Id 1€ ly ith ipeful cedo is nder- pleas- rm of "0 en- ent, and ing.”’ ~ en— TS, are 1 out- 5. It’s ul, re-- their need. forts a 1, cool, 0 d Cigareite 1 three hogs- yw and > thing te and uxedo that it nsitive e fam- uxedo Tux- ywhere from ALE and good of sale TED RE s Board os, ete., ayment INFOR- NT — A TALE OF RED ROSES 3 By GEORGE RANDOLPH CHESTER Copyright, 1914, by the Bobbs- Merrill Co. SYNOPSIS Sledge, & typical poiitician, becomes in- tatuated with Molly Marley, daughter of {a street car company president. He sends her red roses. On Molly's invitation Sledge attends a A ty. Before the crowd disperses Molly ks Sledge for his kindness. and then he proposes marriage. Her refusal Is treated as only temporary by Sledge. Molly attends the governors 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 financially ruined Bert Glider, Sledge threatens te do the same to Marley. Marley's loans are ordered called by Sledge. Feeder, who receives a salary. for keeping 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 Bledge visits Bozzam, and a heated ar- gument arises. The chief finds Bozzam i» working against him. The reorganized rallway company stockholders meet. Mar- «oy presides, and Sledge is present. The two votes of Marley and Bert Glia- er are sufficient to carry the amendment te the resolution for the purchase of the franchise for $50,000 cash. Sledge receives an announcement of tng engagement of Molly and Glider. Bozzam tells Marley Sledge decided not to sell the franchise at any price, and that he is financially dead. Sledge goes to the state capital and gets everything fixed up for the passage of a bill granting a new car company a fifty year franchise free of charge. Marley visits the state senator at home and meets Sledge. He finds out the par- ticulars of the bill and then wires a syn- dicate for best offer for controlling inter- est. “#1 mean to protect the honest work- - ingman, to save our houses and fire- sides and add honor and glory to the American flag,” responded Allerton sol- emnly. Marley accepted that merry quip with the courteous chuckle which it de- served. “Outside of that and drying the tears of the widows and orphans, what do you propose to accomplish by it?” he persisted in like vein. “If I didn’t know you were above spitework I should think that you had it in for the street car interests.” Again the senator looked at him with a puzzled air, then he turned to Sledge. “Doesn’t he know ‘anything?’ he queried. ! “Naw!” rumbled Sledge. “I gee,” answered Allerton coolly. “1 supposed you all knew that before the bill was passed it would be amended to conserve the important financial in- terests.” Marley pondered that statement awhile, and then he laughed. * “Qf course,” he said. “It's only polit- ical claptrap, intended to make the voter think you are eternally on the job in his interests.” “I wouldn’t put it in exactly that way,” soberly reproved Allerton, justly offended by this coarse method of im- pugning his motives. “I apologize,” said Marley. “1 should have said ‘the bill displays that you constantly have the interests of your constituents at heart.” We were rather exercised about it, but we should not have been, for in your long service for the public 1 do not think you have ever promoted or fostered any legislation which would be destructive of capital.” “Certainly not,” agreed Allerton, who never let down his pose in the presence of a man who had not proved his right to sit within the sacred circle. “With- out the proper and legitimate fostering of enterprises requiring extensive finan- cial support there can be no national prosperity.” “That's sound enough doctrine,” commended Marley. “What are the amendments which are to soften the blow?” , With kindly patience the senator ex- plained to him the amendments, one by one, being careless enough, how- ever, not to mention the fifty year franchise clause. At the end of an hour Marley, much relieved in his mind, took his depar- ture, regretting that Sledge was not ready to accompany him. «Ips strange how easily a man in eontrol of important investments ®kes fright,” he acknowledged, as he arose te go. “We can be put on the run with a _penny’s worth of firecrackers. Not long ago our friend Sledge, here, had me stampeded, but