ight
last night," countered Blount laughing.

"Why midnight?"

"That was about the time when I made up my mind definitely to stay in
the fight."

"Then you are still meaning to go ahead on the lines you laid down this
morning?"

"If I wasn't, I shouldn't be here to take the train for the rally at
Angora to-morrow night."

Gantry smoked in silence for a little time. Then he said: "You can't do
it, Evan. It's fine and glorious and heart-breaking, and all that; but
you can't do it."

"I can, and I will!"

"I say you can't. I know a good bit more now than I knew this morning!"

"Catalogue it," said Blount tersely.

"Mr. McVickar came in on the noon train to-day, and I had an interview
with him."

"That doesn't tell me anything."

Again the traffic manager took time to smoke and to reflect.

"You made some pretty savage threats this morning, Evan; about shoving
this thing to the point where the grand juries, Federal and State, could
take hold of it. As a lawyer, you know even better than I do what that
would mean."

"I told you what it would mean. In the present state of public sentiment
it would mean prison sentences for every man of you caught with the
goods."

"Yes, for every man of us," said Gantry slowly; "for the railroad man
who has given, and for the other man who has taken. Evan, the jails of
this State wouldn't be big enough to hold us all."

"I can readily believe you. That is the full weight of the stick with
which I am going to club you fellows into decency."

"And you'll let the club fall wherever it may?"

"I've got to do that, Dick; I can't do any less."

For the third time Gantry paused. The train-waiting interval was half
gone, and he had been feeling purposefully for the climaxing moment
without finding it. But now he decided that it had come.

"In the talk this morning there was some reference made to your father
and his attitude in this fight, Evan. Do you remember what was said?"

"Perfectly."

"Well, suppose I should tell you that I know now--what I didn't know
certainly then--that when you hit out at us you hit him?"

"You mean that he is with you in this scheme to hoodwink the people?"

"Ask yourself," was the low-toned reply.

"I have asked myself a hundred times, Dick; I've been hoping against
hope. I'll be utterly frank with you, as man to man. We've kept pretty
obstinately out of the political field, both of us, father and I, since
the first day when I told him my