The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1921-05-06

was slack pile just ou'siuN
big gate, and by climbing TO tne toi'
OF 1t / got over the fence ana cfep'
up 10 the scale-house.
A small window h one end OF TIC
shack, opened about two inches AZ tle
bottom. answered well enough Tor
peep-hole. Three men were IN the
little box OF a place-three Desluee /
Kestler; Hatcn, his barrel-bodied pate
ner, Henckel, and one other Inc
third man looked like q glorlhed par
keep. He was of the type l nave
henrd called "black Iish," fat Sleek
and well-fed, with little pin'polht
black eyes half buried In the hesh Oh
his round face, and the padded Jaw
and double chin shaved to the Diue'
knew this third man well enough
by sight; everybody In Portal Clty
knew him-decent people only TOO Wen
when it came TO an election tussie'
He was the redoubtable Pete Clana-
han, divekeeper, and political boss.
Kestler was telling the three how ne
had shadowed Mr.. Norcross from the
railroad headquarters to the Billiard,
and how he stayed around until ne
had seen the boss take taxi fof
Major Hendricks. This seemed to be
all that was wanted of him, for when
he was through, Hatch told him ne
might 90 home. After the cock-eyed
clerk was gone, Hatch lighted fresh
cigar and put it sQuarely up to the
freshman.
ITS no use being mealy-mouthed
over this thing, Pete" he grated in
that saw-mill voice of his. We've
got to get rid of this man. Every days
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 cen 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 a place suspiciOusly.
"'Tis not here that we can talk
much about thin things, Misther
Hatch" he said cautiously.
"Why notf' was the rasping ques-
ton. There's nobody in the yard,
and the gates are locked. It's id
sight safer than q back room in one
of your dives--Gs we know now to our
cost"
Clanahan threw UP his head with
a gesture that said much. "Murphy's
the man that leaked on that engine
iob-and he'll leak no more"
"Well," said Hatch, with growing
irritation, "what are you holding back
for now? We stood to win. on the
first play, and we would have won, if
your people hadn't balled it by talking
too much. One more day and Dis
nuke would have been In the saddle.
That would have settled it."
"Yah; and Mister Dismuke still here
in Portal City remains" put in
Henckel.
The divekeeper locked his pudgy
fingers across a cooked knee.
"'Tis feine, brave gintlemcn ye are,
you two, whin we've got somebody else
to pull tn nuts out av tn fire for
vel" he said. eyed have US croak
this felly FIR We, and thin yed stand
back and wash yer hands while some
poor divil wint to tn rope fir it.
Where do we come in, is what I'd like
to know?"
"You are already ill.," snapped
Hatch. "You know what the big fell
low at the capital thinks about it,
and where you'll stand in the coming
election If you don't put out. this fire
that Norcross is kindling. You're yell
low, Clanahan. That's oil that is the
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 Henckel's big
body twisted uneasily i'll the chair that
was grooming under his beer-barrel
weight. There was silence for little
space, and l could feel the cold sweat
starting out all over me. I hadn't
dreamed. of stumbling upon anything
like this when started out to shadow
Kestler. They were actually plotting
to murder the boss
1t was. Hatch who broke the still
ness.
TITS 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. II. they
don'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.
"Ys'd stirring me as If I was boy !"
he scoffed. "STis your own game firm
first to last. Dye think I'm not know
ing that2 TITS bread and butther and
tn big rake-off for you, and little We
care how tn election goes. Suppose
we'd croak this man in tn hot par-rt
av tn p'litcal fight; what happens?
Half tn noospaypers in tn state d
play him up FIR martyr to tn cause
av good governmint, and we'd all go