m- .CALEB CONOVER - i?% KS &K. RAILROADER RATR **} I A STORY love .politics. intrigue;of , *ll 111,1 a RICH &.POWERFUL BOSS 7*®<H fftpw. ' AIN b S young reformer. t igTt il >"-] ULO.T i. teriiune. FOREWORD. The action of this lively, entertain ing and accurately drawn story, turns around the character of Caleb Con over, a self-made railroad magnate and contractor who has used his riches and power to make himself the politi cal boss of his party and state. And he is the boss. No doubt of this. He bosses about every person and every thing he has to do with except Clive Standish, a young lawyer who is an idealist in politics, and who, like ideal ists everywhere, is unbossable. Ihe men are perfect antitheses in all their aims and methods, but strikingly simi lar in strength of character. They be come opposing candidates for govern or, and the episodes of the campaign are full of spice and variety. Which wins? Read the story. The element ■of romance is introduced through the mutual love of Standish and Anice Lanier, private secretary of Caleb Conover. A murder in New ork city which resulted in a criminal trial that obtained world-wide notoriety is used to advantage. T he anxiety of the Conover family to get into fashionable society, and their accompanying trou bles and humiliations, constitute one of the delightful features of the story. But best of all is the tremendous per sonality of Caleb Conover himself. He may be all that is despicable in his railroad, his contracting and his po litical interests, and not admirable in his indifferent treatment of his weak little wife, but he has a dominating mind, spends money with prodigal recklessnes, is audacious, far-seeing, and while responsive always to the in tolerance that often comes with hard- Won success, he •% quick to recognize character and ability and reward them —especially in his own service It is a captivating tale, of whose creation Mr. Terhune, th:- author, has every reason to be proud.—l HE EDI TOR. CHAPTER I. Caleb Conover Receives. TjHIC poor man!" sighed Mrs. Greer. "He must think be'a jgSjg a cemetery!" t I The long line of carriages was passing solemnly through a mighty marble arch, aglare with elec tric light, leading into the "show place" of Pompton Avenue. Athwart the arch's pallid face, in raised letters a full foot in length were the words: "CAUOP, CONOVKit. R.U., 1893." 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Her husband, a downy little man, curled up miserably in the other cor ner of the brougham, read her thought, from long experience, and twisted forward into what he liked to think was a commanding attitude. "Look here!" he protested. "You've got to stop that. It's bad enough to have to come here at all, without your spoiling everything with one of those Bernard Shawisms of yours. Why. if it ever got back to Conover's ears —" "He'd withdraw his support? And then good-by to Congress for the un fortunate Talbot Firth Greer?" ".lust that. He'll stand all sorts of criticism about his start in life. In fact, he revels in talking of his rise to anyone who'll listen. But when it comes to guying anything in his pres ent exalted —" "What does the 'R. It.' at the end of his name over the gate stand for? I've seen the inscription often enough, but.—" "'Railroader.' lie uses it as a sort of title. Life for him is one long railroad, and " "And now we're to do him honor at the terminus?" "If you like to put it that way. Perhaps 'junction' would hit it closer. It was awfully good of you, Grace, to come. I " "Of course it was. If I didn't want a try at Washington I'd never have dared it. It will be in all the papers to-morrow. He'll see to that. And then 1 hate to think what everyone will say. I suppose we're the fust civilized people who ever passed under that atrocious hanging mortuary chapel, aren't we?" "Hardly as bad as that. Bait's any comfort to you, there are plenty more jn the same box as ourselves, to night." "But surely everybody in Granite can't want to run for Congress?" "No. But enough people have axes of their own to grind to make it worth their while to visit the Conover whet stone. When a man who can float companies at a word, boom or smash a dozen different stocks, swing the Legislature, make himself heard from here to Washington, and carries prac tically every newspaper in the Moun tain State in his