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'f I I »v *v X, :ptp: febv. nfif)y'" U'^' ffl COPYRIGHT, ISlO BY For some moments tbe two sat •unit before the fire. Patrick sliutiling alxni' fci embarrassment, for bt knew Patrick threw out his hands help lessly. "Av ye could ask that quis Hon ye could uivir undherstand th' answer. But.' he returned doggedly fa bis text, "ye ought to git married Just th' same. Ve nade some wan to care fr ye an like ye." Bob laughed "You just said no one Ukes me. Anyhow, who'd 1 marryV" "Well," Patrick said defiantly, "there's Kathleen "Ob, Kathleen ain't the woman for aae." Bob said carelessly. Then Bob did a strange thing. With quick movement he tore bis shirt and undershirt from bis body and •tood before Patrick stripped to the waist. "Seer lle drew his arms up. and the hugp Mceps swelled until you would have expected the skin to burst. Then he drew himself tensely together. The big pectorals stood out in thick lay ere. and bis waist muscles wan a se ries of bulging, sharply defined ridges. He turned around Patrick saw a back covered with knots and lines of magnificent muscles. Bob seized him hy the wrists. "Break loose.'" he commanded. Patrick writhed and pulled to break the iron grasp in vain. "Bah!" Bob threw him contempts ously into the chair "That's why." he cried in passionate pride "that's why I don't want friends That's why Kathleen ain't for me. But muscle is nothing. T'm Just as strong here." He struck his forehead with his palm. "I never felt what yon call friendly to any one." he went on. dropping into fcis usual quiet tone "T never wanted friend. And I'm glad of It I can't have anybody through friendship get tin' a bold on me. It's the same reason that made me quit drinkin'. It don't hurt me now, but it might get hold ot me some day It's the strongest win out in this world Pat. and 1 must he strongest." Patrick sat. awed and half fright ened by this the longest speech he had ever heard from Bob's lips and i)y the spirit that inspired the outburst. "Ye're right." he said slowly. "Ye're cruel sthrong. An mebby ye can do without friends 1 don't know But some day. I'm thinkin'. ye'll love some body-hard. Thin (Jod pity ye!" They did not know that in another room lay a girl who had chanced to hear words not meant for her ears Minute after minute, hour after hour dragged by and Kathleen never stirred. Poor Kathleen: Her love, battered and torn under the heedless wheels of si strong man's ambition, was lighting the bitter battle of her life's one ro ma nee. But next evening began the lessons Never was a more earnest or and never a more faithful pupil. And no one saw the change in Kathleen, her girlhood lost, her womanhood won in night. One day Ave years later Director of Public Safety McAdoo arranged the documents he had been reading into neat, methodical piles and rose fro his desk, stretching bis muscles with a sigh of relief Be bad become a faithful desk worker, but there were times when be longed for the tierce •muscular effort of tbe old mill life. Five years had wrought many •changes In the life of Bob McAdoo. Ge was twenty pounds lighter than when he had worked in tbe mills, a I though his sinews were still kept in condition by systematic, vigorous ex orclse. His face was thinner and finer and marked by lines of thought and study. He bad grown mentally in tbe new life and under Kathleen's tutelage. His clothes were now made by the city's highest priced tailor, but, worn carelessly, gave little bint of that sub tie thing we call style. His bold negotiations with MacPber •on had given Dim BY HENRY RUSSELL MILLER BOBBS MEWIILL not how to unburden himself of his errand At last he bolted out: "Bob. why don't ye git marrtedV" •'Humph:-' Bob ejaculated contemptu ously-. "Why should 1 get married V' "Ve're a quiire laad. Bob McAdoo Xe have no buxvils av rinderniss at fill I don't belavie there's a person in th Worruldy av ne die. ye'd give th lasthe heartache to Ye have un frinds. Ve're th' louesl. frindlissisi Man know -sarve ye right!" he run eluded exaspenitedly. "Friends!" Bob sneered "1 don't fteed 'em. They do what 1 want. That's enough for me. What do I want with friendship?' "war. a bold on the Sixtb legislative district, wbicb Qareful or ganlsation and judicious bestowal of the patronage uiade his by virtue of that deal hud converted Into a veri table despotism. All candidates for councilinunic