Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-10

litical affairs. Each of US saw that there
he was at the others keenest interest In
life. He knew the game-practical politics
as distinguished from the politics talked
by and to the public. But he evaded. with
out seeming to do so, all the ingenious
traps laid for drawing from
him some admission that would give me
clue to where he fitted in" I learned
no more about him than thought he
learned about me.
Il hope we shall meet again." said l, cor
daily, as we parted at the cab stand.
THANK you," he answered, and after
ward l remembered the faint smile in his
eyes
l, of course. knew that Roebuck was
greatly interested in my project for put
| ting political business on business basis;
but not until he had explained why he
sent for me did / see how it had fascinated
and absorbed his mind. You showed me"
he began, that you must have under you
practical man to handle the money and
do the arranging with the heelers and all
| that sort of thing"
Yes said 1; its a vital part of the
| plan. We must find a man who is per-
| fectly trustworthy and discreet. Neces-
sarily he'll know or suspect sonnet thing
not much, but still somethng-of the IN
| side workings of the combine
| We'll, I've found him. went on Roe
| buck, in triumphant tone. Hes god
! less person, with no character to lose, and
| no conception of what character means.
| But he's straight string. Providence
seems to have provided such men for just
| Sucn situations as these, Wnere the devil
must be fought with fire. I've been testing
| him for nearly fifteen years. But you can
judge for yourself"
l was the reverse of pleased. 1t not
! in my calculations to have a creature of
| Roebuck's foisted upon me. perhaps-indeed,
probably-a spy. | purposed to choose my
| own man; and 1 decided while he was talk
| ing that would accept the Roebuck Sc
| lection only to drop him on some plausible
pretext before began operations. l
| was to meet the man at dinner-Roebuck
had engaged a suite at the auditorium. TT
wouldn't do to have him at my house or
club" said he; neither do we want to be
seen with him.
| Coincidence is familiar part of the
daily routine that l was not much sur
| prised when my acquaintance, the astute
| poker player with the scar, walked in
upon us at the auditorium. But Roebuck
| was both astonished and chagrined when
we shook hands and greeted each other
| like old friends.
How do you do Mr.. Sayler?" said Wood
ruff.
Glad to see you. Doctor Woodruff" I re-
piled. Then you knew me all the time?
Why didn't you speak out? We might have
had an hours business talk in the train"
IF I'd shown myself as leaky as all that
1 guess there'd have been no business to
| talk about he replied. Anyhow, / didn't
know you till you took out your watch with
| the monogram on the back, just as we were
| pulling in. Then l remembered where I'd
seen your face before. l was up at your
Dominick down. That's been good many
years ago
That chance, easy, smoking compartment
meeting. at which each had studied the
other dfspasSionat ely, was most fortunate
| for US both.
The relation that was to exist between
us-more, much more than that of mere
employer and employe-made fidelity. per-
sonal fidelity, impera tive; and accident had
| laid the foundation for the mutual attach
ment without which there is certain to be,
sooner or later, suspicion on both sides,
and cause for it.
The two hours and a half with Wood
ruff, at and after dinner served to rein
force my first impression. l saw that he
was thorough man of the world, that he
knew politics from end to end and that he
understood the main weaknesses of human
nature and how to play upon them for the
advantage of his employers and for his
own nuge amusement: He gave a small
exhibition of that skill at the expense of
Roebuck. He appreciated that Roebuck
was one of those unconscious hypocrites
who put conscience out of court in ad-
vance by assuming that whatever they wish
to do is right or they could not wish to do
it. He led Roebuck on to show off this
popularity of his-a jumbling, often in the
same breath, of the most sonorous piety and
the most shameless business perfidy. All
the time Woodruffs face was perfectly
grave-there are some men who refuse to
waste any of their internal enjoyment in
external show.
the next morning for the settlement of the
details OF his employment When Roebuck
and 1 were alone I said: What do you
know about him? Who Is hep
He comes of good family here in Chi
cago, one of the best. Perhaps you recall
the Bowker murder?"
Vaguely" l answered
1t was Woodruff who did it, We had a
hard time getting him off. Bowker and
Woodruff's younger brother were playing
cards one day and Bowker accused him of
cheating. Young Woodruff drew-perhaps
they both drew at the same time. At any
rate, BoWker shot first and killed his man.
He got off on the plea of self-defense. 1t
was two years before Bowker and Doc met
in the lobby of the Palmer House. 1 hap
pened to be there. 1 was talking to a friend
when suddenly 1 felt as if something awful
was about to happen. l started up and saw
Bowker just rising from a table at the far
end of the room. l shan't ever forget his
look-like bird charmed by snake. His
lips were ajar and wrinkled If his blood
had fled away inside of him and his throat
was expanding and contra citing"
Roebuck wiped beads of sweat from his
forehead 1T was Doc Woodruff walking
slowly toward him, with a wicked smile on
his face and that scar-you noticed the
SCARF"
l nodded
We'll. you can imagine how that scar
stood out. He came slowly on, nobody able
to move muscle to stop him. When he
was about ten feet from Bowker and as
near me as you are now Bowker gave a
kind of shudder and scream of fright drew
his pistol and fired. The bullet clipped
Woodruff's ear. Quick as that"-Roebuck
snapped his fingers-"Doc drew and sent
bullet into his heart He fell forward across
the table and his pistol crashed on the mar
bic floor. Doc looked at him, gave a cold
sort Of laugh like jeer and a curse and
walked out into the street. When he NETS
a policeman he said: I've killed Dick Bow
ker. Here's my gun. Lock me up'-perfect-
ly cool. just as he talked to us tonight"
i'm
Yes. l hated to do 1t, too, for Dick was
one of my best friends. But Doc was too
useful to us. In his line he's without an
equal"
How did he get that SCARF" said l.
Nobody knows. He left here when he
was boy-to avoid being sent to the re-
formatory. When he turned up, after a
dozen years. he said he had been a DOCTOR
but didn't say where how. And he had
that scar. One day man asked him how
he got H. He picked up bottle, and, with
his pleasant laugh. broke it over the fell