vest pocket; when—" "When such a man whistles, there are some people who find it wise not to be deaf. But what on earth does he want us for?" "The world-old ambition that had its rise when Cain and Abel began moving in separate sets. The long ing to 'butt in,' as Caleb himself would probably call it. He has every thing money and political power can give. And now lie wants the only thing left —what he terms 'social rec ognition.' " "And we are to help—" "No. We're to let him think we help. All the king's horses and all the king's men, assisted by a score of Conover's own freight derricks, couldn't hoist that cud into a decent crowd. He's been at it ever since he got his first million and married poor little Letty Standish. She was the fool of her family, and a broken fam ily at that. But still it was a family. Yet it didn't land Caleb anywhere. Then, when that unlicked cub of a son of his grew up, he made another try. But you know how that turned out. Now that his daughter's cap tured a more or less authentic prince, I suppose he thinks the time has come. Hence to-night's—" "What a blow to his hopes it must have been to have the girl marry in Paris instead of here at Granite! But I suppose the honeymoon in America and this evening's reception are the next best thing. Are we never to get there?" "Soon enough, I'm afraid. Conover boasts that he's laid out his grounds so that the driveway is a measured half-mile. We'll be there in another minute or so." Mrs. Greer laughed a little nerv ously. "It'll be something to remember anyway," said she. "I suppose all sorts of horrible people will be there. I read a half-page account of it this morning in the Star, and it said that 'while the proudest families of Gran ite would delight to do Mr. Conover honor, the humbler associates of po litical and business life would also be present.' Did you hear anything more delicious? And in the Star, too!" "His own paper. Why not? I sup pose we're the 'proudest families'; and the 'humbler associates' are some of the choice retinue of heelers who do his dirty work. Lord! what a no tice of it there'll be in to-morrow's papers! Washington will have to be very much worth while to make up for this. If only I " "Hush!" warned Mrs. Greer, as the carriage lurched to a halt, in the pack before a great porte-cochere. "We're actually here at last. See! There goes Clive Standish up the steps witli the Polissen girls and old Mr. Polissen. There are a few real human beings here, after all. Why do you suppose ?" "H'm!' commented Greer, "Polis sen's 'long' on Interstate Canal, the route Conover's C. G. & X. Road is threatening to put out of business. But why young Standish—" "Why not? Letty Conover's own nephew. Though I did hear he and the Conovers were scarcely on speak ing terms. He —" "I fancy that's because Standish's 'Mayflower' back is too stiff to bend at the crack of Caleb's whip. He could have made a mighty good thing of his law business if Conover had backed him. But I understand he re fuses to ally himself with his great relative-in-law, and prefers a good so cial position and a small law prac tice —" "Rather than goto Congress?" fin ished his wife with such sweet inno cence that Greer could only glare at her with flabby helplessness. Before he could think of any apt retort, the brougham was at the foot of the end less marble steps, and its late occu pants were passing up a wide strip of velvet between rows of vividly liv eried footmen. s „ Caleb Conover, Railroader, was stand ing just within the wide doorway. Caleb Conover, Railroader, waa standing just within the wide door way of a drawing-room that seemed to stretch away into Infinity. Behind rose an equally Infinite vista of heads and shoulders. But the loudly blended murmur of many voices that is the first thfng to strike the ear of arriving guests at such functions was conspic uously absent. The scarce-broken hush that spread through the chain of rooms seemed to bear out still further Mrs. Greets mortuary simile. But the constraint in no way ex tended to the host himself. The strong, alert faee, with its shrewd light eyes and humorous mouth, was wreathed in welcoming smiles that seemed to ripple In a series of waves from the close-cut reddish hair to tho ponderous iron jaw. The thickset form of the Railroader, massive of shoulder and sturdily full of limb, was