and legislative Honor*, from that district _hart_aseg_lB— CO. to him for nomination and election When the second mayor under the MacPherson regime was elected Bob was one of the four men who finally selected tbe fortunate candidate. Ou der this administration be accepted tbe office be now held. His siguature I at tbe bottom of a check was now fa miliar to the banks of the city and I passed without question, since be was rapidly becoming a rich man. A street railway francblse was en gineered through councils, largely by means of tbe votes ot Bob's group of councilmen. Bob's share of tbe spoils was a large block of stock, wbicb he afterward sold for almost twice its par value. It was at tbe time of this franchise affair that be was first car tooned under tbe sobriquet "Knockout Bob," as a big. burly priaefigbter. with the ugly, brutal features and partic ularly tbe heavy, undershot .iowi sup posed to be characteristic of men of that profession. Kathleen, witb a trou bled smile, showed it to Bob. He gave venr to one of his very rare laughs "Why. this is fame, Kathleen. Get a scrap book and save all tbe car toons of roe. will yon?" All this success was not accomplish ed easily, but by dint of hard, unre mitting work and nnceaslng watchful ness upon MacPherson, for. althnp?b they bad so far stood together. Bob knew that It was only an armed trnce. that the boss ha red him. It was large ly for this reason that be had made baste to accumulate a large bank ac count But to what end, all this? Lately be bad begun to ponder this question. Bob bad cast all bat self out of his •eheme of life. This was iMMSf law ef nature, and be was beginning to reap the punishment In a strong discontent. Be was not given to senti ment, but as be looked out on the passersby. all wearing the Christmas air. he realized that they had some thing he. with all be had «n and all he would win. bad not. "But. after all." be mused half •loud, "for a man of my sort power i% this is vamb, KAimaw." the only thing worth living for. The trouble with me is that God—if there la a God—made me too big to be con tented witb ordinary people and their ordinary emotions. Come In. Ob, hello, Tom!" "Fine Chris'mus weather we're hav- 1 in', Mr. McAdoo." said Haggin, who was the intruder. Like the other "boys," he always called Bob "Mr." nowadays. "Fine enougb, 1 guess. Can 1 do •omething for you?" "Oh, no," Haggin answered, with ponderous bashfulness. "1 only drop ped In to say 'Merry Chrls'mus' to ye." "Very good of you, I'm sure, Tom." 1 Bob's tone was anything but cnthusi astlc. Yet he was surprised by a faint glow of pleasure at tbe ex-pugilist's greeting. There was an awkward silence, at length broken by Haggin: "Smith's been raisin' a big howl about not get tin' back to the legislator*. Says he ougbter git another term. Goin' round among tbe boys an' kickin' like a mule." "Can't help that. 1 promised Stougb ton, and he goes." "Of course. You say so, and he goes. Tain't bim that's raisin' the trouble, but a young feller named Remington. An' be ain't no slouch, you bear me. Hefc the feller 1 told yon about came down to tbe Liberty hall meetin' last campaign. Tbe boys was waitin' an' growin' impatient, until 'long about o'clock in comes a. tail young feller ."Ms®# mm raguiar ma. uooa looiter wnu curly hair an' a dashin' kind of way. An' swell? He made me feel like a glass fact'ry, an' I bad ou me hunderd dollar suit too. He steps up to me an' says, 'Mr. Chairman, my uame's Remington, an' I'm here to make a speech.' At that the boys sets up a yell, hootin' an' guyin' him like four of a kind. Swell chap doesn't say a word, but offs with bis overcoat an' sits on tbe table with his bands in his pockets, iaughln' as If he bad a good joke on somebody else. Fin'ly the boys lets up fer lack of wind. Then he starts in an' tells a story fit to make you bust. The boys laughs hard until they begun to see the point was on tbem. Then he gives 'em the worst tongue lashin' you ever beard. I thought there would be trouble an' was gittin' ready to keep the peace when one of the boys sings out, 'You're all right, kid.' An' dn«li me if tbey didn't cheer him louder than they'd guyed him. Then he talked fer near an hour. An' talk! Say, that kid had 'em all tied in a knot. When he was through they all crowded up to him an' wanted to buy him drinks. Oh, he's a corker an' no mistake." "Well, what of him?" Bob interrupt ed