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TIfK COURIER.
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f JOE, JAGK AND MACK g HERE ARB SOME
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The stillness of the wee sma hours
reigned in the hotel. The night rev
ellers had long since vanished In the
outer darkness. The garrulous poli
ticians had just put away their never
ending schemes and sought a few
hours' repose At the clerk's desk the
lights kept up a show of the earlier
evening's br lllancy. The clerk,, fresh
from a day's sleep, was the only brisk,
animated object -visible. The lobby
was gloomy and deserted. The cor
ridors at long intervals echoed with
the sound of the porter's dragging
footsteps. It was like a banquet hall
deserted. It was like a theatre after
the players and audience had vanished.
The. familiar spirits that flit about
the lobby of the LIndell hotel In the
day and in the early evening would
scarcely have recognized the place.
Silence, vast and solemn, settled
down with an increasing intensity.
The night clerk put his feet on the
desk and turned to chapter XIX of his
favorite novel. The one lone bell boy
curled himself up on the bench and
went to sleep. It was almost funereal.
Hark! What is that? The clerk
pauses, in his reading and listens. The
sound waxes louder and louder. Pres
ently a messenger boy, tired and
sleepy and unkempt, ambles in. He
shuffles across the lobby and wearily
hands a yellow envelope to the clerk.
The clerk reads "Jos. Bartley." He
hands It back to the boy. "Take it up
stairs, third floor, last room on the
right hand side of the rear hall." The
boy sighs and makes his way to the
stairs. The message or maybe It is
his legs is as heavy as lead. It is
hard work climbing up three flights
of stairs. And it is so quiet and dark
that a creepy feeling comes over the
boy. On and on he goes, peering ahead,
looking over his shoulder, starting at
every faint sound of creaking stairs,
or of heavy breathing that comes
through the transoms. The corridors
get darker and darker. The aspect of
things Is now terribly dark and for
bidding. An air of deep, impenetrable
mystery hangs over all. On and on
the boy drags his weary way, tired
and si-red. At last he approaches the
door he Is seeking. He looks overhead
at the transom. The faintest light im
aginable is visible. But not a sound
breaks the stillness. and yet as
he raises his hand to knock he thinks
he hears the buzz of whispered conver
sation. He knocks. Instantly the
faint light visible through the transom
vanishes, All Is perfectly still. Pres
ently the doer is opened a hand's
breadth and a voice asks "What is
wanted?,.
The boy says "Here's a telegram
for Joe Bartley, state treasurer." A
hand reaches out and takes the yellow
envelope. The boy Is shoved back.
The door is closed. The boy finds his
way back to the desk, gets the clerk to
sign for the message and disappears.
Meanwhile upstairs the faint light
appears again over the transom. In
side the room are three men. They
are seated around a table. On the
table is a mass of telegrams and let
ters and scraps of paper. One of the
men Is about medium height. He has
long, white whiskers, and a prominent
nose. The others address him as
"Jack." Of the other two one is short
and pudgy, with a mustache. He is'
called "Clark." The last of the trio
is a fairly tall man with a keen eye
and a short beard. His companions
call him "Joe."
One lamp furnishes a dim, flickering
light. The men converse in whispers.
Each one is nervous. They all have a
guilty, hunted look. A state creaks
and Joe starts as if shot. Jack ejacu
lates, "Oh, my God." Clark exclaims,
"What Is that?"
The men wait with anxiety pictured
on their faces.
Nothing came and the men resumed
their conversation.
Clark addressed the other two:
"Boys, we are In desperate straits and
we've got to hang together awful close.
The people seem to be onto us, and
it is going to take a big effort to get
me and Jack In. The people seem to
have it in fcr Jack because of his
whiskers or something, or because you.
Joe, are backing him. and I
am catching it all over the
state because everybody has got
onto the fact that I am your
candidate. I supposed, before we
started into this thing, that your back
ing was a great source of strength, but
I am afraid it is doing me more harm
than good. I think we ought to do
something to make the people think
-we are not in a combination, that you
are not behind me and Jack."
Joe chewed the end of an unllghted
cigar and gritted his teeth.
"Well," he said, after a pause, "I
have got to pull you fellows through
somehow, not so much because I want
you nominated, but because it is neces
sary for my own salvation that you
fellows have control of the governor's
office. It may be that the public is
suspicious of me; I can't say that I
can blame them any: and it may be
that I was. not smooth enough in cov
ering up my tracks, but when a man's
as desperate as I am he Is apt to be a
little careless. He will do anything,
even to taking up an old, worn out,
tiresome, be-whiskered, kippering man
like you. Jack, as a candidate for gov
ernor, and an ordinary, happy-go-lucky
chap like you. McNish, as my
candidate for the treasurer's office."