ever plunging forward to grip some favored newcomer by the hand, or darting to one side or the other as he whispered instructions to servant or relative. "1 congratulate you on your friend's repose of manner!" whispered Mrs. Greer, as she and her husband awaited their turn. "lie has all the calm self assurance of a jumping jack." "Hut there are springs of chilled steel in the jumping jack," whispered Greer. "He's out of his element, and he knows it. liut he isn't so badly confused for all that. If you saw him at a convention or a board meeting, you wouldn't know him for the same—" "And there's his poor little wife, looking as much like a rabbit as ever! She's a cipher here; and even her husband's figure in front of her doesn't raise the cipher to the tenth power. I suppose that is the daughter, to Mrs. Conover's left? The slender girl with the rust-colored hair and the brown eyes? She's prettier and more of a thoroughbred in looks than 1 should have —" "That's not his daughter. That's Miss Lanier, Conover's secretary. His daughter is the —" "His secretary? Why, is she receiv ing?" "She is his secretary and everything else. She came here three years ago as Blanche's governess. To give tho poor girl a sort of winding-up polish before Caleb sent her to Europe. She made all sorts of a hit with Conover. Principally because she's the only person on earth who isn't afraid of him, so 1 hear. And now she is sec retary, and major domo, and 'right hand man,' and I don't know what not else. Mrs. Conover's only a 'cipher,' as you say, and Miss Alice Lanier—not Caleb is the 'figure' in front of her. That's the new-made princess, to the right. The tall ono with the no-colored hair. I suppose that's the Prince d'Antri beside her." "He's too handsome to be a very real prince. What a face for a sculp tor or—" "Or a barber. A beard like that —" A gorgeously apparelled couple just in front of the Greers, in the litie, moved forward within the zone of Conover's greeting. Caleb nodded pa tronizingly to the man, and more civ illy to the woman. "Mr. Conover," the latter was mur muring in an anguish of respectful embarrassment, " 'tis a great honor you do me and the man, askin' us here to-night with all your stylish friends, an' —" "Oh, there's more than your hus band and me, here, who'd get hungry by habit if they heard a noon whistle blow," laughed Conover, as with a Jerk of his red head and a word of pleasant welcome, he passed them on down the reception line. Then tho Railroader's light, deep-set eyes fell on Greer, and he stepped forward, "Good evening, Greer!" he cried, both hands outstretched, and there was a subcurrent of latent power in his hearty voice. "Good evening! Pleased to see you in my house. Mrs. Greer, 1 presume? Most kind of you to come, ma'am. Proud to make your acquaintance. Letty!" —summoning with a jerk of the head an overdressed, frightened-looking lit tle woman from the line behind him — "Letty, this is my very good friend, Mr. Talbot Firth Greer —Mrs. Conover —Mr. and Mrs. Greer. Mr. Greer fs the next Congressman from the Elev enth District. (That's a little proph ecy, Mr. Greer. You can gamble on its coming true.) My duughter, Prin cess d'Antri —Mr. and Mrs. Greer. Prince Amadeo d'Antri. My secre tary, Miss Alice Lanier —Mr. and Mrs. —" A new batch of guests swarmed down the hall toward the host, aud the ordeal was over. The Greers, swept on in the rush, did not hear Conover's next greeting. This was rather a pity, since it differed mater ially from that lavished upon them selves. Its recipient was a big young man, with a shock of light hair and quiet, dark eyes. He wore his clothes well, and looked out of place in his vulgar, garish surroundings. Caleb Conover, Railroader, eyed the newcomer all over with a cold, expressionless glance. A glance that no seer on earth could have read; the glanco that had gained him more than ono victory when wits and concealment of purpose were rife. Then he held out a grudging hand. "W T ell, Mr. Clive Standish," he ob served, "it seems the lion and the lamb lie down together, after all —a considerable distance this side of the millennium. And the lamb Inside, at that. To think of a clubman and a cotillon leader, aud a flrst-famllies scion and a Civic Leaguer and all that gort of thing condescending to honor my poor shanty—" "My aunt, Mrs. Conover, wrote, ask