by Leroy Scott
CHAPTER XVIII
THE CANDIDATE AND THE TIGER
The town's talk continued, as Katherine knew it would. But though sheresented it in Bruce's behalf, it was of small importance in herrelationship with him compared with the difference in their opinions.She was in constant fear, every time he called, lest that differenceshould come up. But it did not on the next day, nor on the next. Hewas too full of love on the one hand, too full of his political fighton the other. The more she saw of him the more she loved him, sothoroughly fine, so deeply tender, was he--and the more did she dreadthat avoidless day when their ideas must come into collision, somasterful was he, so certain that he was right.
On the fourth evening after their stormy ride she thought thecollision was at hand.
"There is something serious I want to speak to you about," he began,as they sat in the old-fashioned parlour. "You know what the storm hasdone to the city water. It has washed all the summer's accumulation offilth down into the streams that feed the reservoir, and since thefiltering plant is out of commission the water has been simplyabominable. The people are complaining louder than ever. Blake and therest of his crew are telling the public that this water is a sample ofwhat everything will be like if I'm elected. It's hurting me, andhurting me a lot. I don't blame the people so much for beinginfluenced by what Blake says, for, of course, they don't know what'sgoing on beneath the surface. But I've got to make some kind of areply, and a mighty strong one, too. Now here's where I want you tohelp me."
"What can I do?" she asked.
"If I could only tell the truth--what a regular knock-out of a replythat would be!" he exclaimed. "Some time ago you told me to wait--youexpected to have the proof a little later. Do you have any idea howsoon you will have your evidence?"
Again she felt the impulse to tell him all she knew and all her plans.But a medley of motives worked together to restrain her. There was themomentum of her old decision to keep silent. There was the knowledgethat, though he loved her as a woman, he still held her in low esteemas a lawyer. There was the instinct that what she knew, if saved,might in some way serve her when they two fought their battle. Andthere was the thrilling dream of waiting till she had all her evidencegathered and then bringing it triumphantly to him--and thus enable himthrough her to conquer.
"I'm afraid I can't give you the proof for a while yet," she replied.
She saw that he was impatient at the delay, that he believed she woulddiscover nothing. She expected the outbreak that very instant. Sheexpected him to demand that she turn the case over to the Indianapolislawyer he had spoken to her about, who _would_ be able to make someprogress; to demand that she give up law altogether, and demand thatas his intended wife she give up all thought of an independentprofessional career. She nerved herself for the shock of battle.
But it did not come.
"All right," he said. "I suppose I'll have to wait a little longer,then."
He got up and paced the floor.
"But I can't let Blake and his bunch go on saying those things withoutany kind of an answer from me. I've got to talk back, or get out ofthe fight!"
He continued pacing to and fro, irked by his predicament, frowningwith thought. Presently he paused before her.
"Here is what I'm going to say," he announced decisively. "SinceI cannot tell the whole truth, I'm going to tell a small partof the truth. I'm going to say that the condition of the wateris due to intentional mismanagement on the part of the presentadministration--which everybody knows is dominated by Blake. Blake'sparty, in order to prevent my election on a municipal ownershipplatform, in order to make sure of remaining in power, is purposelytrying to make municipal ownership fail. And I'm going to say this asoften, and as hard, as I can!"
In the days that followed he certainly did say it hard, both in the_Express_ and in his speeches. The charge had not been made publiclybefore, and, stated with Bruce's tremendous emphasis, it now created asensation. Everybody talked about it; it gave a yet further excitementto a most exciting campaign. There was vigorous denial from Blake, hisfellow candidates, and from the _Clarion_, which was supporting theBlake ticket. Again and again the _Clarion_ denounced Bruce's chargeas merely the words of a demagogue, a yellow journalist--merely theirresponsible and baseless calumny so common in campaigns.Nevertheless, it had the effect that Bruce intended. His stock took anew jump, and sentiment in his favour continued to grow at a rate thatmade him exult and that filled the enemy with concern.