Haggin's flow somewhat impatient ly. "He's takln' the Smith end of the row. Lives in the Seventh—Stough ton's own ward, you know—gets him self elected ward chairman—how, I don't know. An' now he's goin' rouud sayln' 'tain't fair to turn Smith down this trip. He's gettin* the boys stirred up sopae too." "Why didn't yoti send him to me?" "1 did try to. He said: 'You tell Bob McAdoo to go plumb to thunder. If he wants to see me let him come to me.' "You call the district committee to gether Monday. I'll fix him," Bob promised grimly. "Can't you make it Tbesday? Mon day's Chris'mtis." "What of that?" "Well," llaggin explained apologet Ically. "the boys like to be off Chris* mus, you know. with the kids." "Can't help it. I've got to go out of town Tuesday. Make it Monday night." "All right." Haggin assented regret fnlly. "I suppose you'll have to turn the kid down. I hate to do it. though, he's such a corker. Well, must be goin'." "Wait a minute. Tom." Bob sat down and tilled out a check. "Here's something for Christmas." "What! You glvin' Chrls'mus gifts?" Haggin took the check in amazement. Bob's face burned red at something Implied in Haggin's words. "Why not?" he retorted gruffly. "You need another diamond, Tom. Here's anoth er for the hoys in the Fourth. They haven't found much pickings lately." "How d'.vou know I won't keep it too?" "Nonsense, Tom! I know you." Haggin swallowed hard. "Mr. Mc Adoo," he said awkwardly, "you're a man. I'd ruther hear them words th,an Sit the check. 1 hain't words to thank you. Merry Chrls'mus!" "The old man givin' Chrls'mus gifts an* tellin' me he trusts me!" he mur mured to himself in the corridor. "Hanged if he ain't changin*! Hanged If I don't believe he's got bowils, after alir Bob stood staring at bis check book. Finally he sat down and lighted a $esh cigar. "All of which is nonsense!" he ex elalmed in a tone of disgust, although apropos of what he did not Indicate. "Nevertheless, since I have been fool ish for once, I might as well carry it to the end by getting something for the Plinns. They've earned it. that's rare." He closed his desk with a slam and, potting on his overcoat, went out into the Christmas atmosphere. CHAPTER V. A NEW ACQUAINTANCES. OB walked hastily through the crowded streets, half ashamed of his errand. He came to a Jewelry store and, entering, took his place in tbe long line of holi day customers. A young man beside him nodded. "How do you do, Mr. McAdoo Bob returned the nod caraloaaly. Ho was growing used to he addreaaed by strangers. A dapper cleric bustled up to him. "What can I Show you?" be asked po litely. Bob frowned in perplexity. "Well," he said slowly, "1 bardly know." The young man beside him laughed heartily. "Is there, then, one thing the great McAdoo doesn't know?" Bob turned on bim sharply, fixing on him tbe cold, steely glare that even MacPherson feared to meet The young man returned it with a quizzi cal smile. "Yes, one thing—bow to take imper tinence." The young man laughed again. "I've* heard of your acrid humor. Here, you'd better let me attend to this job for yoti. You're out of your element, •nd I'm at home at it." Bob grinned in spite of himself at the young man's gay assurance. "All fight. Go ahead." "Whom is it to be for—a lady?" the young mun inquired briskly. "Two, and one man." "Any limit?" "No." "Let's take up one of the ladles first. What's she like, young or old. com plexion dark or light, slender or plump? And what sort of jewelry does she affect?" "She's not young. Hair red. Com plexion? Well, red too. She's not plump. She's fat." "Ah, 1 see! Mrs. Flinn." "What do you know of Mrs. Flinn?" "1 know a good deal of you," the young man smiled quizzically again. "We want something imivpansi. A "ll^ ring, I should say something in t'.ia monds and rubies. Let's see wtiiit you have." Tbe dapper ol^rk brought a tray on which precious stones glittered in a colors of the rainbow. At last a rink, set with a large ruby and two lim diamonds, was set aside. "We'll take that." the young mini d" cided. For Molly MehafTey and Patrick !i seemed entirely familiar with IV b's bome relations—he chose respectively a very pretty pearl pendant and a sil ver cigar case. This done, he laid the three purchases in a row before hi and surveyed them critically. "There,," he said tlnally: "I think those will help make a very satis factory Christmas for the lucky ones. But aren't you forgetting something?" "For Miss FliunV Not here. I'm much obliged to you, though." Bl said as he filled out check that ran into four figures. "Oh, It's been a pleasure, you may be sure," the young man replied pleas antly. "1 like to spend money. evoi if lt'is some one else's." When they left the store the youns man turned up the street witb Bob i. the matter of fact way of one who'• company is justified by lifelong quaintance. Bob. grimly amused, pi" mitted it. 