poisoning the life-blood of the city, and
piling up his dirty millions. Go about this town and see the misery and
horror... and think that it's Jim Hegan who sits at the top and reaps
the profit of it all! It's Jim Hegan who is back of the organization...
he's the real power behind Boss Grimes. It's he who puts up the money
and makes possible this whole regime of vice and graft...

JULIA. My dear boy, don't be silly.

JACK. How do you mean? Isn't it true?

JULIA. Of course it's true... but why declaim to me about it? You forget
you are talking to the champion female muckraker of the country.

JACK. Yes, that's right. But I don't want to meet these people socially.
They mean well, a lot of them, I suppose; but they've been accustomed
all their lives to being people of importance... to have everybody stand
in awe of them, because of their stolen money, and all the wonderful
things they might do with it if they only would.

JULIA. My dear Jack, did you ever observe anything of the tuft-hunter in
me?

JACK. No, I don't know that I have. But it's never too late.

JULIA. [Laughing.] Well, until you do, have a little faith in me! Meet
Laura Hegan, and judge for yourself.

JACK. [Grumbling.] All right, I'll meet her. But let me tell you, I
don't propose to spare her feelings. She'll get things straight from me.

JULIA. That's all right, my boy. Give her the class war and the
Revolution with a capital R! Tell her you're the only original
representative of the disinherited proletariat, and that some day,
before long, you intend to plant the red flag over her daddy's palace.
[Seriously.] Of course, what you'll actually do is meet her like a
gentleman, and tell her of some of your adventures in Russia, and give
her some idea of what's going on outside of her little Fifth avenue set.
J ACK. Where did you run on to her?

JULIA. I met her at the settlement.

JACK. Good Lord! Jim Hegan's daughter! [Laughs.] They were toadying to
her there, I'll wager.

JULIA. Well, you know what settlement people are. She's been coming
there for quite a while, and seems to be interested. She's given them
quite a lot of money.

JACK. No doubt.

JULIA. I had a little talk with her one afternoon. She's a quiet,
self-contained girl, but she gave me a peculiar impression. She seemed
to be unhappy; there was a kind of troubled note in what she said. I had
felt uncomfortable about meeting her... you can imagine, after my study
of "Tammany an