I checkmated the old villain. As a matter of fact, | the only result of his campaign against me was to put me in control of my own company, and now, I fancy, 1 have the thing so well tied up that 1 ean’t be hurt. I beat you at your own i game, eh, Sledge?” and he chuckled 8 down at his defeated oppressor with | triumph. Sledge looked up at him and smiled. f Ta thick tos parted, displaying his teeth. The under side of his upper lip showed a sharp roll of vivid scarlet, and his cold gray eyes combined to give that facial distortion an expres- sion of malignity startling even to Al- lerton, who knew the man even bette: than Tom Bendix Marley was conscious of that strange sensation which those who had run foul of Sledge had described as an actual physical chil’, like the sudden opening of a window to the cold rain. and the smile upon bis own face froze. He was conscious %aat his lips were still in the contour “#hich his bragging chuckle had given them. and he felt the embarrassed # #kwardness in re- storing his features to their normal ex- pression. which a man does who has committed some atrocious social blun- der. The horror and the menace and the malignity of that smile increased upon fim as he drove into the city. In front of the telegraph office he abruptly stopped, and hurrying in sent this mes- sage to his up state syndicate: Wire best offer controlling interest. Bert Glider, a necessary adjunct to the Sunday dinner, came just in time to sit down at the table with the fam- ily, and he was so preoccupied that Molly was half vexed with him, “Now, who has won part of your marbles?’ she chided him, attempting to conceal her annoyance with him un- der the guise of gay raillery. “Bert already looks like a married man,” laughed Fern. “I’d be fright: ened half to death, Molly. Think what he'll look like at a breakfast on the first of each month.” . . “He'll never see the meat bill,” de- clared Molly. “I intend to begin with alimony.” “I hope I can pay it,” responded Bert, catching the all too jovial spirit of the assemblage and pretending to gayety himself. “I think my first step toward making a living, however, will be to move out of this state where I can buy and sell a piece of property without asking permission of some alderman or ward thug.” “T think we'll all go.” suggested Mar- ley, who had been looking studiously | into his soup. ‘What has happened to worry you, Bert?’ “Since Sledge smiled?" queried that neatly mustached young man in order to head him off from that reproach. “I think I have good cause this time. I took a drive out Lincoln road this morning, and they're going ahead with their amusement park project.” “Impossible.” asserted Marley, straightening in outraged dignity, “while the Ring City Street Railway company has a Lincoln road franchise, which would prevent our competitors from obtaining one. It has not an- nounced any intention of building in that direction and will not do so.” Bert laughed quite without mirth. “You remind me of that good old standard story of the man who was arrested for some trifling offense. He sent for his friend and explained the circumstances. ‘Why. it's confounded nonsense!" exclaimed the friend, hold- ing the bars and looking through the grating of the cell door. ‘No policeman on earth-can thvow you into jail for that.” ”* # “Why, he was in jail at that very minute,” protested Fern. “I think thatls supposed to be the point of the story,” guessed Molly. “Of what is it apropos, Bert?" “Of the impossibility of building an amusement park on Lincoln road,” he answered. “They're digging a lake out there. They've erected the scaffolding of a roller coaster. They've built a big workshed, which is later to be turned into a Tannenbaum hall, which just now is stacked with gaudy parts of a three story merry-go-round. It may be utterly impossible for them to build an amusement park out there, but they're doing it.” Molly glanced quickly at her father. He motioned that his untouched soup might be taken away and toyed in ner- vous embarrassment with an. almond. “I’ve already done it,” he half shame- facedly explained. “Sold your stock?’ she eagerly in- quired. “Not quite,” he hesitated. “I did, however, stop at the telegraph office on my way back from Allerton’s this morning, and I wired the people who have been after my stock to name their best offer.” “Good!” she responded. take it, whatever it is?” “1 can’t bind myself to that,” he re- plied. “I must confess, however, that, whatever the offer is, I shall be tempted.” “Allerton must have given you very little satisfaction about that bill,” sur- mised Bert. “Quite the contrary,” stated Marley. “The bill is absolutely harmless. It is only a bit of political flapdoodle, in- tended to convince the voters of the state that Allerton is constantly on the job.” “Something must have happened to make you change your mind so quick- ly,” pondered Molly. “Whatever it was I'm glad of it. You must have met - Sledge,” and she giggled. “Sledge must have smiled at him” " laughed Bert, keeping up the joke. “J have excellent reasons,” Marley concluded, with becoming business gravity. “The future of street railway investment in this city is too uncer- tain.” “Father,” said Molly suddenly in the midst of the silence which followed, “if Mr. Sledge finds you have sent that telegram he ‘will do whatever he is go- ing to do before you can turn around.” “He'll have to move guickly,” an- swered her father with a. superior smile, his self approbation returning on the slightest provocation. “I sent my people that telegram today so they would have it the first thing Monday | morning. They were very eager while | they were here to acquire possession, “Will you | and I shall dotibtless hear from them by 10 o'clock.” “I wish I could sleep until 10 and when I wake up find that it’s all right,” “If you and Dert are not entirely out of all business deals in this town by our wedding day Sledge | will see to it. if he has to move heaven and earth to accomplish it, that we Molly worried none of us have a dollar. and by that mean absolute pauperism in the bes and most sense.” “He has the most absurd way © making love.” commented Fern. “It's like the old cave dweller plan of kill- ing off the family, batting the fair maid in the head with a club and letting her wake up In her new home.” “Not Sledge. ferent proposition. He has reduced ev erything in life to dollars and cents and he thinks that if he can only break Bert and father there'll be no wedding bells for us. Bert and I. will each be 1 compelled to seek a more lucrative | When she rejoined Fern. match.” She glanced smilingly at Bert and surprised on his face a curious expres- sion, which plunged her into deep and not overly pleasant thought. “He'd have bluffed me long ago,” “I'd have been so scared to death that by this time I'd be sending out afternoon tea invitations confessed Fern. on his business stationery.” “You spiritless wretch!” Molly. “It might not be so bad, after all,” that she had started, in revealing the en- “I sup- - pose I ought to be ashamed to ac returned Fern, persisting, now tire depth of her depravity. knowledge it, but I like Sledge.” “You may pack up your things and go home,” laughed Molly, not really blaming her for the sentiment, how- “You're .positively hopeless. ever. Fern.” ‘ “All right,” insisted Fern. him.” “Phrow her out.” begged Bert. “She’s science and allowed the interests of the dangerous!” CHAPTER XIII. Molly’s Anxiety Well Founded. OLLY'S anxiety was by no and he opened the rear door for them. means feigned, for the nex morning, at 10 o'clock, she ernor Waver, his hand on the door- called up her father at his of- | knob. “I'm returning to the capital this fice and asked him if he had veived In rather a worried tone he replied that he had not, but that he .would let her know an answer to his telegram. as soon as he had done so. She wandered about the house, quite ill at ease; then, unable to content her- self, suggested to Fern that they make When they were ready she hesitated a moment or two in front of the telephone, but conquered Instead, she made their first stop at her father’s office, ready for a drive. that temptation. thorougly melodramatic He does his lovemak- ing with red roses,” laughed Molly “tons and tons of them. This is a dif chided *1 don’t think there'd be any more fun than taming and managing a big brute like “I don’t see how unless Molly mar- ries Sledge.” suggested her father, with a laugh. Molly started to laugh also, but found Bert looking at her speculatively. “She doesn't need g» that far,” he mused. Molly looked at him in sharp incredu- 1 lity for a moment; then, without a t | word. she turned to leave the room. “Where are you going?’ asked her father. f “To see Sledge,” she responded. “I think you told me that he is always at the bank between 11 and 12 in the morning.” “Molly.” commanded Bert sharply. recalled to bis senses by her bearing. “you mustr’t see him. I forbid it.” “1 am taking your advice, but I re- fuse to take your orders,” she calmly informed him, surprised to find in her- self an inclination to giggle over her use of that splendidly ringing remark. “Molly ‘wiil shield you from all harm,” she added, and she was snickering “What's the joke?” asked that young lady. “I've been dying all morning to hear somebody giggle.” : “You're to chaperon me while I go over and make love to Sledge.’ Molly gayly informed her. ! “You're not really,” protested Fern. “1 am really,” retorted Molly, her eyes flashing a trifle more than a mere jest would seem to warrant. “I must, Fern. I plunged both father and Bert into this trouble, and Bert seems to think it's up to yours truly Molly to fool Sledge along until they Have time to get out of it. Besides that, it's a sort of a game between Sledge and my- gelf, and I'm not going to have that big duffer win it.” . “This is too delightful for anything,” applauded Fern. “I'm perfectly mad about it, Molly. I hope Sledge is in.” Sledge was in. He was closeted with Senator Allerton and Governor Waver on a most important conference, one involving the welfare and prosperity of half the voters in the state; but, nev- ertheless. he promptly stifled his con- sovereign people to suffer when Davis whispered in his ear that Molly Marley . wanted to see him. ! «Bring her right in" said Sledge. : “Men. you'll have to go. It's a lady.” t, “Just one moment,” parleyed Gov- afternoon, and" — “J’11 see you up there,” interrupted Sledge. pushing the door and the gov- ernor with it. “By the way, my coat,” called the senator from the rear corridor. The knob of the other door rattled. “All right.” grunted Sledge, closing them out in the draft just as Molly and Fern came in. “Hello, girls!” said Sledge. “Sit down. Excuse me a min- ute till I poke a guy’s Benny out to him.” and. with a curious degree of consider- * ® * * * * * ation, waited in the little red reception room to be announced. She was told to come right in, and found Bert with her father. - Sledge walked into Marley's office with his parlor smile, the recently out- lived one which belonged of right to the r e he wore, and he sat down Marley silently handed her a ‘téle- tener 16 ‘speak. His usual gram. It read: Our Mr. Coldman will see you in two weeks from today. “Two weeks,” she worried. you possibly hurry them up?” Marley handed her another telegram: Impossible to arrange earlier date. “Hunt's resignation was in my mail with “He has taken a position as secretary with Sledge’s company, and I suppose half my office this morning,” stated Marley, forced quietness. force will follow him.” “Two weeks,” speculated Bert, then he added impatiently: “Confound it, I’m in a pretty pickle if we can’t clear our skirts of this thing! I bofrowed the money to buy up Mood- son’s stock from some friends of mine, and on my unsupported note. To lose would mean the absolute end of my Marley! social standing, here or anywhere.” “We'll see that you get yours first, offered Marley, whose respect for his son-in-law to be was only superficial. “I didn’t mean to urge my personal = i I meet > v n » — pu — — [) \ “] don’t see how unless Molly marries Sledge,” suggested his father. claims above yours,” Bert hedged, his slightly fact ig fmpatience, however, only modified. “The fundamental that we must gain time.” ir A i. DO) ATA DT TTT le “Can’t| i mm = A method was to deliver his messages standing. . “We ought te figure a’ consolidation,” he suggested. Marley considered that statement carefully. He was beginning to learn that he really needed caution in deal- ing with Sledge. “One of us might be gobbled up,” he sagely concluded. “As I understand it, you own 75 per cent of the new com- pany, while I only hold a bare majority of the old one. It would scarcely be possible that in a consolidation I would still