ed enough to show that their plans are pretty near maturity.

"If that were all, I would be inclined to say that Jimmy must have been
wool-gathering and have misunderstood what he heard; but, unfortunately
it isn't all--not by any matter of means."

She paused and looked up at him bravely.

"Mr. Kendrick, several times in the past few days our conversation has
wandered to political topics and once or twice you mentioned with some
resentment the personal attacks which are made upon our public men by
political opponents in the heat of electioneering. You said it was
enough to drive all thought of taking part in the government of the
country from the minds of decent citizens. You were pretty severe on
the newspapers, the party organs anyway, for some of the things they
have ventured to say about your uncle from time to time. I endeavored
to change the subject whenever you got going along this line for fear I
would say something which would hurt your feelings. I assure you it is
not easy for me to do that now. I am a newspaper woman, as you know,
and loyalty to my paper demands that I speak plainly. Also the
situation in which we find ourselves requires me to give you facts in
advance of publication--facts which have been very closely guarded by
the _Recorder_--and I am trusting to your discretion under most
difficult circumstances."

"I understand, Miss Lawson. It's scarcely necessary to assure you that
your confidence will be respected."

"I told you the other night that my editor had grown suspicious of the
Alderson Construction Company and that we had been gathering up
evidence for a graft exposure that would shock the country. I regret
very much that the Honorable Milton Waring is involved in these
charges, along with Blatchford Ferguson and Nickleby. Alderson himself
is merely a figurehead of Nickleby's; for, as I told you before, the
Alderson concern is ninety per cent. J. C. Nickleby. It was
immediately after a secret meeting between these four men that the
campaign fund contribution of fifty thousand dollars was made by the
Alderson Construction Company. You know what happened to it.
Photographs of this money are now in the _Recorder's_ possession.

"But before this meeting took place at all we had run down the proof of
a real-estate transaction in connection with the proposed new Deaf and
Dumb Institute that was traceable finally to your uncle and Nickleby
and Ferguson. The three of them secretly