New-York tribune., 1921-03-20

discovered that what the gang
wanted was noise--and a lot Of 1t
that 1t nattered very little what yor
said 80 dong as you put the righ,
thrill into it. And he had adapted
himself to the requirements. He was
Isrot sentimentalist. The thin, blue
stream of quality in his blood had
thickened more or less in q hundred
years.
His parents, on his yearly visits
to the plantation, saw that he had
gained some thirty pounds in
weight, that his cheeks had lost most
Of their ruddy color, that his eyes
werenot quite SO clear. that his chin
and neck were growing heavy; and
they thought that all this was due
to overwork. But they saw no
change in his character.
lHAD there been a change? Now
, that he was getting on there
were those who said that he was
Just like any other machine politi-
cian-that after a while man got
so that he didn't know where the
right left off and party loyalty be-
gan. Even the press, now that his
newness had worn off, sometimes re-
ferred to him as "Mulvany's man
Carter" But Randolph knew that
they had "got him wrong" He be-
lieved himself honest, even if he
was true to his friends. What diff
ference there was in him came from
an almost unconscious sagging in
his standards, an almost impercep-
tible dulling of his moral percep-
tons. His lights were still un-
dimmed, but they had become the
lights of the man who had made
him.
Earlier-when he had first come
to the city, and was unused to pri-
vate cars and the like--he had taken
to drinking little; and once in a
wild frolic his inherited instinct for
gambling had got the better of him
and he had played the wheel and
lost-a sum so large that only his
note had been left to pay it. But
that was long ago. Randolph had
never played again, had almost for
gotten the incident, and the note
had never been presented. He firm
ly intended to pay it some time
when he should be in funds. But
politics took all his time, and he had
little opportunity to practice his
profession. What he hoped for and
wanted was a place upon the Su-
preme Bench-and Mulvany had
promised him that at the coming
election this not over-rare distinc-
tion should be his. OF course. he
realized that the ladder by which he
had ,ascended would be too obvious
for him to be accorded much honor
for having climbed it; but once at
the top he would at least be indie.
pendent of bosses and their favor.
1t came home to him with some
thing Of shock that Mulvany was
asking good deal. If he had only
suggested some other reasons-such
as lack of sufficient evidence
no jurisdiction, or something; but
ne had plunked it right out. The
reason was just Hopper and his
fifty thou" at the next election
nothing else and no pretense of it.
Randolph spent long time study
ing the insects upon the imitation
rubber plant in his official window
and etherizing them with cigar
smoke. But he discovered in their
actions no answer to his problem.
lie had always found that sooner or
later, If you waited, way out in
yarlably turned up; some travers-
able lane leading in the right direc-
t'on between the obvious road of
evil and the narrow path of virtue.
Now, confronted by an undesirable
alternative, and no satisfactory an
''wer suggesting itself, he resolved,
as many another both better and
wiser man has done, to do nothing
for the present.
JUST at this juncture a state Sem
ator called on the District At
torney. He was very urbane gen.
tleman, was Senator Mccall. and
ne was close to everybody, includ
ing the Boss. He and Randolph had
held office together and called each
other by their first names.
I" IT'S glad l am seein' you look SO
we'll, Ranny, my boy!" said the Sen
ator, once they were in the back
room, lighting the cigar rendered
him by Randolph. Sure you're the
lad to succeed, with everybody sayin'
,ou will be Judge at the next
election! I'm right proud of you"
Thanks" said Randolph.
"Tt's q great shar,o OIL th;s +ra,x1,1