Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1921-04-29

ut 10 tle SCale-hOuSe.
small window in one end Of the
shack, opened about two inches at the
Dbottom, answered well enough for
peep-hole. Three men were in the
little box of a pace-three beside
kestler; Hatch, his barrel-bodied part
ner, Henckel, and one other. Tile
third man looked like a glorlhed bar
keep. He was OF the type / have
heard called black lrish," fat, sleeS
and I weil-fed, with little pin-poiU
black eyes half buried in the flesh o
his round face, and the padded jaw
and double chin shaved to tile blue
knew this third man well enouah.
by sight; everybody in Portal City
knew him-decent people only too well
When IL came TO an election tussle
He was the redoubtable Pete Clana-
nan, divekeeper, and political boss.
kestler was telling the three how he
had Swallowed Mr. Norcross from the
railroad headquarters to the Bulard
and how he stayed around until he
had seen the boss take q taxi for
Major Hendricks This seemed to be
all that was wanted of him, for when
he was through, Hatch told him he
might go home. After the cock-eyed
clerk was gone, Hatch lighted a fresh
cigar and put it squarely up to the
Irishman.
ITS no use being mealy-mouthed
over this thing, Pete" he grated in
M af
got to get rid of this man. Every day
delay gives him that much better hold.
We can choke him off by Titles in the
business game, of course; we have
Dunton and the New Workers on our
side, and this cooperative scheme he
has launched can be broken down
with money. But that doesn't help
you political people out; and your
stake in the game is even bigger than
ours"
Clanahan looked around the little
dog-kennel of place suspiciously
Ills not here that we can talk
much about thin things, Misther
HssCh," he said cautiously.
why not?" was the raspng ques-
ton. There's nobody i'm the yard
and the gates are locked. It's a id
sight safer than a back room In one
of your dives-as we know now to our
cost"
Clanahan threw up his head with
a gesture that said much. "Murphys
the man that leaked on that engine
job--and he'll leak no more"
Well said Hatch, with CROWN
irritation, what are you holding back
for now? We stood to win on the
first play, and we would have won Il
your people hadn't balled il by talkinr
too much One more day and Dis
nuke would have been in the saddle
Tlm would have settled it,
yah; and Mister Dismuke still here
in Portal City remains" put iu
Ueucke.
The diyekeeper locked his pudgy
fingers across a cooked knee.
TITS foine. brave gintlemen We are.
you two, Whin we've got somebody else
to pun IN nuts out av tn fire TO
ye." ne said. "Ye'd have us cras
this felly f'r We, and thin yed stand
back and wash yer hands while sr.
poor diyil whit to tn rope Up
Where do we come in is what I'D ...e
to know
You are already in,p eDanrad
Hatch. you know what the big lal-
low at the capital thinks oho Be-
and where you'l stand in the
election il YOU don't put out Ellis
that Norcross is kindling. Yaut
low. Clanahan. That's al tLat is ..e
matter with you
Tell me wan thing!" Insisted the
divekeeper, boring the chief CRATER
with his pin-point eyes. do you stand
FIR it if we do this thing up right?"
Hatch's eyes fell, and Henckers big
body twisted uneasily in the chair That
was grooming under his beer-hauo
weight. There was silence for a little
space, and / could feel the cold sweat
starting out all over me. / hadn't
dreamed of stumbling upon anything
like this when ] started out to shadow
Kestler. They were actually plottil
to murder the boss
1t was Hatch who broke the still
ness.
ITS up to you, Clanahan, and you
know it," he declared. you've had
your tip from the big fellow. The
railroad people must be made to get
INTO the fight in the coming election,
and get in on the right side. If they
lon't; and if Norcross stays and keeps
his fire burning, you fellows lose out"
Clanahan sat back in his chair and
showed his hands into his pockets.
"Ye'd stirring me as If was boy!'
ne scoffed. "'Tis your own game firm
irst to last. Dye think I'm not know
ng that? IT'S bread and butther and
h big rake-off for you, and little We
ARE how tn election goes Suppose
we'd croak this man In tn hot part
w tn p'litcal fight what happens?
Half tn noospaypers in tn state d
,lay him up FIR martyr to tn cause
w good governmint, and we'd all go
o hell i'm hand-basketi"
| was cramped and sore and one of
ny legs had gone to sleep, but I
COULDN'T have moved IL l had wanted
o. My heart was skipping beats right