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|
A TALE OF
RED ROSES
| i
By
GEORGE
RANDOLPH
CHESTER
Copyright, 1914, by the Bobbs-
Merrill Co.
SYNOPSIS
Sledge, & typical politician, becomes in-
fatuated with Molly Marley, daughter of
a street car company president. He sends
her red roses.
On Molly's Invitation Sledge attends a
party. Before the crowd disperses Molly
thanks Sledge for his kindness, and then
he proposes marriage. Her refusal is
treated as only temporary by Sledge.
Molly attends the ‘governor's ball, and
her attractiveness results in her climbing
the dizzy heights of popularity. The no-
table respect accorded Sledge, however,
perplexes her. :
Sledge moves for the car company's re-
organization. He asks Marley for Molly's
hand, but is refused. Having financlally
ruined Bert Glider, Sledge threatens to do
the same to Marley.
Marley's loans are ordered called by
Sledge. Feeder, who receives a salary for
keéping quiet about the public fund scan-
dal, confesses during Sledge’s questioning
and is roughly handled.
Molly becomes angry at her father’s ob-
vious fear of Sledge. He tells her to mar-
ry him, but she refuses and suggests a
«ght on Sledge, which encourages Marley.
Sledge visits Bozzam, and a heated ar-
gument arises. The chief finds Bozzam
is working against him. The reorganized
railway company stockholders meet. Mar-
«sy presides, and Sledge Is present.
The two votes of Marley and Bert Glia-
er are sufficient to carry the amendment
to the reselution for the purchase of the
franchise for $50,000 cash.
Sledge receives an announcement of the
engagement of Molly and Glider. Bozzam
tells Marley Sledge decided not to sell the
franchise at any price, and that he is
financially dead. Je
Sledge goes to the state capital and gets
everything fixed up for the passage of a
dill granting a new car company a fifty
year franchise free of charge.
CHAPTER XI.
Arranging a Little Protection For the
People.
HAT sterling friend of the pop-
ulace, that stalwart defender
of the rights and the morals
and the welfare and the purses
of his admiring constituents, that vo-
ciferous choice of the people, State
Senator Allerton, was discovered by
8ledge. in the act of serving the public
interests by playing poker in the rooms
of Assemblyman Buckley, and with
these two conscientious patriots, deep
also in the exercise of their duties to
‘the commonwealth, were the very men
Sledge wanted to see—Franchise Wal-
ters, who was heavy set, but not fat, .
and who looked like a prosperous shoe
merchant, and old Pop Gresham, the
red eyed administration wheelhorse
from Pickerel county, and Calvin T.
Luther, the ministerial looking profan-
ity expert, and Cap Digglesby, the
avowed and professedly bitter enemy
of Sledge, whose every white whisker
was needed as a calendar for his many
honorable scars of forensic battle.
It was Cap Digglesby who was the
first to hail the visitor as he entered
the door. -
|
“Hello, malefactor of great wealth,”
he called. “Have you a spare queen of
clubs about your person?’
“I'm shy on queens,” confessed
Sledge, looking down with indifference
at the game he played so indifferently.
«Buckley, I'm dry.” ;
“Beat you to it, old man,” replied
Buckley easily. He was a spare person,
with the neatly combed appearance of
a dancing master, but with intensely
clear eyes and deep creases in his
cheeks. “I sent word to the bar as soon
as the phone announced you. Your
stein will be right up.”
«Thanks!” grunted Sledge, and con-
giderately fell to estimating the jack-
pot.
Allerton, a smooth featured man
with a good forehead and a smiling
ava. nicked up the two cards which
Bad been dealt him, .compared them
judically with the three he held, fold-
od them together with minute care
and tucked them neatly under the
deck. Looking up, he caught the cold-
ly disinterested eye of Sledge. Every
man of the six at the table had tried
that same thing, but Allerten was the
only one who succeeded. Sledge, paus-
ing to inspect carelessly the bountiful
ly arranged sideboard, moved into the
adjoining room. Allerton arose from
the table.