'It takes Christmas time to makt. fellow expand. There's a lot in th 'good will to men.' after all. -Tlint'• what I like about Christmas." "It's nonsense." said Boh. "I don believe In giving Christmas presein Hundreds of thousands of dollars ar spent this week in this city by peopl who have trouble scraping enough to gether to make ends meet" "I'll admit It is the dramatic view o. it that appeals to me. I always g broke myself Christmas time, and positively gloat in my bankruptcy not because others see it as a thing—few people have the superC.n: theatrical sense 1 have—but because I see it so myself and like to look on at myself in a gorgeous role. Yov don't understand that, do you?" "1 do not." "No, of course not. You have been too busy driving ahead, trampling tht world under your feet, to cultivate these finer pleasures." "There are some people who wouU be afraid to say these things to me." Bob interrupted, half angrily. "Oh, I'm not afraid of you, yoi," know," was the cheerful answer. Ami he continued: "Yours is what I cail grand opera egoism. Now, mine is vaudeville. I don't ask the world to prostrate itself before me. All I want la that it shall place mo In the fore ground. so that I may enjoy myself playing a striking role. Of course the aame principle underlies both our na tures—concentrated selfishness, self love. Were you ever in love?" "Well, hardly!" "Neither was I. It's a shame, too I'd make such a splendid lover. I'm not a sentimentalist, though—rather a aensationalist. I love a strong sensa tion. I like the feel of doing the big, tbe unusual, the beautiful things. I like the sensation of talking about myself frankly to a man who never h.w me before and doesn't give a hang whether he ever sees me again." Bob laughed loudly—he could nof 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 homily with that laugh of yours as a text." But this time Bob needed no aid from the talkative stranger: the pres ent was for Kathleen. As with the discriminating eye of the book lover Bob chose a superbly bound set of Shakespeare the young man ex claimed: "By Jove. I envy the one who gets $hls present! You love books?" "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 ate the third strongest man politically in the city. You 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 par ticular field. So have I." ••Then I guessed right," Bob said to himself, and the amused gleam dle6 out of his eyes. "Downright brute strength and the fear inspired by it have carried you through so far. but if you are going further you must consider the ques tion of personal popularity. Get tbp public Into the habit of loving a man and they will keep on loving him— just because they love him." "That's not true," Bob interjected sharply. "Do you know more about «ny other subject than you do about politics?" "Oh, I know politics," the younc man said calmly. "1 know the power of money and of the big corporations and financiers whom you and I know to be the kings in politics. I am speak ing of the politicians, who stand to capital in the relation of attorney to client. I have studied the big polit ical men of our country closely, and every man jack of them has been per sonally popular or at least able to make himself an attractive public fig ure. It Is the lack of it that will keep you out, if anything can, of control oI tbe city, at which I shrewdly guess you are aiming." "Perhaps you Intend to capture thf city yourself?" "It is not beyond the possibilities," the stranger youth responded Imper tnrbably. "I'll admit, though, that you might be able to prove tbe exception to my rule. You are so infernally strong, body and soul/' he awept Bob with a frankly admiring glance, "aa 1 have been toltf by thoa^ wfcokaaw mand reel it now wneti meet you 111 close quarters* I almost believe you can do anything In your own wnv Still, even if you can accomplish wlia you want by main force It would mighty poor strategy when, by the u-: of