This inquietude penetrated the side office of the Tippecanoe House andsorely troubled the heart of Blind Charlie Peck. So, early oneafternoon, he appeared in the office of the editor of the _Express_.His reception was rather more pleasant than on the occasion of hisfirst visit, now over a month before; for, although Katherine hadrepeated her warning, Bruce had given it little credit. He did nothave much confidence in her woman's judgment. Besides, he wasreassured by the fact that Blind Charlie had, in every apparentparticular, adhered to his bargain to keep hands off.
"Just wait a second," Bruce said to his caller; and turning back tohis desk he hastily scribbled a headline over an item about a case offever down in River Court. This he sent down to the composing-room,and swung around to the old politician. "Well, now, what's up?"
"I just dropped around," said Blind Charlie, with his good-naturedsmile, "to congratulate you on the campaign you're making. You'recertainly putting up a fine article of fight!"
"It does look as if we had a pretty fair chance of winning," returnedBruce, confidently.
"Great! Great!" said Blind Charlie heartily. "I certainly made nomistake when I picked you out as the one man that could win for us."
"Thanks. I've done my best. And I'm going to keep it up."
"That's right. I told you I looked on it as my last campaign. I'mpretty old, and my heart's not worth a darn. When I go, whether it'sup or down, I'll travel a lot easier for having first soaked Blakegood and proper."
Bruce did not answer. He expected Blind Charlie to leave; in fact, hewanted him to go, for it lacked but a quarter of an hour of presstime. But instead of departing, Blind Charlie settled back in hischair, crossed his legs and leisurely began to cut off a comfortablemouthful from his plug of tobacco.
"Yes, sir, it's a great fight," he continued. "It doesn't seem that itcould be improved on. But a little idea has come to me that maypossibly help. It may not be any good at all, but I thought itwouldn't do any harm to drop in and suggest it to you."
"I'll be glad to hear it," returned Bruce. "But couldn't we talk itover, say in half an hour? It's close to press time, and I've got someproofs to look through--in fact the proof of an article on thatwater-works charge of mine."
"Oh, I'll only take a minute or two," said Blind Charlie. "And you maywant to make use of my idea in this afternoon's paper."
"Well, go ahead. Only remember that at this hour the press is myboss."
"Of course, of course," said Blind Charlie amiably. "Well, here's tobusiness: Now I guess I've been through about as many elections as youare years old. It isn't what the people think in the middle of thecampaign that wins. It's what they think on election day. I've seenmany a horse that looked like he had the race on ice at the threequarters licked to a frazzle in the home stretch. Same withcandidates. Just now you look like a winner. What we want is to makesure that you'll still be out in front when you go under the wire."
"Yes, yes," said Bruce impatiently. "What's your plan?"
"You've got the people with you now," the old man continued, "and wewant to make sure you don't lose 'em. This water-works charge of yourshas been a mighty good move. But I've had my ear to the ground. I'vehad it to the ground for nigh on fifty years, and if there's any kindof a political noise, you can bet I hear it. Now I've detected somesounds which tell me that your water-works talk is beginning to reactagainst you."
"You don't say! I haven't noticed it."
"Of course not; if you had, there'd be no use for me to come here andtell you," returned Blind Charlie bla
ndly. "That's where the value ofmy political ear comes in. Now in my time I've seen many a sensationreact and swamp the man that started it. That's what we've got to lookout for and guard against."
"U'm! And what do you think we ought to do?"
Bruce was being taken in a little easier than Blind Charlie hadanticipated.
"If I were you," the old man continued persuasively, "I'd pitch thetune of the whole business in a little lower key. Let up on the bignoise you're making--cut out some of the violent statements. I thinkyou understand. Take my word for it, quieter tactics will be a lotmore effective at this stage of the game. You've got the people--youdon't want to scare them away."
Bruce stared thoughtfully, and without suspicion, at theloose-skinned, smiling, old face.
"U'm!" he said. "U'm!"
Blind Charlie waited patiently for two or three minutes.
"Well, what do you think?" he asked.
"You may be right," Bruce slowly admitted.
"There's no doubt of it," the old politician pleasantly assured him.
"And of course I'm much obliged. But I'm afraid I disagree with you."
