The San Francisco call., 1910-11-13

Not since the session began an
swered Arnold.
StiIlman laughed placidly- John Ar
mold was on the payrolls of the state
of California at Sc day as a clerk in
the senate-but he had not been near
the capitol except to be sworn in. The
people paid for his efficient services of
last November to the push" in rather
good measure.
You're worth something better.
boy" resumed the commissioner, pat
ting his paunch with breakfast con-
tent You haven't been around the
city hall much since the campaign-
I've been in shape to find things for
you several times. We've been pretty
good friends, Ham,
"Yes?" said Arnold leisurely.
What I'm getting at is this" con-
tinued the complacent commissioner:
there's a trick to be turned that's
needed badly. OF course you know the
grand jurys beginning to push into a,
lot of things-McMahon would likeRto
land Weldy on this registration bus-
ness-apd one way and another we
can't control en-
They can't get Fred" Arnold
voice was Indifferent.
They can" retorted the commission
er emphaticaliy. They'll. indfct him
tomorrow for fraudulent registration.
The younger man started incredu-
lously. Weldy, assemblyman from the
ffty-second. was his friend. In the
old days, when his father was going
down In the battle of millions over the
San Joaquin water rights, Ham used to
go every night from the courtroom
to the Star printing Office where
Fred Weldy kicked job press.
After Selden Arnold was convicted.
and friends and acquaintances fell
away from the feYons son 1t was
Fred's mother who offered him lodgings
in an obscure street; and when he re-
turned from the wars, nursing the bull
let he got through leg In Samar, 1t
was the simple old woman and her ap-
prentice son who took him in when he
was again friendless and alone. Two
years later Arnold got the union printer
into politics, brought him to Stillman's 8
notice, and he was sent to the legis-
lature, wholly untried and inexperi-
enced except for the two months in
the registrars office before the pri-
Z maries.
Fred was somewhat sheep headed,
and Arnold had been his sponsor in his
brief, uneventfu1 political essay IN the
tenderIo4n district. But Mother Weldy
was proud of the statesman; Arnold
had met her only the other day and
she showed him her new hat with the
shiny black cherries, and told him that
when Fred was governor she should go
back to Bavaria to visit the gross
mutter
That's the rub" Stillman was re-
suming. 'I can't shut Mcmahon of and
he's put the grand jury on Fred-he
was so sore over the beating he got in
the district. And 1t happens that five
or six of the jurymen are from the
Fifty-second and are standing with
Mac" The commissioner reached to a
memorandum pad: "Selig. O'Grady
Brown-that's the coal dealer Brown
isn't it?-Mayo and Landry" He
rubbed his nose. It's tough nut to
crack. You know the registration was
a little raw in spots and It's certain
to furnish an indictment"
Cant you hold the jury?'
Not in the Weldy matter It's Nc
Mahon's personal spite to indict him
And we want him badly in the legisla-
ture--the anti race track bill, and
then--WelI, I don't mind telling you
We're behind Chatom for the United
States senate next year, and it'll be a