“Deal me out for a couple of rounds,”
he suggested. «Buckley, watch my -
stack. There's twenty-three fifty in it,
and Pop Gresham’s pile is mighty
low.”
Pop Gresham took ten blues from
Allerton’s assortment and added them
to his own.
“Charge me ten from your friend’s
greasury, Buckley,” he chuckled, with
a playfulness intended to conceal his
real satisfaction:
«Well, what's new?” asked Allerton
closing the doo behind him
and sitting on the edge of Buckley's
Sup Ww 1
home,” remarke
ked A
one are vou in?”
| “All cash,” Sledge told him. “On the
level.”
“You must have a good outlook,”
wondered Allerton.
“Naw!” repudiated Sledge.
ten! No franchises.”
“I thought you held easily salable
ones, from what I saw in the papers,”
puzzled Allerton. “If you haven't,
however, you can easily get them from
the city council.”
“They're no good,” insisted Sledge.
“Short terms.”
| “That's right,” agreed Allerton, be-
ginning to see the light. “Franchises
in this state can be granted for twenty
years and are renewable in ten year
periods at the option of the, city coun-
cil. I suppose your new franchises are
, for twenty years.”
| “Uh-hunh!” assented Sledge. “That's
when the profits begin.”
“For both the company and its offi-
cial friends,” smiled Allerton, “It's
rather a good provision as far as the
publie is concerned, however. It gives
“It's rot-
the people a voice.”
“Why ?' demanded Sledge. “They
only ride.” ”
“And pay,” amended Alleston. “We
talked this over before at Waver's
house and at your office. I think I
called attention to the faet that the
people were beginning to expect a con-
sideration for such valuable property
as franchises.”
“They expect a private car for a
nickel,” claimed. Sledge. ‘“We need
franchise legislation.”
“It’s a dangerous thing to tackle,”
objected Allerton. “The voters are be-
ginning to have ideas about such
things.”
“That's why we have to work quick,”
Sledge informed him.
“What do you want?’ asked Allerton,
“Fifty year franchises—free.”
| “Good Lord!” exclaimed Allerton.
| “Why, Sledge, the man who would pro-
pose that might just as well retire from
politics forever.”
| “Sure!” agreed Sledge.
The senator stopped, with a shock,
and reflected.
“The street car interests in the state
are large, that’s a fact,” he acknowl- |
edged.
“Great game,” approved Sledge. *I|
want stock all over the state. You'd
better invest.”
“It might be attractive,” considered
the senator. “How much stock do you!
think I should secure?”
“Million.”
Even the seasoned senator, used as|
he was to private and personal discus-
sions involving comfortable figures,
was startled at the sound of that word.
“That listens very cheerfnily,” he
conceded. “Do you suggest that I—buy
up—that amount of stock for myself in
the various street car companies of the
state or that myself and friends should
club together for that amount?”
“Hundred thousand extra fer them,”
responded Sledge with the promptness
of a man who has done all his figuring
beforehand. :
Allerton spent some minutes in quiet
thought. :
“There’s the “legal business, too,”
Sledge reminded him.
“That's so,” agreed Allerton. “An at-
torney who is also a large steckholder
could control that clientage. Suppose 1
see Buckley about this? Send him in,
will you?” :
Appreciating the convenience of hav-
ing no witnesses to conversations
which so intimately concern the serv-
ing of the public, Sledge loafed out
and stood nonchalantly over the table.
The five men looked up at him keenly,
but Sledge was staring into Cap Dig-
glesby’s hand. Buckley finished his
deal and glanced up again. He imme-
diately arose.
| “Take my hand, will you, Sledge?’
he begged, and he removed Sledge’s
stein from the sideboard to the table.
Sledge sat down and fingered Buck-
ley’s chips while he drank at his beer.
“Hope you break him.” observed Cal-.
vin T. Luther as he presently dealt the
cards. “Buckley’s too all fired lucky,
.and I think he plays crooked myself.”
“House committee!” yelled Franchise
Walters. “That's unclublike language.”
