It worried them, and it worried Mayor Henkle, too, to see Carroll get that five thousand dollars. They had figured on his lack of finances as the strongest factor in the downfall of the Bulletin. Now that he had so unexpectedly come into funds, they realized that his newspaper would have a new lease of life, which, from their standpoint, was very annoying.[Pg 59]
What worried the Gales and the Honorable Martin Henkle even more was the manner in which Carroll’s announcement that he would be a candidate for mayor at the next election had been received by the people of Oldham.
Carroll had published that announcement in large type on the front page of the Bulletin. In a ringing editorial, double-leaded, and three columns wide, he explained his reasons for taking this step, and urged the taxpayers of Oldham to rally to his standard, and help in the good work of turning the rascals out of office.
On the front page of that issue, and each succeeding issue, was printed a coupon, which the reader was requested to fill out and bring or mail to the Bulletin office. By signing this coupon, the reader enrolled himself as a member of the new “People’s Party.”
The response to this appeal was very gratifying—to Carroll and his friends. The coupons, properly filled out, came pouring into the Bulletin office. Committees of taxpayers called in person to congratulate Carroll upon his decision to run for mayor, and to pledge their enthusiastic support.
Day by day the Bulletin’s circulation grew larger and larger. Carroll’s editorials on the subject of his candidacy were the most brilliant his pen had ever turned out. Lots of people bought the Bulletin just to read his roasts of the Honorable Martin Henkle and his gang. Many others bought the paper because of the spirited snapshots which appeared each day upon its front page. For the Camera Chap had come back to Oldham, as he had promised to do, and was once more busy with his kodak and in dodging Chief of Police Hodgins and his minions.
It was this fact which worried Mayor Henkle and the Gales most of all, for they soon learned that Hawley had returned, and was responsible for the daring half tones which the Bulletin was publishing, and which were causing so much amusement in Oldham.
Then one day, about a week after the Camera Chap’s return from New York, old Delancey Gale and his son received another great shock. An Associated Press dispatch from New York came to the Chronicle office, announcing the death of Mr. Samuel Leggett, a prominent merchant and philanthropist.
“I guess it’s all up now, governor,” said the younger Gale morsely to his father. “Melba will come into that fifty thousand dollars, and she’ll marry Carroll right away—confound him! With all that money to spend, he’s sure to beat you at the polls at the coming election.”
Old Delancey Gale nodded gloomily. “Yes, my son, it certainly looks bad,” he admitted. “It seems to me that the situation calls for desperate measure. I have set my heart on being the mayor of this town, and I am not going to let that young ruffian beat me if there is any way of preventing it.”