King Cole by W.R. Burnett Read Free Book Online

everybody if I’m elected.”
    “You been doing it. Why stop?”
    “Yes, but Gregg started calling me Hitler.”
    “Don’t pay no attention to him. He’s a little on the long-hair order himself.”
    “It does look bad. I’ve always been more or less of a liberal, you know. Too much of one for the Bradleys and that crowd. They have merely been putting up with me. It’s going to look bad, Ed.”
    “After Tuesday, it’ll all be forgotten. By the way, Kelly up in Cuyahoga County called me long-distance last night. He says the farmers in the county are thinking two ways about Eagle Beak right now. That last speech of his scared them.”
    “He’s a fool. He’s going too far. He’s going to hang himself with his own rope and I’m going to help him. But things are going to be bad for a while.”
    There was a long pause, then Sullavan said: “Clem’s closing up this afternoon. All through. Did pretty well with our Speaker’s Bureau. Though God knows we sent out some lemons. It sure is hard to get a hold of men who can talk. By the way, everything is set for your speech at Memorial Hall next Monday night. We’ll pack it or my name isn’t Sullavan. Give ’em the works that night, Read.”
    “I intend to. Ed, I brought Charley along. He’ll go over the accounts with you.” Read got up. “Well, I’ll be on my way.”
    They shook hands. Sullavan grinned.
    “Governor, are you going to let me manage your campaign for President next election?”
    Read laughed.
    “I’ll think it over.”
    Read went out into the anteroom, shook hands all around again, told Charley Parrott to go in and see Sullavan, then he took the elevator to the main floor and started for the Massey Hotel. Much to his disgust, his heart began to beat fast. Did it mean so much to him, then, just to see this little curly-headed girl? Why, she was no older than his daughter, Jean; younger, perhaps. He did not even know her name! He hurried along, nodding absent-mindedly to three men who spoke to him.
    “What a fool you are!” he told himself. “You might at least wait till after the election…” A slight chill ran through him. Then he did mean to have some kind of personal relations with this girl!  His Honor, James Read Cole, Governor of the Sovereign State of Ohio in this year of our Lord… Strikes in the northern part of the State; miners’ families starving in the south; the whole community in an uproar over the coming election, which was approaching the proportions of a revolution; and Read Cole, the Chief Executive, worrying about a little check-girl he had seen but once!
    He crossed the lobby hurriedly, looking straight ahead. The women were sitting along Peacock Alley as usual and there was the usual subdued murmuring. Today he wished that he wasn’t quite so conspicuous. A State Legislator from up north stepped up and respectfully detained Read for a moment; he hadn’t anything to say, anything to talk about; he just wanted to be seen conversing with the Governor. While the legislator talked, Read turned slightly and looked in the direction of the check-room; then he started. His own little girl wasn’t there at all; he saw a tall, slender, blond girl. He was overcome by a sudden rush of irritation.
    “Yes, yes,” he said, impatiently.
    The man stammered.
    “Sorry to have bothered you, Governor. I know you’re a busy man. Just wanted to pay my respects.”
    Read pulled himself together. This wouldn’t do at all. He shook hands and smiled graciously.
    “Thanks. Very glad to have seen you.”
    The legislator had been worried. He had seen the Governor’s eyes narrow and was afraid that he had been too forward. Now he was reassured. He beamed all over and went swaggering back to his chair on Peacock Alley where he sat staring at the women and picking his teeth.
    Read left his hat and coat at the check-room and was escorted to his usual table by the headwaiter. Gregg was sitting with a