ing me especially to come, as a favor to her," replied the younger man stiff ly. I thought—" "And you were O. K. in thinking it. I know Letty wrote, because I dic tated the letter. I wanted to count you in with the rest to-night, and 1 had kind of a bashful fear that your love for me, personally, might not bo strong enough to fetch you. You've got too much sense to think the invite will score either way in our feelings to each other, or that I'm going back on what I said to you four years ago. Now that you're here, chase in and enjoy yourself. This place is like heaven, to-night in one way. You'll see a whole lot of people here you never expected to, and you'll miss more'n a few you thought would sure belong. Good-by. Don't let me block your job of heavenly recognition." The wilful coarseness and brutality of the man cai te as no surprise to Standish. He had expected something of the sort, and had braced himself for it. To please his aunt, whom he sin cerely pitied, he had entered the Con over house to-night for the first time since the Homeric quarrel, incident on his refusal to avail himself of Caleb's prestige in his law work, and, inci dentally to enroll himself as one of the Railroader's numberless political vassals. That the roughness to which Conover had subjected him was no more a part of the Railroader's real nature than had been the nervous ef fusiveness of his greeting to the Greers, Clive well knew. It had been Intended to cover any embarrassing memories of a former and somewhat less strained acquaintanceship; and as such it like most of Conover's moves had served its turn. So, resisting his first Impulse to de part as he had come, Standish moved on. The formal receiving phalanx was crumpling up. II:' paused for a mo ment's talk with little Mrs. Conover, exchanged a civil word or two with his cousin Blanche and her prince, and then came to where Anice Lanier was trying to make conversation for sev eral awed-looking, bediamonded per sons who were evidently horribly ill at ease in their surroundings. At sight of the girl, the formal lines about Clive's mouth were broken by a smile of very genuine pleasure. A smile that gave a younger aspect to his grave face, and found ready an swer in the brown eyes that met his. "Haven't you toiled at a forlorn hope long enough?" he asked, as the awed beings drifted away into the un comfortable crowd, carrying their burden of jewels with them. "A forlorn hope?" she queried, puz zled. "You actually seemed to be trying to galvanize at least a segment of this portentous gathering into a semblance of life. Don't do it. In the first place you can't. Saloonkeepers and Pompton Avenue people won't blend. In the second place, it isn't expected «VjppjferA RIDER AGENTS™ ample Latent Model Rancor bicycle furoishPd by in. Our agents everywhere are NO WONKY RICOI 'IICKD until you receive andapprove of your bicycle. We ship lo anyone, anywhere in the U. S. -without a cent deposit in advance, prepay freight, and allow TEN DAYS* FKKfi TKIA I. dining which time you may ride the bicycle and £ut it Jo y t . , jJ t g ] r ?JJ.J v { sh - k t lf y°» t are then not Perfectly satisfied or do nut wish to PAPTHDV PRIPFQ e burnish the highest grade bicycles it is possible to make ■ Ml# IUK Y clflvhd at one small profit above actual factory cost. You save jtia to? 2$ middlemen's profits by buying direct of us and have the manufacturer's guar antee behind your bicycle. ])() NOT HI'Y a bicycle or a pair of tires from anyone at any price our jgues anrMearn our unheard ot factory YOU WILL BE ASTONISHED H^rir''SßtZd^ra , i fu t ! l / a^A^ fiT' tS W t ® C ? n na | iC * ou • 5 ,* 1 11 / 1 f C |j highestgrade bicycles lor less money DKALKICS, you can sell our bicycles under your own name plate at nr prices. Orders tilled the day received. D HANI) lIICYCLKS. We do not regularly handle second hand bicycles, but a number on hand taken in trade by our Chicago retail stores. These we clear out rices ranging from <*3 to or tiHO. 