Sledge looked at his cards and put in
chips and drew and bet with the air of
a man who is confirmed in the opinion
that the general average will “get” a
square player in the end, no matter
how he guards himself, and, since not
caring whether he won or lost Buck-
ley’s chips, he bet the same on a flush
as he did on a pair of deuces He had
increased Buckley's stack slightly when
that gentleman returned. Sledge was
about to rise, but Buckley sat in Aller-
ton’s place instead.
“Keep your seat, Sledge,” he observ-
ed as he nodded to Cap Digglesby,
Sledge’s bitterest and most relentless
foe on the floor of the house of repre-
sentatives. 5
“Yes, keep it five handed,” urged
Digglesby. “I want to stretch my legs
a few minutes, and a four handed
poker game is about as exciting as a
prayer meeting.”
Digglesby walked around the room
two or three times and looked at the
patriotic pictures with which the walls
- were plentifully decorated for the ben-
{
. efit of Buckley's earnest constituents,
then he sauntered into the hall and
stretched his legs into the next room,
where the senator. in deep thought,
awaited him.
Digglesby returned to the poker
game by and by, and as he sat down
smiled cheerfully at Buckley. Buckley,
who had been playing casino, seven-up
| companies from running open or sum-
and pinochle with his poker cards and
making a mad havoc in Allerton’s
chips in consequence,
drew a pair to his
head off’ with keen
esby gave ance
DOI {
the bedro
AC ad
Allerton was
oungir
tn a cushioned window sill, smoking a |
immediately |
triplets and “bet his | way
cigarette, and with his foot pushed the |
big leather rocker around % a more {
inviting position.
“The old veteran found a way,” he
comfortably explained. “If we at
tempted to railroad a bill empowering
the granting of fifty year franchises
without remuneration it would be
snowed under so quickly that the tell-
er couldn’t keep track of the votes.
There aren’t ten men in the capitol
building who would dare go home to
their constituents if they supported
gach a measuwe.”
“Sure not,” agreed Sledge. “Never
Jet anybody do anything in a law.
Keep ‘em from it.”
“That's the idea,” assented Allerton.’
“Restrictive legislation. The people
are strong for that just now, anyhow.
Digglesby’s idea is to call the act ‘A
bill for the protection of municipalities
against the monopolistic perpetuity of
street car companies.”
“Great!” approved Sledge. “It sounds
fierce if they get it.. I don’t myself,
but I know it's against the monopo-
lies.”
“It's almost harsh with them,” dryly
commented Allerton. “The bill will
restrict the car companies to a painful
—
Bailey like a book. They know what
| he thinks when he locks himself in his
room, and he'll tear into this bill as if
he were fighting the devil himself, face
to face. After he gets through the real
argument will begin, and anything any-
body else says against it will sound
flabby. After that we'll bury the bill
In committee until there’s something
exciting in the house, split in the fifty
year franchise amendment and pass
the thing some rainy afternoon when
nobody’s In the house but invited
friends.”
“How long will it take?” inquired
Sledge. *
“About as long as it will take you to
round up and organize the best paying
street car corporations in the state.”
Sledge looked out of the window in
silence which seemed almost moody.
“So long,” he said, and left by way
of the hall.
Meanwhile Bozzam and Timbers were
having their troubles. Two big, husky
men who looked as if they might be
primary leaders jostled them one day
‘and told them they had better leave
town. When they protested mildly the
huskies snarled and finally gave them
twenty-four hours to pack up. They
packed.
CHAPTER XI.
A Friendly Chat on the
: Sabbath.
ARLEY. as president of the
Ring City Street Railway
company and as chairman of
the impromptu convention of
street .car magnates, was so full of
business that he felt stuffed like a sau-
sage. To his mind the fund they had
raised to fight Allerton’s iniquitous leg:
islation was woefully inadequate, and
the men who should have been most
interested were strangely optimistic.
He suggested to several of them that
they appoint a committee to see Aller
ton and arrange some sort of compro
Peaceful
“|t’s almost harsh with them,” dryly
commented Allerton. .
degree. It will make a penal offense
on the part of the officers to bond a
company for more than its capitaliza-
tion.”
Sledge chuckled.
“The bankers’ convention
dorse that,” he said.
