New-York tribune., 1921-03-20

man that others would not hesitate
to try to bribe and blackmail. He
was that kind of a man! He was
stupefied at the shock of it-that he,
Randolph Garter, in whose veins
flowed the blood Of generations Of
gentlemen SO sensitive of honor that
they had thought nothing of life
without it, had fallen so low that he
could receive the suggestion Of
dishonest course Of action without
resenting it, and even take the hand
of miserable hound who had tried
to bribe him instead of kicking him
out of his Office, Instinctively he
rubbed that hand upon his trousers
leg as if to remove the stain left
there by its contact with McCall's!
He had been won't to laugh at the
suggestion in the papers that he was
q "boss's man." But now he knew
that it was true; that he had been
seduced, nothing more nor less; that
for ten years he had been nothing
but a manikin to which Mulvany
j held the string. He clenched his
fists. How they had played upon
bis vanity! How they had lured
him on with promises of great place
and high honors! How they had
battered and deceived him, unit.
Lew they owned him body and soul!
And had not McCall-what was it
that Mccall had said about money?
lie tried to think--something about
$4,000. He ground his teeth im-
potently.
And suppose he didn't do as Mul.
vany had intimated. What then?
His career would be over. His life.
political and legal, would be gone.
He would be simply dead one
thrown into the discard-barely
able to earn an honest living--a po-
'tlcal pariah, abandoned by his
rarty and party friends, scorned by
.he rest. He writhed at the thought
CT being cut by his old associates,
CT being pointed out as has-been,
of losing, his position of influence in
the city and the judgeship, so easily
within his grasp. And his father
and mother! They would never un-
uerstand. He would come back
failure, too old to begin again,
doomed to grind out his life in some
little graveyard of Southern town,
locked down upon by men of half
his years. He couldn't go back; He
'"ust go on! He gazed stupidity
around the roon--at the heavy, in
slpld crayon portraits Of former dis
trlct attorneys, at the basket of imi-
'ation rubber plant, at the bottle of
spring water reversed upon the pat
ent iron stand.
My God!" he groaned again.
whats the use! might as we'll be
hung for sheep as lamb!"
Lying on the right-hand side of
the desk was the bundle of indict-
ments which Endicott had SO care
fully drafted, Randolph glanced
quickly toward the door of the Of
flee. Then, seeing no one, he picked
up the package of papers and thrust
it into the remotest part of the bot
tom drawer.
II guess they'll stay there for a
while!" he muttered. But, bv
heaven, it's the first time! It is the
first time!"
THE sound of voices outside the
door brought him to himself. as
he sat in a sort of unhappy dream.
Will you see man, sir?" asked
Pat, the doorlSeeper, coming in
apologetically.
Send him in," muttered Ran
dolph, for his work had to be- done.
This way!" said Pat to some one
behind him, and man entered,
crumpling his cap between his hairy.
knotted hands. He was tall and
gaunt and walked with a slight
stoop; but what one noticed most
was the hollowness of his cheeks, the
lusterlessness of his eyes and the
fact that he was nearly bald, al
though obviously young.
Are you the District Attorney"
ne asked in husky voice.
"l'm the man." said Randolph.
What do you want?"
u want to tell you something"
said the stranger, "if you can give