ow much you'll take to clean up right where you are and make my boy's
word good to the people of this State."

Mr. McVickar turned to his table-desk and took up a sheaf of telegrams.

"I'm a pretty busy man this evening, David; and if you haven't anything
better than that to offer--"

"You've got a lot of crooked deals out--special rates and rebates and
such things; the boy believed you were going to call them all off and
be good, Hardwick."

The vice-president laid the telegrams aside and turned back again with
the air of a man determined to sweep away all the obstructions at one
shrewd push.

"You're wasting your time and mine; let's get down to business," he
snapped. "Some little time ago your son began to urge this same 'reform
measure,' as he termed it. I believe he even went so far as to threaten
Gantry and Kittredge with the publication of certain private letters
from our patrons, letters written to him in his capacity of field
campaigner for our company. I don't suppose he really meant to do any
such disloyal thing as that, but--"

"But to make sure he wouldn't, you had one of your hired shadow-men blow
up his safe and steal the letters," put in the senator mildly. "That was
prudent, Hardwick. I was a little scared up myself for fear Evan might
get real good and mad, and let the cat out of the bag; I was, for a
fact."

"Without admitting the safe-blowing, I may say that the letters were
destroyed, and our friends were advised to be a little more conservative
in their correspondence. That settles the 'reform measure' incident and
brings us down to the present argument. If you are not here to get in
line with us, what did you come for?"

"I came to give you one more chance to be decent, Hardwick;
just--one--more--last--chance."

"David, there are times when you make me tired, and this is one of
them. For years you've held us up and dictated to us; but this time
we've got you by the neck. Did you ever happen to hear of a fellow named
Thomas Gryson?"

"Oh, yes; I've heard of him. I believe he has been on your pay-rolls for
a while--notwithstanding the fact that he is an escaped criminal," was
the shrewd counter-thrust.

"He's a scoundrel; we'll admit that. Just the same, your son hired him
to go out and get evidence in a certain matter of alleged crookedness in
the registration lists. He got it, and delivered the papers to your son
last night. Some of those affidavits incriminate you, David. If we
wan