bob interrupted, half angrily. “Oh, I’m not of you, you. know.” was the cheerful answer. And be continued: “Yours is what I call grand opera egoism. Now. mine is vaudeville-, I don’t ask the world to prostrate itself before me. All I wantla that it shall place me in the foreground. so that I may enjoy myself piaylag a striking role. Of course the an ne principle underlies both our na-

love. Were you ever in love?* * ‘Well, hardly.” "Neither was L It’s a shame, too; I Pd make such a splendid lpvar. I’m not a sentimentalist, though—rather a sensationalist. 1 love a strong sensa- : tion. I like the feel of doing the big, the unusual, the beautiful things. I like the sensation of talking about myself frankly to a man who never saw me before and doesn’t give a bang whether be ever sees me again.” Bob laughed loudly—he could not help it ‘Well, you’ve got nerve, . there’s no doubt of that I stop at this bookstore.” “I’ll go along. I want to deliver a j homily with that laugh of yours as a text.” But this time Bob needed no aid from the talkative stranger: the present was for Kathleen. As with the discriminating eye of the book lover Bob chose a superbly bound set of Shakespeare the young man exclaimed: “By Jove. I envy the one who gets this present! Yon love book 3?” “They are my chief extravagance." The young man surveyed him thoughtfully. At length he said: “You have accomplished more than any •young man I know of. You are the third strongest man politically in the city. Yon are apparently rich. You have accomplished this by dint of sheer strength, leaving out entirely the question of personal popularity. That’s the weak spot in your armor. Now you have chosen politics as your particular field. So have I.” “Then I guessed right.” Bob said to ‘ himself, and the amused gleam died out of his eyes. “Downright brute strength and the fear inspired by it have carried you through so far. but if yon are going further you must consider the question of personal popularity. Get the public into the habit of loving a man and they keep on loving him—just because they love him.” “That’s not true," Bob interjected sharply. “Do you know more about any other subject than you do about politics?” “Oh. I know politics,” the young man said calmly. “I know the power | of money and of the big corporations and financiers whom you and I know to be the kings in politics. lam speaking of the politicians, who stand to j capital in the relation of attorney to I client. I have studied the big political men of oar country closely, and } every man jack has been personally popular or at least able to make himself an attractive public figure. It is the lack of it that will beep you out. if anything can. of control of the city, at 'which I shrewdly guess you are aiming.” “Perhaps you intend to capture the city yourself?" . “It is not beyond the possibilities.” the stranger youth responded imperturbably. “I’ll admit, thongh. that you might be able to prove the exception to my rule. You are so infernally strong, body and soul." he swept Bob with a frankly admiring glance, “as I have been told by those who know yon and ; as I feel it now when 1 meet yon at close quarters. I almost believe you can do anything in your own way. Still, even if you can accomplish what , you want by main force it would be mighty poor strategy when, by the use of popularity and diplomacy, you can get the same thing more quickly and more easily. A rapier is a deadlier | weapon than a meat ax." He stopped. And Bob took the opportunity to scrutinize the man beside him very carefully. It flashed across his mind that here was one who would attract the hero worshiping public. He saw a lithe, well set up, springily carried figure; long dark hair, slightly curling, crowning a fine brow and a handsome, regular face of a slightly Semitic cast: an olive complexion. dark eyes, flashing jnst now in the light of debate; a finely molded chin, neither weak nor strong, and a mobile, sweetly smiling month—the mouth of a woman “His figure is good. He is the rapier, I the meat ax.” he thought to himself. ‘Ts that all?" he added aloud. The young man’s tone changed to one of thoughtful, not fearful, hesitation. “Unless you change yon will never attract. You are too strong, too arrogant in your strength You need to work with and through a man who * will give your movement a popular tone: In fact, yon need me!” . Bob threw back his head and laughed harshly. “I’m a politician, not a variety showman, yon know.” „ . The young man betrayed no sign of irritation. “I’m not a rattlebrain,” he said with quiet confidence. “You are too good a judge of men not to know that. I am a popular man. I say that without vanity, merely as a fact that , has been demonstrated—just as I

would say, "This Is a house;’ just as yon would say, T am strong.’ ” “So yon propose an alliance with me?’ “Why not? I have studied the big men of this city very carefully and have decided that you are the one “Who can help me most and whom I can help most. Yon have what I lack. I have what you lack. You have already a strong grip on local affairs; you are in the position to exploit my talents at once, to give them an immediate value—to both of u§. Further-

more. I am prepared to like you. which is unusual. You and 1.” he declared with a confident smile, “were made to work together. We fit.” “In other words, you ask me to share with you what power I already have, to take you into a full partnership at once. That’s modest. I’m sure.” “No, no! I don’t want any of your power. Keep it all. I'.wifi help you to add to it But if I help you to increase it it is only fair that you use it to give me the public life for which I am fitted. I don’t ask a full partnership. I only want to be made your chief lieutenant, your officer in the field. “But think it over,” he concluded. ’"There’s no hurry. Take your time if you don't find something In the proposition- i stop at this church to meet a girl who is at choir rehearsal for tomorrow.” “Yon are Paul Remington!” Bob cried roughly. “I know yon. There can’t be two such idiots. You’re the fellow who is trying to fight me in my district. You fool! What do you suppose I care for your ranting theatricals. your star or your boasted popularity? If you had come to me first I might have listened to you, but yon chose to fight me. Now you must take the consequences. You may as well give up all hope of political rise in this city, ydung man. for it’s my business to keep yon down. No man fights me and lives!” The young man answered with a fearless laugh. “You indulge in ranting theatricals yourself, I think. But you can’t do it You’re not God, you know. I’m not afraid of you. Bob McAdoo. Au re voir!” He turned and entered the church, leaving Bob to stand staring at the swinging door. ; In the vestibule Remington stopped and covered his face with his hands, the woman’s gesture. “Not afraid of him? What a pose! I was fearfully afraid. But he didn’t know it. I had the courage of my pose! But he will accept—l saw it. I believe in my star? No, but I believe in his! I will hitch my wagon to a star—his star. And, please God, he will not regret it” He took a step toward the inner church, then stopped again. “And that’s a pose too. Shall I never be rid of this habit? I never know myself when I am acting and when sincere. I’d like to be absolutely, undoubtedly sincere once—jnst once—for the sensation!” (To be continued.)

“I’M NOT AFRAID OF YOU. BOB M’ADOO.”