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They weigh no more than M * ..revont rim outtlnir Tl.ii {inordinary tire, the puncture resisting qualities being given IM oil n 2 by several layers of thin, specially prepared fabric on the , , t . sm » r K , vsxm ■ Head. The regular price of tlicuetiresiaJS.jo per pair, but for Jf V V SVllllilMl advertising purposes we are making a special factory price to ™ 4 * the rider of only £4.80 per pair. All orders shipped tame day letter is received. We ship C. O. p. on approval. You do not pay a cent until you have examined and found them strictly as represented. We will allow a cash discount of 5 per cent (thereby mailing the price #-l.rtrt per pair) if you send FULL* CASH WITH OHDKIt and enclose this advertisement. You run no iisk iu sending; us an order as the tires may be returned nt OUR expense if for any reason they are not satisfactory on examination. We are perfectly reliable and money sent to us is as safe as iu a bank. If you order a pair of these tires, you will find that they will ride easier, run faster, wear better, last longer and look finer than u:iy tire you have ever used or seen at atiy price. We know that you will be so well pleased that when you want a bicycle you will give us your order. We want you to send us a trial order at once, licnce this remarkable tire olTer. girrfi *rigig'f> don't buy any kind at any price until you send for a pair of mm* W C/C# JVI-fcH# J ffir.«? Jledfjethorn Pu:icture-l*ror»f tires on approval and trial at the special introductory price quoted al>ove; or write for our big l ire and Sundry Catalogue which describes and quotes all makes and kintis of tires nt al>oiit half the usual prices. mMf%Y XJI/AiTT but write us a postal today. DO NOT THINK OF BtFCTNO ft bicycle M/C# JVC Mm ww /IJ# or a pair of tins from anyone until you know the new uud woudcitul oilers we are making. It only costs a to learu everything. Write it NOW. J. L. HEAP CYCLE E3MPANY," CHICAGO, ILL Calling Cards We have appropriate typo faces for Cards. Busi ness Cards, in fact any kind of society printing. Come in and let ns show you samples. Prices are reasonable. News Item Office. of you. ' The fape'rs to-morrow win record the right names just as jeal ously as if everyone had had a good time. Suppose you concentrate all your efforts on me. Come! It will be a real work of charity. For Mr. Con over has just shown me how thorough ly I'm the prodigal. And he didn't even hint at the whereabouts of a fatted calf. I'loaso he merciful and make me have a good time. It's months since I've seen you to talk to." "Then why don't you come here oftener?" she asked as they made their way through the press, and found an unoccupied alcove between two of the great rooms. "Im sure Mrs. Conover —" "My poor aunt? She'd be fright ened to death that Conover and I would quarrel. No, no! To-night Is an exception. The iirst and the last. I persuaded myself I came because of Aunt Letty's note. But I really came for a chat with you." She looked at him, doubting how to accept this bald compliment. But his face was boyish in its sincerity. "You and I used to be such good friends," he went on,"and now we never see any more of each other. Why don't we?" "I think you know as well as I You no longer come here —you have not come, I think, since a year before 1 arrived. And I go almost nowhere since—" "Since you gave up all your old world and the people who cared for you and became a drudge in the Con over household? If you were to be found anywhere else you would see so much of me that I'd bore you to ex tinction. But it would be even un pleasanter for you than for me if 1 were to call on you here. T miss our old-time talks more than I can say." "I miss them too. Do you remem ber how we used to argue over poli tics, and how you always ended by telling me that there were two things no woman could understand, and that politics was one and finance the other?" "And you would always make the same retort: That woman's combined ignorance of politics and finance were pure knowledge as compared with the men's ignorance of women. It wasn't especially logical repartee, but it al ways served to shut me up.' "I wish we had time for another po litical spat. Some day we must. You see, I've learned such a lot about poli tics- and finance, too —practical poli ' tics and finance since I came here.*' "Decidedly 'practical,' I fancy, if Mr. Conover was your teacher. He doesn't go in much for idealism." (To Be Continued.) What's in a Name. Boarding House, A. Hotsell .. $G up Hotsell Hotel $9 up Hotel Hotsell sl4 up Hotsell Inn $lB up Hotsell Court s2l op Hotsell Arms $24 up
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