have control.” “We'd have to pool our stock for either one to hold it,” agreed Sledge. Marley looked at him wonderingly. «I don’t quite understand the advan- tage to you in this,” he puzzled. “Frank- ly, Mr. Sledge, I'd have to see that ad- vantage before 1 could consider the » | matter.” “There ain’t any,” Sledge confessed. «I want to protect you if everything's all right. Molly was just over.” “Yes; she said she was going to see you,” replied Marley, clutching eager- ly at the straw. “I thought she’d get enough,” stated Sledge, and he chuckled. “She's a smart girl.” “Yes; she is,” assented Marley, won- dering just how much she had said to make such a remarkable change in Sledge. “A consolidation would proba- bly be a very sensible thing. It would enable us to plan extensions, lines and loops which would increase our reve- nues tremendously, with no possibility of dividing the patronage. Moreover, a mere announcement of such a move would add immediately to the market value of the stock in both companies.” «We consolidate after the marriage,” amended Sledge. “We get all ready now.” ; “Any time you say,” readily consent- ed Marley. “I'll meet with you and ar- range the details tonight.” “Naw!” refused Siedge. “Theater to- night.” “With Molly?” wanting to smile, «Molly and Fern. Fern’s a nice kid.” «All right; tomorrow night, then,” suggested Marley, his mind firmly fixed on the commercial opportunity. off?” «Did Molly say so?’ evaded Marley. “No,” Sledge hesitated. “Is it?” “That's entirely Molly’s affair.” again he chuckled as he arose to go. “1s there any objection to giving out a hint of this consolidation?” asked Marley, with an instant thought that at the very least this new turn would enhance his price with the syndicate inquired Marley, | i «1 pelieve you,” coincided Sledge, and ulated at Chil SANA NN RAN dr en Cry for Fletche NANNNANNNNANNNK AMIARRRRRRRRRRRRRNRRRN r’s NERA NNNRNNRANR ANNONA NS The Kind You Have Always Bought, and which has been in use for over 30 years, has borne the signature of and has been made under his per= sonal supervision since its infancy. o { Allow no ene to deceive youin this. All Counterfeits, Imitations and ¢ Just-as-goed *’ are but Experiments that trifle with and endanger the health of Infants and Children—Experience against ent What is CASTORIA Castoria is a harmless substitute for Castor C.., Pare= | goric, Drops and Soothing Syrups. It is pleasant. It contains neither Opium, Morphine nor other Narcotic substance. and allays Feverishness. Its age is its guarantee. It destroys Worms For more than thirty years it has been in constant use for the relief of Constipation, Flatulency, Wind Colic, all Teething Troubles and Diarrhcea. It regulates the Stomach and Bowels, assimilates the Food, giving healthy and natural sleep. The Children’s Panacea—The Mother’s Friend. CASTORIA ALwAYs Bears the Signature of In Use For Over 30 Years The Kind You Have Always Bought THE CENTAUR COMPANY, NEW YORK CITY, \ which had proposed to buy him out. “Hunh-uh!” assented Sledge. “You better see Davis about your mortgage. He won’t extend. but he’ll hold off.” “I'll go over right away.” answered Marley. anxious to take advantage of that offer also as quickly as possible. “Wait till tomorrow,” ordered Sledge and stalked out. having but very little time to waste. His way lay directly past the Grand Opera House. and he stopped at the ticket window. | “Give me a box for tonight.” grunted. “Thanks!” grunted Sledge and stuffed the tickets in his pocket. “Don’t mention it.’ returned the treasurer as nonchalantly and walked back to the manager of the company. (To be continued.) he | INDICTMENT DENOUNCED Judge Orr Says He Doubts Validity of } Bill Against Thompson. Introducing for the first time em- bezzlement and abstraction, a new presentment against J. V. Thompson, head of the defunct First National bank of Uniontown, was returned by the federal grand jury at Erie, Pa. The jurors were directed to bring in an indictment. It contained thirty counts. Judge Charles P. Orr, who with Judge W. H. S. Thomson received the presentment—to the surprise of the crowded courtroom—denounced the presentment from 'the bench. “] doubt the walidity of this pre- sentment,” said Judge Orr, after Clerk ‘Wilbur Harris