, 1906-12-20
BILL 271
By PAscHAL H. coGG,Ns
Copyright, by Joseph B. Bowles.J

-
Hull? You don't mean Senator
Hull. of Alpine?"
Certainly. See here, Hepworth.
There's plenty of time yet, and I'm
not going to risk bill 271 In the senate
without at least one more vote-for
safety. I'm going to have Hull"
But why the deuce-say, Saxon,
you simply don't know your man!
h speeches that fellow made during
the last campaign against the blood
hound lobby INT 'pickpocket' legisla-
ton would ave turned your hair
green. You ave about as much
chance to land his vote as a snow man
to survive a summer in Tophet."
Saxon's smile was such as might
have been aroused by the e~xuberance
of a school boy.
Before he came west" he began,
Hull resided in a little town in north
ern Illinois. By writing to the proper
parties. I've picked up quite a bit of
information about his life in that par
ticular town, and it's interesting. Sin
gularly enough, before that, he had
been practicing law in Bloomington,
in Mclean county"
Bloomington? Why that's yolr
own town, isn't it,"
However, / didn't follow Hull's
story any farther back han the town
up north. l didn't have to-"
81 suppose the town In northern H.
linois is-Joliet?"
Saxon nodded.
what was 1t for?"
IAN unfortunate slip of the pen. He
wrote the wrong mans name on the
back OF a check. l nave a certified copy
Of the indictment. The fellow hasn't
even taken to himself a new name.
You'd have expected him to dc that
much, at least, for the benefit of his
wife and children, but he hasn't. 1t
was Thomas Jared Hull in the indict-
ment, n it's Thomas Jared Hull in
the legislative directory"
But why do you pick him out of
the whole bunch? There are half a
dozen easier men in the senate. Drop
Hull, and try"
mo. sir. want Hull. and I'm going
to have him"
1t was Monday morning, a fortnight
later. when assembly bill 271 had
passed the lower house and gone to
the judiciary committee of the senate,
that Saxon met Senator Hull, half
way VI the broad stairs of the capitol.
Senator, / hope you'll see o wa
to support assembly bill 271 when 1t
comes back from the committee next
Thursday"
Assembly bill 271? Let me zee?
Why, that's-that's that graveyard
rnhhnrv - racrpnlnI un1I hInnt1v ~
he slowly identified the bill. Sup
port 1t? You'd better ask the other
members of the judiciary committee
what I think of it. They've heard
my views. I'll skin it,"
Saxon was not taken by surprise,
but his expression hardened a little
and something like the excitement of
the chase CLEANED in his grey eyes.
I'm sorry, senator, that you feel so
strongly on the subject. The bill is a
good one. But aside from its merits,
] had rather hoped-indeed, | may say
] had counted on you support, for old
associations sake. You know we come
from The same home town back in I'LL
noia. | had a letter from An acquaint-
anoe of mine, Col. Josiah Wills, in
which he speaks of having met you.
Wills is connected with some sort of
a public institution up there. A nice
fellow, Wills. Blu about our bill, N
ator, you'd better think the matter
over and put yourself on the right
side of the roll-call."
AS the full significance of this
speech came upon Hull, an expression
first of amazement and then of wrath
HI. y,pnaI faat,rAa
you contemplate cur! Don't you
know that I'd go bac to Joliet m
row and stay the rest of my life be-
fore I'd take orders from you, of all
men? Bring in your bill! Bring 1t
in. and then don't skulk out of the
senate until you've heard the roll call!
Stand where l a see you. Perhaps,
II you stay and look me in the eye
you may force my vote. Try It."
A few days later the atmosphere
Of the capitol was a-quiver with a scr
sation-it was far too intangible to be
called a rumor-that an expose was
hanging over the head of an unnamed
senator unless he promptly turned in
to give details.
30 matters stood on Wednesday
night, and the bill was to come up for
final action on Thursday afternoon.
Saxon's programme was definitely ar
ranged. Senator Hull's attack upon
the bill, If he should make one, was
to be promptly followed by a counter
attack upon the senator himself which
would cav him branded as a convict.
ed forger. This would most effectual-
ly break the force of Hull's opposition
and, Saxon believed, clear the way for
the passage of the bill.
That Thursday afternoon Hepworth
stood in the senate lobby, awaiting
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