popularity and diplomacy, you «=•5• get the same thing more quickly an more easily. A rapier is a deadlier weapon than a meat ax." He stopped, "And Bob took the op portunity to scrutinize the ntan beside him very carefully. It flashed across his miud that here was one who would attract the hero worshiping public. He saw a lithe, well set up, aprlngily carried figure: long dark hair, slightly curling, crowning a fine brow and a handsome, regular face of slightly Semitic cast: an olive com plexion, dark eyes, flash!ng just now In the light of debate a finely molded Chin, neither weak nor strong, and a mobile, sweetly smiling mouth—the mouth of a woman. "His figure is good. He is the rapier, I the meat ax." he thought to himself. "Is that all?" he added aloud. The young man's tone changed to one of thoughtful, not fearful, hesita tion. "Unless you change you 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, you need me!" Bob threw back his head and laughed harshly. "I'm a politician, not a va riety showman, you know." The young man betrayed no sign of Irritation.t "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 1 would say. 'This is a house just as you would say. 'I am strong.'" "So you propose an alliance with me?" "Why not? I have stiidied 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. You have what I lack. I have what you lack. You have al ready a strong grip on local affairs you are in, the position to exploit my talents at once, to give them an im mediate value—to both of us. Further- "I'M. NOT AFBA1D OF IOC, BOB M'ADOO." more, I am prepared to like you. which Is unusual. You and 1." be declared with a confident smile, "were made to Work together. We fit." "In other words, you ask me to ahare with you what Dower. I abends have. 1 f»rm"machinerv*to^h«rh«f?r°cery store to be bhod, nor your Minot Insurance Agency LeSueur Building t™Wi 11 IJJIIjJ^vr w?VV^. '1}^ 'W, 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 wiii 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 a 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 nnd see if you don't Qnd something lb the nroposition. 1 stop at this church to weot a girl who Is at choir rehearsal for tomorrow." "You are Paul Bemington!" Bob cri"d roughly. "I know you. There crn't be wo such idiots. You're the feili who is trying to fight me In my district. Vou fool: What do ycu sup pose 1 care for your ranting theat ricals. your star or your boasted pop ularity? If you had come to me first I might have listened to you. but you chose to fight me. Now you must take the consequences. You may as well give up all hope of political rise in this city, young man. for it's my business to keep you down. No man fights me and lives!" The young man answered with a fearless laugh. "You indulge in rant ing theatricals yourself, I think. But you can't do It. You're not God. you know. I'm not afraid of you. Bob Mc Adoo. Au revoir!" 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—I saw it. 1 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 nev er be rid of this habit? 1 never know myself when I am acting and when sincere. I'd like to be absolutely, un doubtedly sincere once—juat once—for the sensation!" To be continued. Let's Make 1912 A Booster Year For our town, and let it mark the new era of a home building cam paign that will outdo anything that ever happened here before. Let's work together—you who are homeless- -and see if we can't fig ure out a way for you to start breaking ground right away. Come in and we'll talk over the plans and show you some lumber and figures that will clear away a whole lot of this talk about prices being too high to build now. Fact is -never again will lumber of the quality we handle be as cheap, because every year our virgin for ests are growing smaller and the demands are growing larger., We say in all sincerity, "Lucky will be the man who builds in 1912.'' If interested, come in. Rogers Lumber Co, H. S. JOHNSON, Manager "There's No Place Like Home." The Waverly Hotel P. ILDVEDSEN, :P«OP Try our Dutch Room 100 Choice Rooms, from 75c to $1.50 per day Give Your Insurance to Men Who Know How MP US YOUR CREAM BUTTERFAT 33 Cents per pound Cash for each shipment. Ask us for shipping tags! Write us how many cows you are milking and aive us your name and postoffice address for out mailfng list'f *T'V" HENNINGSEN CREAMERY CO TOWNER, NO. DAK. fetdU V. *r At Jit ft