“The bill will prevent street railway
will in-
mer cars when the thermometer is be
low 40 degrees F. It will prevent the
running of winter cars without double
glass protection for the motormen. It
will be made illegal to have more than
one strap in every eighteen inches of
space. It will be made illegal for a
full car to run by a signaling pedes-
trian, and it will be made illegal, al-
though this will be scattered in three
or four places in'the bill, and sur-
rounded with a lot of ambiguous lan-
guage, for any franchise to be granted
for as long a period as fifty years.”
“That's the talk,” nodded Sledge.
“Restrictive legislation.”
“1 thought you could get along with
forty-nine years and eleven months,”
stated Allerton. “Moreover, I think we
can frame the bill to protect the peo-
ple.”
“Can you slip it through?”
“Digglesby thinks so, although he
agrees with me that about six months
after it's done somebody will explain it
so that the voters will understand it,
and the man who fathers it will have
his name chiseled alongside Benedict
Arnold’s.”
“He's dead,” commented Sledge, with
keen philosophy,
“Hmxactly,” coincided Allerton, with a
philosophy which, though unexpressed,
was still keener. “There’s only one
political pest of any worth which would
be open to him after the prejudiced
public had its erroneous judgment per-
manently fixed.”
“The senate,” guessed Sledge.
“The United States senate,” firmly re-
peated Allerton, looking Sledge square-
ly in the eye. “That's the one place
in which political opprobrium cannot
reach a man.”
Sledge studied long and carefully and
made some painstaking readjustments.
In order to make a place for one man
be had to do considerable shifting on
his political chessboard and eventually
push a pawn off the edge.
“I'l see what can be dene about
that,” he promised.
“That matter being clearly under-
stood as well as the others we men-
tioned—the legal representation amd
the amount of stock I am to acquire—I
think the bill a feasible one and the
legislation to be exactly such as is
needed by the changing requirements
of our modern civilization.”
“Applause,” observed Sledge, devel
: fund. because
mise, but here again he found an unex
pected lukewarmness. Nobody seemed
to think that Allerton could be
“reached.” and as a matter of fact ev
ery time he broached that subject he
- found - his fellow magnates evasive.
The newspapers need not have blazed
so much about the probable corruption
there positively was
none. The subscription secured was
only for the conduct of a publicity cam-
paign and to pay for the services of a
perfectly legitimate lobbyist, who
would explain the reasonable rights of
the street car men.
On Saturday morning the visitors all
went home, looking fagged about the
eyes, without having done much more
than pass some frothy resolutions and
raise the feeble fund referred to and
investigate by electric light whatever
the keys of the city would unlock; and
President Marley, staggering under the
burden of his position, was very much
worried. ,
~ He confided his fears to his future
son-in-law after he had seen the last
i tired, hard working magnate on a train
‘headed’ for home and remorse. ;
«1 don’t think these men appreciate,
as I do, the need of controlling street
car legislation,” he complained. “Al-
lerton’s bill looks like a menace to all
my interests, and I am a little bit sur-
prised that Sledge, since his entrance
into the game on a big scale, does not
seem more concerned about it.”
“It was Sledge who arranged to have
these fellows come together.” Bert re-
minded him.
“Yes,” admitted Marley, “but he
seemed to have such feeble ideas about
what to do after he had them here.
It wasn’t like his usual vigorous
methods.”
“Then he has something up his
sleeve.” decided Bert. “I wish that
fellow would drop dead. I'm afraid of
him.”
“You've been talking
laughed her father.
“No; I've been talking to Sledge,”
denied Bert. “I had just as lief have
a rattlesnake devote its life to the am-
bition of sinking a fang into the calf
of my leg as to have Sledge fussing in
with me. If I can find a buyer for it
I'm going to unload my stock in that
amusement park while the public still
thinks it will be built.”
Marley frowned his crushing dis-
pleasure.
“You are expressing very small con-
fidence in me,” he reproved. “I don’t
see why your nervousness about Sledge
should ‘extend to an operation which
depends on my judgment alone. The
to Molly,”
through. I have already ordered the
rails, the franchise cannot be disputed,
.and even if Sledge were to parallel
the Ridgewood avenue line it would
only bring more patronage to your
park.”
