t over your head--the one that looks as if it were a part of
the house electric installation--is a microphone, and one of your own
men helped to put it up. We've got copies of every letter and telegram
you've dictated since you had this desk dragged out here a week ago
Saturday."

"I'm taking all that for granted," was the curt admission.

"Then we'll come down to the nib of the thing and put you out of your
misery. You've got two things to do--just two, Hardwick. One of 'em is
to clean house and make a good job of it, just like you let Evan believe
you were going to do when you sent him out to tell the people of this
State a lot of things that you didn't mean to have come true; cut out
all the deals, all the private tariffs, all the little preferentials and
palm-warmings. When you've done that, you'll find that the other thing
will mighty nearly do itself."

"Name it," rasped the magnate.

"It's just merely to take your railroad out of politics in this State,
and keep it out. We've had enough of you, McVickar, and more than
enough. Is it a bargain?"

"It's a damned one-sided bargain thus far, Blount. What do we get for
all this?"

Again the senator chuckled genially. "You may not believe it, but we're
going to let you down easy. You do these two things that I've mentioned,
and get rid of Kittredge and a few others that have been caught
red-handed, and the Supreme Court investigation won't touch your
railroad as a corporation--in other words, it'll go after individuals.
But you've got to play fair, you know--and bring forth fruits meet for
repentance, before the fact. How does that strike you?"

Again the vice-president got up to walk the floor, but this time the
deliberative interval was shorter.

"What is the political programme, as you have it figured out, David?" he
asked presently.

"It'll be a landslide for us, as I have told you. Gordon will go in by
the biggest majority that has ever been rolled up in this State.
Dortscher will succeed himself as attorney-general; and by and by, after
things have quieted down, he will resign. That will give Gordon the
appointment of his successor, and I'm thinking it might be a pretty good
thing for you, as well as for the people of the State, if Alec should
happen to pick out a bright young fellow who knows your side of the
question as well as the people's, and who is square enough to give you a
fair show when it comes to framing up any new railroad legislation."