took the present- ment from the hands of George L. Dawson of Uniontown, foreman of the grand jury. “The court will permit the grand jury to bring in a bill (the indict ment), reserving, however, the right to say whether or not the indictments brought in shall stand as a true bill against the defendant.” SUBMARINES! THE CRY And Loud the Wails. Pooh, Pooh, My Dear, They're Only Whales. Five whales, appearing in the path of the steamship Stampalia while that vessel was skirting the coast of Sar- dinia on her way from Genoa and Naples to New York, caused an alarm of submarines, and resulted in a near panic among the 849 steerage passen- gers, according to reports of passen- gers when the ship arrived at New York. The Stampalia, one of the armed vessels of the Italian merchant fleet, avoided the. usual route coming through the Mediterranean, because of reported U-boats. When the whales were sighted a frightened cry of “gubmarines!” spread along the third class quarters. Officers of the ship quieted the passengers’ fears and the whales soon disappeared. CIRCULATED BAD MONEY Former Policemen Get Two-Year Sen- tences at San Francisco. Rollie A. York and Edward Karr, former Oakland (Cal.) policemen con- “Daytime.” corrected Sledge. “I'M | yit0q of conspiracy to circulate coun- busy nights. Say, Marley, is that game ;...f¢it $5 gold pieces, were sentenced between Molly and Bert called clear! in two years each in the federal prison. York was caught in Columbus, O., and Karr in Ogden, Utah, last Octo- ber. It was estimaied that they cir- least $25,000 of the | spurious coins.” Cu.idren Ory FOR FLETCHER'S CASTORIA RELATIONS WITH GERMANY TENSE Too Late for Apologies, Indi- cated at White House LiRECT EVIDENCE AWAITED All Americans on Sussex Were Saved, Some Badly Injured—Piece of Tor- pedo Found on Deck of Vessel. With tension in official circles in- creasing as cable dispatches bring fresh evidence that the English chan- Lei sieaunier Sussex was torpedoed without warning, the submarine issue with Germany is authoritatively de- scribed as having reached the stage where President Wilson may soon be forced to take summary action. rhe president will reserve final judgment until all the evidence in the case is before him. If he finds that the Sussex was attacked without warning, in violation of the pledges of Germany, he will advise congress of what he proposes to do and pro- ceed to act. According to the best information obtainablé in official quarters there will be no preliminaries and no further time lost in negotiations if complete evidence shows that Ger- many has countenanced attacks in violation, or in evasion of guarantees as to the conduct of submarine war- fare. ‘ An inspired offer of reparation and disavowal which reached the White House unofficially from German sources met with a frig.d reception. It was said flatly that the president is not interested in disavowals and excuses. He is interested only in the fact pertaining to the cause of the ex- plosion on the Sussex which jeopar- dize American lives. All Americans aboard the Sussex have been accounted for. None lost their lives in the torpedoing of the channel packet and administration of- ficials were hopeful that the crisis occasioned by the attack upon the ship had been relieved in tension, when advices came to the state de- partment from Bristol, England, that T. Buckley, an employee on the steamer Englishman, and an Ameri can citizen, had lost his life when the ship, carrying horses, was sunk, presumably by a German submarine. Consular Agent Whitman at Bou- logne reported that he was informed by French officials that a piece of bronze, resembling a part of a tor- pedo had been found on the Sussex. Two American women passengers on the Sussex, it is understood, are quoted in official dispatches as saying they saw the wake of a torpedo just before the explosion on the Sussex occurred. ATT. Accidents will happen but the bes regulated families keep Dr. Thomas Electric Oil for such emergencies Two sizes 25 ard 50 e¢ at sI' stores. Harsh physics react, weaken the bowels, wili lead to chronie eomstips tion. Doan’s reguiets operate easily, 2 ¢ a box at all stoves. FOLEY AIDNEY PILLS FOR RHEUMATISM KIDNEYS ANP BLADDER repeatedly made to the United States . 1e, jt Bi