Jack wrenched his whiskers and said
angrily: "You needn't talk that way
to me. I may not be quite so slick as
you are, Joe, and my whiskers may
not be so pretty, but I think I am as
good as you are. and a darned sight
better. I noticed you have always
been pretty anxious to get me Into all
your schemes. You were mighty glad
to have me drop a good sized wad into
that Colorado gold mine scheme of
yours, and when I am in the gov
ernor's office you will be pretty glad
to have me exercise my restraining in
fluence when legislators get to prying
Into old secrets. You'd better not get
gay with me. Joe."
Clark pounded his fist on the table.
"Yes," he said, "here too. You haven't
got any edge on me, Joe. You haven't
forgot how you made me go on your
bond to the tune of $260,000. And you
know about those othe r deals. It
strikes me we are all of us in the same
boat, and the only thing we can do is
to stick together."
Joe responded: "Of course we will
stick together; but you fellows might
as well know your places. To be sure
you have put some money into the
mine. Jack, but I guess you have prof
ited by my friendship in more ways
than one, and you can't afford to break
faith with me. Why, you. Jack, you
old, grinning, hollow trunk, what
would become of your boom for gov
ernor If I" should quit you? And you.
too, McNish. Suppose you did go on my
bond. What did you get in return?
Answer me that No, you fellows want
to keep quiet and do as I tell you.
When we get into the convention I
want you to wait for my signal before
you make a move. Of course you are
a little hot, Jack, because Ager is talk
ing Hayward now, but I want you and
Clark here to do what Ager tells you
to do, for Ager will represent me. I
don't want any slips in this. You fel
lows want to win. I've got to win, and
I want my orders obeyed. Do you un
derstand?" MacColl said, despondently: "Well,
we will do the best we can, but. hon
estly, I think we are lost And I think
it is your fault Joe."
And McNish joined in: "Yes, I am
pretty sure we are done up, and I
know I wouldn't have had my trouble
if It hadn't been for Joe."
Then the three settled grimly down
to sorting telegrams and adding fig
ures, and there we will leave them.
Dr. J, S. Matt of Kansas City, who
was the guest of his daughter, Mrs.
Fred Cornell, has returned home.
Mrs. Nat Coffin of Des Moines and
Miss Quick of New York, are guests
of Miss Mame Carson.
Capt and Mrs. J. L. Carson are In
South Auburn.
Miss Myrtle Bayes of Seward is the
guest of D. M. Druse.
F. W. Collins will deliver the Fourth
of July oration In Ashland.
The Botanical Gazette for June con
tains a reference to Dr. C. E. Bessey
that Is highly complimentary.
E. A. Church went to Chicago this
week. S. T. St. John of the John
Griffith company -will continue his con
nection with the company next year.
He will spend the summer in Juniata.
Neb.
Prof. W. L. G. Taylor and family
and Mr. and Mrs. Taylor sr. have gone
to Colorado Springs for the summer.
Miss Stoddard has gone to Indiana.
She will join a New York party of
tourists that will leave for Europe
July 7.
Mrs. R. L. Rehlaender and daughter
are entertaining Judge G. W. Norrls
of Beaver City.
Otto Mohrenstecker sailed fcr Ham
burg Thursday of last week.
Miss Anna Barr has gone to Lake
Geneva, Wis.
Miss Mary L. Jones, librarian at the
state university, left Tuesday for the
Pacific coast, where she will spend the
summer.
Tlieae are ore time prices for
ttxim week
! Great sale on Ladies'
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This week.
15 doz in, to be closed out in the
next ten davs, formerly 50c,
75c and 81.00 this wee
38c, 57c, and 69c
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Closing out prices for this
week. 10 pieces Challies this
weak, per yard 3c
12 pieces Scotch lawns, reg
ular Bellini; price 5c, this wee,
per yard 3j4C
15 pieces Art! more dimity
formerly sold at 7c, this week,
peryard5Jc.
Our 15c Organdies and novel
ty dress goods, this week per
yard lc
MAI'S
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Special prices for thiB week.
Pints 60c dozen, quarts 70c
dozen, gallons 90c dozen, reg
ular price 70c, 80c and $1,000.
200 dozen men's brown
balbriggan undershirts and
drawers.
Our regular price is 50c which is
a very low price, this week you
can buy them at, each 39c
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Just received 120 pairs
Ladies kid button, patent tip
shoes from 214b to 8. These
are worth 81.75 a pair. We
make the price for this week
81.39
Bargains in Ladies', Misses'
and children's Oxfords, in
black and tans
Ladies' at 95c, $1.12, 81.23,
81.34,31.57,81.98. A reduction
from 10 to 20 per cent.
Child's Oxford's, 5 to 8, at
89c
Child's Oxfords.5 to 8, at 90c
Misses' Oxfords, 11 to 2, at
81.12
Our constant aim is to sell to our customers goods that are
up to standard and will please.
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92 1 O St. Opposite Postoff ice
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