“Not mine,’ corrected Bert hastily.
“J'11 get my money out of it as quick
as I can, and Ill put that money
where Sledge can’t reach it.”
«You're scared blue,” charged Mar-
ley contemptuously. “How did you
come to get tangled up with Sledge?”
“I. met him down at the city hall. He
was wearing one of his fool red roses,
and I think he saw me looking at it.
Perhaps I did grin. At any rate, he
stopped and asked me when I was to
be married to Molly.”
“What did you tell him?”
«Christmas. Molly, yesterday after-
oping an unexpected turn for repartee.
“Will Digglesby fight the bill hfnself ?
“No; he’ll put Bailey Cooper on the
job,” grinned Allerton.
too. That young spellbinder is
too wise. Digglesby’s almost
of him now
3
“Teave it to Digglesby and Buck
ley,” advised Allerton. “They know
i ST AE ETSI A BET Tae stn
“This will be |
about the last time he can be used that |
noon, warned me not to tell any one,
| and particularly Sledge, that it is to be
Thanksgiving.”
{ «what did he say that scared you
so?”
“Nothing,” confessed Bert. “He only
iled I felt as if I had been in a
{ . 3 \ 4 oe
en noth , but 1 didn’t expect
| you, Bert. 1 have myself found
EE EET I EE
“GASTORIA
For Infants and Children.
( Mothers Know That
Genuine Castoria
AVegelable PreparationforAs 1
similating the Food andReguta- Alway 8
ting the Stomachs and Bowels of Bears the
40 INFANTS “CHILDREN [SN
| PronoiesDiesionceett | SigDALUTS
‘I ness and Rest.Contalns neither
Il | Opium Morphine nor Mineral
| OT NARCOTIC.
COHO
In
Use
il | Aperfect Remedy for Consfipe
bi: Apert Ree on Diario
js Worms Convulsions. Feverisk
Rall ness and LOSS OF SLEEP.
MELE | | PacSimile Signature of
THE CENTAUR COMPANY,
NEW YORK.
For Over
Thirty Years
CASTORIA
THE CENTAUR COMPANY, [.CW YORK CITY.
REJECTED LOVER
SLAYS THREE
Alexander Toth Kills Two,
V/ounds One and Suicides
WOUNDED WOMAN MAY BIE
| Slayer Wanted Two-Week Bride to De-
Exact Copy of Wrapper.
to be rather decent in the ast {ew
days, and I am only annoyed because
he does not seem to see the necessity
of using his influence with Allerton to
stop this street railway bill. I think I
shall see Allerton myself tomorrow.
He comes home every Saturday night.”
Pursuant to that happy idea, the
president drove out to Allerton’s house
the next morning and found the sena-
tor in the luxury of pajamas, easy slip-
pers and lounging robe amid an extrav-
agant confusion of Sunday papers. At
his right hand was a taboret, on which
bubbled an electric coffee percolator.
and at his left hand was a feather-
weight serving table, on which was a
comfortable supply of cigarettes. In
front of him sat Ben Sledge.
“Hello, Marley,” greeted the senator.
Ridgewood avenue extension is to be-
| puilt as fast as it can be pushed
sert Husband and Elope With Him.
You're just in time for coffee. Had Been infatuated With Woman.
“Had mine hours ago,” returned Mar-
ley, nodding his return to Sledge’s
grunt.
«Then it's time again,” insisted the
senator pleasantly. ringing for another
cup. “Or would you prefer a cocktail?”
“A little of your exclusive rye, I
think, if you insist on anything,” ac-
cepted Marley, drawing a chair into the
cozy little circle. ‘‘You're trying to
save that rye or you would have of-
fered it in the first place.”
“No; only trying to promote sobrie-
ty.” bantered Allerton. “I suppose,
however, that a memory of that good
Kentucky stock is what brought you
out here on this peaceful Sabbath
morning.”
“Hardly.” denied Marley. “Frankly
I suppose 1 came on the same errand
as my rival and competitor here.”
