Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1908-07-23

r. Ian in high excitement, jerk
ing his thumb toward a door
4 leading off the committee
room, "an' I've sent for Wainwright
an Horrigan to meet your honor here.
An I've fixed it so the Borough bill
won't come up for ten minutes. Now,
all that's left is to touch the punk to
the fuse an set off the whole giddy
bunch Of fireworks under 'em. Gee,
but it's good to "a stuck to this old
world just for the sake Of bein' here
today an SEEM what I'm due to see!'
The alderman chuckled, but his JOY
GUS anticipation found no reflection in
Benefits white set face. The two were
in the committee room, whittier Phe-
Ian had repaired after %depositing Dali
las In a chair beside her brother at the
meeting and attending to one or two
details Of greater import.
"Yes," went on Phelan, again nod
ding mysteriously toward the farther
door, hes in there, trained to the
minute for the blowout. There's some
n else wants to see you, too-some
n who'll make more of q hit with
you If I'm not ov%erplayin' my hand.
But good news can wait. There's so
little Of it in this measly life that it
centrally has to. p
From the corridor Horrigan stamped
into the committee room, Wainwright
at his heels.
well" cried the boss defantly, glar-
ing at Bennett and ignoring Phelan.
"You sent for us. What do you want?'
zone moment!" interviewed Vain.
wright. 1--WE are beaten. We admit
that without argument. So we need
waste no time going over details"
"Have you sent for US to say what
you'll sell out for?" queried Horrigan
coarsely, because if you have you've
only to name your price. You've got
us where you want us. We've got to
pay"
81 should have thought" replied Ben
nett, with no shade of offense, "you
would know by this time that I have
no price,"
'"Then what do you want?"
"Nothing-from you"
"Why did you send word you wanted
to see u.s." growled Horrigan impa.
tiently as he and Wainwright, unin.
vited, seated themselves at the table.
"To tell you," answered Alwyn
glancing from one to the other, "that
every step you two have taken in this
whole Infamous transaction from the
very first has been carefully followed
and fN 1on u0,1, OWN rhraca UyaSyn oo1
you with the goods!"
Same old bluffm commented Horri
gan contemptuously, with a r%eassurine
wink at the somewhat less confident
Wainwright.
"By tomorrow noon,'' resumed Ben
nett, "you will both be indicted on 6
charge OF bribery. Even now there are
detectives on the watch for you. Els
cape is impossible
"Rot!!" sneered Horrigan. you've
no evidence that will indict, and you
know it. Even If you had, don't I con
troll most of the judges and the district
attorneys Office besides? Swell chance
you'll have Of getting a conviction pas
that bunch! Bah! You talk like a mar
ueo OI 1ud 1 . pOSS I luC GhuI
of those Roberts notes you're counting
on. That don't feaze me any. Ny
lawyer can twist that around so it'll
look like a charity gift. No, no
youngster. You'll have to think O
something better if"-
"And, anyhow" put in Wainwright
nervously, you can't prove any con
nection On my part. There's nothing
against me orr
IT think there u.s." retorted Bennett
wheeling about on the inancier. "An(
even If I can't nail the Roberts brib
cry to you I've plenty more counts tt
hold you on"
Gall these generalities and vague &C
cusations prove nothing, Bennett" an
swered Wainwright, drawing courage
from Horrigan's colossal calm an(
speaking with more" assurance. "Mr
H%orrigan and I are not schoolboys tt
be scared by baseless threats. This i
all guesswork on your part. Come
now, name one specific charge you cal
prove"
zone will be enough to convinc
you?" asked Alwyn. well, then. how
about this as a first guess? Mr.. Hor
rigan's bride of $2.O0O.O00 in none.
and 25,OOO shares Of Borough stock TO
agreeing to put through the Borough
franchise? For 'guesswork' that doesn'
seem to me very bad"
Wainwright's hard mask of q fac
twitched convulsively, but the stead,
hrain that had carried him unshakel
through a thousand risky fnancia