ettlement with Flanagan," to about $5,000.

"Mr. Tescheron," said I, "take the advice of one who wishes you
well. Do a little investigating for yourself. I did not notify the
coroner--I was only joking. Here is the address of Collins; see
him, and get the particulars concerning the party at our old home,
and then take a run up to this place and see what you think of it."

I handed to him the memorandum from Collins and left, saying:

"This is Wednesday. Think it over for a week and I'll arrange to
see you next Wednesday. Then I shall expect to hear, if you are not
convinced, that the sharks swallowed you like a porgy."

CHAPTER XXV

When I got away from Mr. Tescheron that afternoon, it was after
three o'clock, and I had to see Flanagan.

Luckily I found the coroner at his office and was received by him
with that warmth of greeting and cordiality which springs from a
political genius, said to be derived by contact with the Blarney
Stone. At any rate, it makes its successful appeal to human nature
and constitutes the capital of Tammany leaders holding their own
against all reformers who fail to take into account the hearts of
the poor. There wasn't anything in the world he wouldn't do for me.
You may be sure that Jim and I had long ago changed our politics
enough to vote for Flanagan, and he knew it. His handshaking,
sympathetic attention and practical philanthropy kept him in power,
and his record for square dealing in and out of office placed him
apart from some of the crew he trained with. As another Irishman,
Mr. Burke, has remarked you can't indict a nation, this countryman
of his proved to me that it would not be possible to indict an
entire political organization outside the broad scope of campaign
oratory.

I laid the whole case before honest Tim Flanagan.

"And they were to have been married a week from to-day, you say?
Whew! You come with me to see Tom Martin; he'll do anything I say."

It is wonderful how a Tammany Hall leader can help pull a case of
complicated love out of the mire of despair, if the villainy runs
counter to the law.

Tom Martin was the captain in charge of the detective bureau at
police headquarters. If anybody had suggested concerning him that
it was possible for a Tammany district leader to obtain a favor in
that office involving what might technically be called the
compounding of a crime, Martin's icy official rejoinder would
wither his antagonist; but this ice could b