“What's that?" asked Allerton. with
a glance at Sledge.
“To find out what the dickens you
mean by that infamous street railway
bill of which you are the disreputable
parent.”
Allerton gazed at him blankly for a
moment and again glanced quizzically
at Sledge. There was a low rumble
down in Sledge’s throat, but neither
his face nor his eyes betrayed any sen-
timent or emotion whatsoever.
(To be continued.)
Because his former sweetheart, a
bride of only two weeks, refused to
elope with him, it is said, Alex-
ander Toth of Sewickley, aged thirty-
five, a tailor employed by a Eitts-
burgh firm, killed her father-in-law
and her husband, seriously wounded
the young woman and committed sui-
cide in the home of Stephen Petro, a
farmer, in Connoquenessing township,
two miles south of Petersville, Pa.
The dead are Stephen Petro, aged
forty-cix, farmer; Julius Petro, twenty-
one, son of Stephen Petro; Alexamder
Toth, thirty-five, a tailor, Sewickley.
Wounded: Mrs. Teresa Petro, aged
twenty-one, wife of Julius Petro; bul-
let wounds in arms and head and feet
frozen.
News of the tragedy reached adjon-
ing farms when Mrs. Petro, bleeding
from wounds in the arms and head,
ran two miles without shoes, through
snowdrifts to the farm of Casper Fehl,
where she fell unconscious, after tell-
ing Fehl that “he killed my father-
in-law and husband.”
Ivy Fehl, fifteen-year-old daughter
of Casper Fehl, mounted a horse and
rode two miles to Petersville, where
she notified the state police and sum-
moned Dr. J. L. Christy. After being
revived, Mrs. Petro related a story of
the circumstances watch led up to the
tragedy.
According to Mrs. Petro, Toth had
heen infatuated with her for more
than a year and repeatedly sought her
hand, but on each occasion he was
rejected.
FOX ADJUDGED IN CONTEMPT
Two of Brewers’ Officers Freed of
Court Charges.
John H. Gardiner, president of the
Pennsylvania Brewers’ association,
and Edwin A. Schmidt, treasurer of
the same association, were acquitted
of contempt, with the acquiescence of
United States Attorney E. Lowry
Humes, by Judge Thomas in United
States district court at Pittsburgh
after refusing to testify before the
grand jury in the probe of political
activities of the brewers’ society.
ERIE HAULS SUGAR
Transporting 6,000 Cars From Hawali
to Eastern Refineries.
The Brie railroad has received an
order for transporting 6,000 cars of
sugar from the Hawaiian islands to
eastern refineries. The consignment
weighs 250,000 tons and is valued at
$25,000,000, and the freight charges
will approximate nearly $3,000,000.
The first shipment of 200 cars is
already under way and the first train
of 5O cars passed over the line. The
shipment is being hauled in solid
trains running on passenger time
schedule.
LOSES LIFE ON DARE
Corry High School Boy Killed In
it of |
Sledge |
Boarding Freight Train.
Claude H. Lauer, aged seventeen,
i president of the sophomore class of
‘the Corry (Pa.) high school, lost his
life because he took a dare.
Lauer and two chums dared each
other to board a rapidly moving
{ tretent train. The latter boarded the
| train, but Lauer missed his footing
jand was killed.
At the same time Judge Thomson
took under advisement the contempt
charge against Gustav W. Lembeck of
Jersey City, treasurer of the United
States Brewers’ association, announc-
ing he would make his decision later.
Hugh F. Fox of New York, secretary
of the United States Brewers’ as-
sociation, also accused of contempt,
ann and once committed to Jail, was re-
Men Beat Mother. committed by Judge Thomson, who
Joseph and John Sweeney, both dismissed the habeas corpus proceed-
n of Youngstown, O., were | ings on which he was released, but
stalwart m
found
mothe
| counsel for Fox promptly filed a wri
> took an appeal to the
court of appeals,
T,
if 3 gircuit
1ICUITUrt agents ina iv takes
over 6,00,000 tons of feed to supply | FOLEY
the livestock of the State each year. %
(8) 1
WILY WO NDE
Always Successful= Children Like If