me to a speedy close. He is of a type fast vanishing
through the awakening public conscience. And his career will end, I
assure you, despite the fact that you, Mr. Magee, have seen fit to send
our evidence scurrying through the night at the behest of a chit of a
girl. I beg your pardon--I shall continue. Young Drayton, the new county
prosecutor, was several years back a favorite pupil of mine. After he
left law school he fell under the spell of the picturesque mayor of
Reuton. Cargan liked him and he rose rapidly. Drayton had no thought of
ever turning against his benefactor when he accepted the first favors,
but later the open selling of men's souls began to disgust him. When
Cargan offered him the place of prosecutor, a few months ago, Drayton
assured him that he would keep his oath of office. The mayor laughed.
Drayton insisted. Cargan had not yet met the man he could not handle. He
gave Drayton the place."

The old man leaned forward, and tapped Magee on the knee.

"It was in me, remember," he went on, "that Drayton confided his resolve
to serve the public. I was delighted at the news. A few weeks ago he
informed me his first opportunity was at hand. Through one of the men in
his office he had learned that Hayden of the Suburban Electric was
seeking to consolidate that road, which had fallen into partial
disrepute under his management during the illness of Thornhill, the
president, with the Civic. The consolidation would raise the value of
the Suburban nearly two million dollars--at the public's expense. Hayden
had seen Cargan. Cargan had drafted Ordinance Number 45, and informed
Hayden that his price for passing it through the council would be the
sum you have juggled in your possession on Baldpate Mountain--two
hundred thousand dollars."

"A mere trifle," remarked Magee sarcastically.

"So Cargan made Hayden see. Through long experience in these matters the
mayor has become careless. He is the thing above the law, if not the law
itself. He would have had no fear in accepting this money on Main Street
at midday. He had no fear when he came here and found he was being spied
on.

"But Hayden--there was the difficulty that began the drama of Baldpate
Inn. Hayden had few scruples, but as events to-night have well proved,
Mr. Magee, he was a coward at heart. I do not know just why he lies on
your bed up-stairs at this moment, a suicide--that is a matter between
Kendrick and him, and one which Kendrick himself has n