"Eh?" said Blind Charlie, with the least trace of alarm.
Bruce's face tightened, and the flat of his hand came down upon hisdesk.
"When you start a fight, the way to win is to keep on fighting. Andthat's what I'm going to do."
Blind Charlie started forward in his chair.
"See here," he began, authoritatively. But in an instant his voicesoftened. "You'll be making a big mistake if you do that. Better trustto my older head in this. I want to win as much as you do, you know."
"I admit you may be right," said Bruce doggedly. "But I'm going tofight right straight ahead."
"Come, now, listen to reason."
"I've heard your reasons. And I'm going right on with the fight."
Blind Charlie's face grew grim, but his voice was still gentle andinsinuating.
"Oh, you are, are you? And give no attention to my advice?"
"I'm sorry, but that's the way I see it."
"I'm sorry, but that's the way I don't see it."
"I know; but I guess I'm running this campaign," retorted Bruce alittle hotly.
"And I guess the party chairman has some say-so, too."
"I told you, when I accepted, that I would take the nomination withoutstrings, or I wouldn't take it at all. And you agreed."
"I didn't agree to let you ruin the party."
Bruce looked at him keenly, for the first time suspicious. Katherine'swarning echoed vaguely in his head.
"See here, Charlie Peck, what the devil are you up to?"
"Better do as I say," advised Peck.
"I won't!"
"You won't, eh?" Blind Charlie's face had grown hard and dark withthreats. "If you don't," he said, "I'm afraid the boys won't see yourname on the ticket on election day."
Bruce sprang up.
"Damn you! What do you mean by that?"
"I reckon you're not such an infant that you need that explained."
"You're right; I'm not!" cried Bruce. "And so you threaten to sendword around to the boys to knife me on election day?"
"As I said, I guess I don't need to explain."
"No, you don't, for I now see why you came here," cried Bruce, hiswrath rising as he realized that he had been hoodwinked by BlindCharlie from the very first. "So there's a frame-up between you andBlake, and you're trying to sell me out and sell out the party! Youfirst tried to wheedle me into laying down--and when I wouldn't befooled, you turned to threats!"
"The question isn't what I came for," snapped Blind Charlie. "Thequestion is, what are you going to do? Either you do as I say, or notone of the boys will vote for you. Now I want your answer."
"You want my answer, do you? Why--why----" Bruce glared down at theold man in a fury. "Well, by God, you'll get my answer, and quick!"
He dropped down before his typewriter, ran in a sheet of paper, andfor a minute the keys clicked like mad. Then he jerked out the sheetof paper, scribbled a cabalistic instruction across its top, sprang tohis office door and let out a great roar of "Copy!"
He quickly faced about upon Blind Charlie.
"Here's my answer. Listen:
"'This afternoon Charlie Peck called at the office of the _Express_ and ordered its editor, who is candidate for mayor, to cease from his present aggressive campaign tactics. He threatened, in case the candidate refused, to order the "boys" to knife him at the polls.
"'The candidate refused.
"'Voters of Westville, do your votes belong to you, or do they belong to Charlie Peck?'
"That's my answer, Peck. It all goes in big, black type in a box inthe centre of the first page of this afternoon's paper. We'll seewhether the party will stand for your methods." At this instant thegrimy young servitor of the press appeared. "Here, boy. Rush thatright down."
"Hold on!" cried Peck in consternation. "You're not going to printthat thing?"
"Unless the end of the world happens along just about now, that'll beon the street in half an hour." Bruce stepped to the door and openedit wide. "And, now, clear out! You and your votes can go plum tohell!"
"Damn you! But that piece will do you no good. I'll deny it!"
"Deny it--for God's sake do! Then everybody will know I'm telling thetruth. And let me warn you, Charlie Peck--I'm going to find out whatyour game is! I'm going to show you up! I'm going to wipe you clearoff the political map!"
Blind Charlie swore at him again as he passed out of the door.
"We're not through with each other yet--remember that!"
"You bet we're not!" Bruce shouted after him. "And when we are,there'll not be enough of you left to know what's happened!"
