The Washington times., 1912-09-27
CHAPTER TX.
An Astounding Development.


x frank astonishment at Grafton,
u whose face had fallen terribly.
Dobbs, his arms folded. looked
defiantly from one to the other. That
he was angry. ana genuinely SO. could
not be denied; his bearing would have
discouraged a less persevering and re-
sourcefui soul than Brady. and indeed.
Il had quite taken the life and anima-
tlon out OF Grafton. His last and
the very verge OF fruition.
But the politician having the least at
stake, regained his powers OF calm
reasoning frs.. One ample leg was
hitched across the other, and he looked
at Dobbs with placid sauint.
"oh! see here. Joe, 1t won't do" he
announced.
mo, l guess It WON'T
II mean for you to act this way"
well, I'm going to act Just this way
and no other" retorted Dobbs. when
you want a good easy mark. Jim. don't
come. around here looking for 1t. IT
Soh, well now" Brady's smile wa.
ingratiating In the extreme. 1T ain't
ANYTHING to get excited about"
o.I. "Eseited! dt,,l Say. how'd I look when it
There Amt q chance Of ITS coming
don't your
when ao1s gou f1Sr t%U KNEW anys"%ies % q the Sort
around putting il in the pspersG7 de-
manded Brady, warmly
ent. But just suppose you sort Of
happened to get grudge against
me, for instance? Hey? Or suppose
that Mr., Grafton here had some sort
of kick coming against me?
Good Lord" cried Grafton. "rll
swear never to reveal n word OF It!
You must be able to understand that
"a be the last one to want the facts
"oh! l understand It all right-for
the present. But I don't want any
such trick as that hanging over, me,
know what's going to happen next
week or next year, or when we're go
Ing to get into trouble about some
Dobbs had n way OF looking ahead
which was rather disconcerting. "Just
suppose YOU did want to use that in
formation. Where'd I 'be?r Out OF n
GsG 800, iSs .ay ana insenrup,ts snsn lp ,sI Brady
mo, sir. Not for miner ..
The postmaster sat down and faced
them again. He was much calmer
much stronger in his resolution not
to be dragged into the affair.
Brady sEslted him for a time. while
the clock licked noisily from the next
room and Grafton shifted miserably
Now. look here. joe" the diplomat
mo, sir"
Wen you can listen, can't your
said Brady. suavely. at amt going
TO land you in jail to sit there and
listen. Just suppose that you were
ton how the mail boxes work-eh? /?
Suppose we were all out together and
Just coming In from a night Of It"
Suppose We dropped into the BUILDING g
Grafton was looking in-hey?"
you We got another guess. jim
replied ,Dobbs. tartly. you can't
And then suppose-''
Say, what's the use? You can sit
there TN daylight. I'm not going to
do, it. and I'm not going to have any:
thing to do with it-and that's the end
concerned" -....
oh! maybe it is and maybe IL ain't' ,, t
Let's say that we're all sort of-weli.
drunk. and that Mr.. Grafton was 20
blamed anxious to see the inside O. one
near any sum of cold, hard cash foI
the privilege. Ell? Just for the fun OF
the thing, let's suppose that he would
be willing to pay"
long glance at Grafton.
Ten thousand dollars" said that
person. softly! -.--
Exactly. Suppose he'd pay $40 900. ',
continued Brady. Ten thousand
Say, shut up" broke in Dobbs. sx.
citedly. There are servants in the
house. One of them might hear"
ThsS suppose sa that fnSE N.Y. Grafton sSe %oat
pay over $4,000 to you, just for the
sake of peepins into one of those
pA % a. h,,t xxye
know Mr.. Grafton, and we know that
he'd stand for It next morning: Any
old thing like that might harper
With, within !, an ~ hour s,! mishtn't it' How
Brady's ewes contracted further ant
he studied Dobbs with much interest.
The postmaster's hands clinchet
nostrs pSTE diiated d"a and Se' his breath % cam, mn
quickly. His color. rising suddenly
died away quite as suddenly and lef
him very white.
Ten thousand dollars is not a sum I,
be cast aside for moments work
even though Il be bribe money ant
Illegal. These two men he knew well
Brady was person OF long repute Al
a maker OF square deals" Grafton
to his word, especially in the presen
circumstances. 1t seemed safe In tina
Wy. .,,
sible consequences. Dobbs. while no
perhaps a master of principle. stoo,
rather dumfounded at the magnitud
Of the proposition that had been pu
before him. And he had wholesom
respect for that large stone institution
established and maintained bv the Stat
for the housing OF those who stray.
I1 the end. conscience and fear tri
umphed. Dobbs threw up his hands an
sighed aloud, partly with relief, partl
with regret.
mo use, Jim. ] won't do it,
You won't?" sneered Brady. "Yo
don't dare!'
Have It any way you like. I'm no
going to omen that box"
Bah The politicians ,contemr
was stinging. 80 that's the sort 70
are, Joe7'
Dobhs was silent
"a uuitter-a measly uuitter!" puI
sued Mr.. Brady. "A cheap crook
that's the kind you are!''
The postmaster's eyes were angr.
but he held his peace.
Yes. sir-you'vs got the makings q
a cheap crook. Say, you'd do a ma
out of a dollar-hey? Somebody tina
couldn't hit back-hey7 That's you
kind, amt it?"
"You id" burst out Dobb
Then he controlled himself with an ei
fort and shook his head. "Oh! kno'
what you're after. Jim. I've seen 70
hafnrp Jtia all