The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-05

own shoulders He had thought it all out
before he got TO the street. He would be
the meanest rascal that ever sold his broth
er If he accepted McNamara's offer. He
knew that but then there was the $2O,Ooo-
and the girl What the girl would think
did rot matter, for she would never know
it, Whether the devil or the training of
his own mother won, in either case she
would never know anything about it. 1t
was a nasty thing TO do, and dirtier thing
than Shacklett had ever done; but a mans
a fool If he does not sell his soul when the
devil offers such price. he reasoned. The
more he thought about 1t the more mixed
| up he became. Finally, by the time that
he was passing under the railroad bridge
again, he seemed TO be watching struggle
| going on in some other mans mind, as he
might look at a fight between brakeman
and tramp on a passing train, which mad
come into his environment from somewhere
| indefinite and was going out into somewhere
| unknown. 1t was no use to argue 1t any
longer. What Mckee had done-or, rather,
had failed to do--would probably settle the
whole question and what the use Of
bothering with it now? This was what he
| found running through his brain as he
walked up the pavement to the wide steps.
He felt that ii was about three TO one that
the devil would win If Mckee did have his
man. Twenty thousand and the girl, In his
own opinion of himself, probably had a big
ger pull than the Unborn and inbred In
stincts of a gentleman-he gave them no
higher name. And so, with the devil a hot
favorite at three to one, he went in to see
the end of the game.
AS Shacklett entered the door Of the outer
| office Mckee picked up an account book
with a preoccupied air and went into the
| inner chamber of his chief. Shacklett affa-
| bly, greeted the man in the outer office,
shook hands with a postmaster from down
country. passed the stenographer and minor
| clerks in the inner, Office with dignity, and
went on into the private room Of the Sec
rotary of the board. He gently shut the
door and found Mckee standing in the mid
die of the floor facing him.
well. did you get him?" asked Shack
lett heartily, and with one OF those most
cordial smiles, generally reserved for ask
| ing about the health Of the baby of a men,
Der from the country.
You bet 1 did, did you get yours?" Nc
| Kee almost shouted.
What did he say?" asked Shacklett, ig-
noring the question addressed to himself.
He wouldn't take a cent Of money but
said If 1 wanted him to he'd vote for the
bill. Said it would ruin him up at home,
and all that. and that people would always
talk about his family as the children of
| that man that was in the Senate the time
the Chicago bills were passed. and sold out
to the gang, and all that; but he said he'd
vote all right to make me the twenty thou
sand if I said so. Did you get yours?"
When Mckee had a fortune hanging on
the answer it was cruel of Shacklett to ig-
more the momentous question again, but he
only asked:
| "Are you going to have him do it?'
| Course; that twenty thousands too
much for me to let go by. It's kind o.
| mean. but can't stand the pressure. What
| did your man say?" And Mckee was al
most in a frenzy of impotence.
| "Stuff's off; 1 couldn't get mine" said
Shacklett quietly.
| Mckee looked at Shacklett a moment
with a wobegone expression that changed
! into look of wonderment and despair
| Without a word he walked over to the
vault, took a package out of a compart-
ment and carried it back to Shacklett. By
that time McKee's face was impassive
though his eyes were keenly boring into
Shacklett's face. where they met a steeIy
obstruction Of lack Of expression as fatal
to scrutiny as the walls of the vault were
to tempered drills. Shacklett took the pack
age, placed 1t in his inside pocket, and as
| he turned to go out said casually:
THE advantage in this business is that
If you don't draw to your bobtailed flush
you don't lose anything, and If you do you
| win a lot. Come over tonight If you've
| nothing else to do
| The last words were said while Shacklett
was passing into the public office. He
walked out with mods TO those there and
CHEEKY words to the three people in the
outer office, and seemed straighter than
when he went in a few minutes before
Mckee had dropped into chair in the
private office where Shacklett left him, and
| was looking out the window WELL" he
said to himself, slowly. I'm wrecked again
and can't see that L can do much kicking
for he's broken UP worse than 1 am He
had his man all right, just as had mine
He turned his man loose again, and
didn't. 1t looks-like that man Shacklett-
would-let go-of his life--to keep some
other fellow-out of trouble; he's getting
the worst reputation in the State-and /
guess he's the best man in the State to tie
| to. He's a kind o. cross between a good
woman and a devil, and I'll be damned if
don't wish the devil had been running
him this trip"
Mckee went to Shackletts apartments
that night more from curiosity than any,
thing else. He wanted more knowledge of
| the details of Shackletts operations for
the vote. but he failed to get it, Shacklett
had from the beginning a businesslike tone.
and in little while was sitting with the
side of his face toward the CRATE fire i'm his
room, saying:
I've been talking to Cantwell and others
about you. They're ready to believe that
I'm not so much force as I'm cracked I'm
to be. and I've been telling them that very
thing. The fact is I'm not good enough for
this work here. and I'm going TO quit il.
I've been playing it good while for a big
stake. and the big things gone by. They
don't come in dozen lots, you know and
I'm like the man at the depot after the
trains left. / can't wait for another kill
ing here, and I'm going to leave I've had
two strings 10 my bow; ones broke now.
and I'm going TO the other. I'm going
out West and take up another game I've
told the fellows from Chicago that you're
better than ever was to help them, and
that they'd better give you the business
| THEY'VE been giving me I hfpl