Part 107

“General talk was that you didn't seem to be worrying much about the election.”

Mr. Converse turned a benignant smile on his new law partner.

“It's generally conceded, then, that I feel sure of being elected?”

“Why, they think you wouldn't have skyhooted off unless you were confident.”

“Exactly! That attitude of mine takes care of the band-wagon crowd. They have climbed aboard, I'm told.”

“Yes,” admitted Mr. Breed. “But the state committee has taken advantage and has laid down on ye!”

“Breed, you run along and tell the chairman of that committee--from me--that unless he gets busy with his crowd in every county of this state inside of twenty-four hours I'll come out with a public statement that I have been forced to run my own campaign in behalf of the people. You don't think there'd be any doubt about my election after that statement, do you?”

“Not a bit,” confessed Mr. Breed. “You're more of a politician than I had any idea of. Excuse me for any other kind of remarks. I'll go shoot a little hot lead in that chairman's left ear.”

“Ordinary intelligence and common honesty,” commented the Honorable Archer Converse when Mr. Breed had departed. “They are such new elements in running politics in this state that they seem to the crowd to be a brand-new variety of political astuteness, Thornton! I'm not going to be quite as frank and honest in some other statements I'm about to make, under the circumstances. I don't believe my conscience is going to trouble me a bit. We'll go over, if you please, and have a word or two with Colonel Symonds Dodd.”

Mr. Converse's secretary prefaced that call by a telephoned request for an appointment, and therefore Mr. Peter Briggs led them directly into the presence of the colonel.

“This is my friend and law partner, Mr. Thornton Bristol,” said Converse, apparently and blandly unconscious that he was tossing at the magnate something much in the nature of a bomb.

Colonel Dodd came forward in his chair, his hands clutching the carved mahogany of the desk in front of him.

“Oh, I beg your pardon, Colonel,” purred Mr. Converse, amiably. “I forget that you are not as familiar with Mr. Bristol's identity as I am. You have known him merely as a stranger who has called himself Walker Farr.”

“Yes, and he has registered himself on the voting-lists as Walker Farr,” blustered Colonel Dodd. “Mr. Converse, something will drop in your camp before long--and it won't be rose-leaves!”

Mr. Converse fixed a penetrating gaze on the angry man.

“Colonel,” he said, with meaning, “you are probably well aware that in politics many things are done for a certain purpose--and many of those things are a bit off color so far as the strict law is concerned. If you particularly care about digging up the past of politics in this state I will come with my own little shovel and assist with great pleasure.”

“You're making an ass of me with this peek-a-boo business.”

“Mr. Bristol,” continued the nominee, with composure, “after long study abroad and at home has devoted himself enthusiastically to study in sociology and economics, and has preferred to gain his knowledge about conditions by first-hand observation. He came into this state in pursuit of his object, and by force of circumstances was drawn into our state upheaval.”

“Much more deeply than I intended to be drawn, Colonel Dodd,” stated the young man, with dignity. “I think you will remember that I said as much to you in an interview we had. I called myself a Voice, if you will recollect, and humbly begged you to attend to certain reforms. Your refusal, and the manner with which you refused, rather forced me into your affairs.”

“And I give you warning right here and now,” blustered the colonel, “that I'm going to force myself into your affairs. I'm going to have you investigated from puppyhood to the present, Mr. Whatever-your-name is.”

“We may as well issue general warnings--all of us,” said Mr. Converse. “I have prepared a statement for the newspapers regarding my friend, Mr. Bristol, and he will add a statement of his own relative to his project in regard to water districts. If you care to malign Mr. Bristol on the heels of that, Colonel, you may go ahead. But if you choose weapons of that sort in the conduct of this campaign we shall be forced to use a few cudgels of our own--for instance, we might be able to give the people considerable information as to how the state departments have been managed under your general direction. The funds of the state treasury--”

Converse was about to mention the matter of the usufruct of the state's money deposited in the colonel's banks for the benefit of the syndicate.

Colonel Dodd pulled himself out of his chair and exhibited instant and alarmed confusion. “We'd better make it a gentlemen's campaign,” he broke in.

“Very well,” agreed Mr. Converse, politely. “And now that we are proceeding toward such an amicable understanding, will you allow me to express the hope that the Consolidated will meet us half-way in regard to the legislation that is inevitable? I have no desire to use any of my powers as the governor of this state to embarrass your interests; let us trust that we can get to a prompt adjustment in the matter of the water-plants. As a lawyer of some experience, I have to inform you, Colonel Dodd, that the cities and towns of this state are going to own their own systems. The city of Marion proposes to fight the first test case through. You are a heavy taxpayer--I trust you will not help to run your city into debt which is needless.”

“I will confer with you,” admitted the colonel, his manner subdued.

“I will ask you to confer with Mr. Bristol, my partner. He will have full charge of the litigation. I am assured that the next city government meeting will attend to the matter of choosing him as counsel, with a suitable retaining fee,” said Mr. Converse, with pride. “I will appreciate it personally and as chief executive if your interests will favor the matter. It will be better all around.”

Colonel Dodd did not reply. But there was much significance in his bow as they retired.

“I trust I did not intimate that I was employing any sort of threats,” said Mr. Converse, when he and Bristol were on their way down-stairs.