Page:The traitor; a story of the fall of the invisible empire (IA traitorstoryoffa00dixo).pdf/79



OHN GRAHAM walked briskly to his office the next morning at a quarter to ten, and found Dan Wiley standing at the door.

The lank mountaineer merely nodded, followed the young lawyer into the office, and stood in silence watching him as he opened a case of duelling pistols which had been handed down through four generations of his family.

"Don't do it," said Dan abruptly.

"I've got to."

"Ain't no sense in it."

"It's the only way, Dan, and I'm going to ask you to be my second."

Dan placed his big rough hand on the younger man's shoulders.

"Lemme be fust, not second."

"It's not my way!"

"That's why I'm axin ye. You're the biggest man in the state! I seed it last night as ye stood there makin' that speech to the boys. You'll be the Governor if ye don't do some fool thing like this. If ye fight 'im, an' he kills ye, your'e a