The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-02-24
HOUSE BILL NO. 20

I Mason he said, when the trolley lob | byist had shut the door and stood be- | fore him, with quick. questioning eye, | you spoke this morning at the capitol of certain agreement which you would
 make if I would bring my county over to the trolley roads from Williams.
 Well" said Mason. Tompkins blew a ring of smoke at the ceiling and paused. "'rhings are little different now from what they were this
 morning." he said. He looked again at
 Mason, with his little, shifty eyes,
 well" said Mason again, whats your propostion?"
 q have decided" said TomplSins, study
 ing the ash on the end of his cigar, that can hand my county over to you, twen- ty votes, and my own, day after tomor-
 row, if you care to pay for them
 Mason turned sharply and looked the little county leader in the face.
 How much do you want?" he said. His
 voice was cold.
 T want" said Tompkins. "$2OOO" That's good deal of money, Tomp-
 kins," said the trolley lobbyist, slowly.
 "You must see that it is a good deal more than I am prepared to pay.
 Tompklns grinned shrewdy and Tipped
 the ash from his cigar.
 ''Is it?'' he asked.
 How do I know you'll do what you say you'll do?"
 Mason's voice was suddenly angry, low, cutting
 Tompkins ignored the question.
 q repeat" he said, cooIly, that If you I want my county to leave Williams and | the Interstate railroad and come over to l the trolleys, that is my price," T will compromise on fifteen hundred | dollars" said Mason, angrily. l "Two--thousand-dol said Tomp- | lxinc fooIx O1t his watch 1 When he looked up Mason stood before l him, his face flushed an angry look in 1 his eyes.
 q will pay it. Tompkins, he said | sternly "because I've got to. But 1 want l you to know that l consider it pure and simple blackmail l will not state my 1 opinion of you. But l want it under l stood that there is to be no monkey 1 business. You understand?'' 1 Tompkins nodded as Mason opened the door,
 ''I understand" he said. 1 When he had shut the door he walked to 1 the window of his room and stood there l for moment looking out into the city | below, where the lights twinkled in the l streets Then he smiled and took out his | watch It was o'clock. He still had | time to see Williams and ask his price,
 and then. He smiled again shrewdy, He entered the hotel of the Boss with a lightearted step. He stopped hall Noy in the brilliantly lighted corridor oI the hotel, sent his card up to Williams room and walked into the smoking room, where he lit d cigar and sat down, with shrewd, exultant look coming into hls eyes, to wait for the Boss. When he had waited quarter or an ! hour and no answer cane' ne sent uR another card. But Williams was still busy"
 And half hour loter. with an im- patient order to the belboy, he tired again.
 And still the boss did not reply. He was angry now. He sat down at the broad writing table and drew piece of the hotel paper toward him. He had long ago lost any early feeling that he might have had that this sort of thing was dishonest. What if it was2 Lots Of other members of the House were doing 1t all the time. 1t was only the Sunday school people. the members with the idea that the public had any rights outside of
 paying the bills, that neglected their op- portunities. He would show Williams that he was something after allL Until now he had been content to take little ten-dolar bills from young attorneys, and fifty-dollar checks from big corpora tions and e-hundred-dolar bills from Williams himself. for few paltry votes in the House on minor matters. That was like boys play now-like building sand houses in a kindergarten. He wrote two curt sentences on the hotel paper and sent it up by bell boy to Williams room. Now he'd see if Williams could afford to ignore him that way. whether he could kick him out without hearing. even if he was Boss of the Lobby. and had bought him and his county for $500.