Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-01-14
CHAPTER XIII. A POITrICAT, nFAT.

POLITICAL DEAL.
 Another summer came, and wore away, very unhappily for Russell. He was continually pressed by debts and diffi- culties, and he had no friend to whom he dared confess himself freely, asking the advice he needed. Indeed, Russell had made no friends among his recent associates, partly because he had drifted into an eXtravagant and light-headed set with few attractive men in 1t, but more because he was too deeply en- crossed with his own affairs to permit of a warm interest in others. He con- tinued to see Ray frequently, but he was too much afraid of the old mans irasci- ble temper to take advantage of the help that Ray was in reality always ready to give.
 There were fewer Sundays at the villa for Russell than in the previous summer, not because of any lack of invitations but because Russell fancied it easier to avoid Alice than to be simply friends with her. To all appearances, however, there was no interruption of the cordial ity of their feeling for each other.
 In the early fall. when little chill creeps into the air, and fires are re- kindled under the great stew-pan of politics, scheme which Ray and Russell had formulated during the summer be- gan to broaden and assume definite shape.
 We shall need some political influ- ence in working this motor right" Ray had said. "Why don't you go into pol itics little? It would give you a chance to get acquainted with a great many ,,,n u-hn n oinhf hn ucNfU1 fO me g
 Russell had replied that he would just as lief go into politics as any thing else, and he had looked about him for an op- portunity. It was not hard to find. He had become member of the Pocahontas Club, an organization having a hand some house on Great South Bay, L.. l., and including among its members many practical politicians. The Poca- hontas was ostensibly a fishing club and was devoted to both branches of the sport. Some of its members were expert fishermen and only indif- ferent drinkers, while others cared little for rod and line, but could absorb more alcoholic poison between Saturday night and Monday morning than any other set of men on earth, and took pride in 1t. They were an influential body, politically, and the clubhouse was great place to get pointers. " When two or three members had been indulgiug rather too freely. and began to rake up each others records, they furnished any listener with valuable in side information as to successful po- litical methods.
 Russell was popular in the club and had won the special favor of few old fellows by listening to their stories of their own greatness. These were the men who had retired from conspicuous politics because the newspapers had treated them unfairly by publishing the facts in certain interesting cases. They were 1 as much of power as ever, though. Behind the scenes they gave the orders and regulated the exits and entrances of other men. Mike Rooney, in partic- ular, had taken great fancy to Rus 1 sell, and often told him stories of the 1 days "when politics were worth some thing" Rooney was worshiper of : old times, but he did not neglect him. ; self in the present. He had been an i alderman for good many years previous to the Eighty-ninth street railway ex- pose, but had been treated coldly by the reorganization" since that time. He claimed to have been treated unfairly by Tammany and had gone to the counties, and there received equally bad
 usage.
 "Pve got tired of working for those fellows" said Mike, "and this fall Pm i going to do a little work for Mike
 Rooney. haven't lost my grip on the Thirtieth Assembly district yet, and you 1 bet your life on it"
 Russell replied that while he never bet On elections he did not doubt MT.
 Rooney's power. He lived in that dis
 trict himself and had had occasion to
 observe it.
 I'm laboring for an independent
 Democratic candidate for the assem-
 bly," said Rooney. "King would get a
 renomination and an election if Tam.
 many was left to run things, but he's
 weak, and believe I can down him with the right man."
 Russell ventured to inquire how he
 would do, and to his surprise Rooney seemed pleased with the suggestion.
 Neither of them gave 1t much thought