THE NEW MAYOR 
 
 FOUNDED UPON 
 
 UCCESSFU 
 
 nr^T TT~* TV M A XT 
 
 THE MAN 
 
 OF 
 
 THE HOUR
 
 ; I A*
 
 BENNETT GIVES HORRIGAN A FINAL LESSON IN THE 
 POWER OF MIND OVER MATTER. Page 198.
 
 THE NEW MAYOR. 
 
 FOUNDED UPON 
 
 GEORGE BROADHURST S 
 
 SUCCESSFUL PLAY 
 
 THE MAN 
 THE HOUR. 
 
 UNDER THE DIRECTION OF 
 
 WM. A. BRADY 
 
 AND 
 
 Jos. R. GRISMER. 
 
 (Copyright, 1907, by GEORGE BROADHURST.) 
 
 NEW YORK : 
 
 J. S. OGILVIE PUBLISHING COMPANY, 
 57 HOSE STREET.
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 PAGK. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Two MEN AND A GIRL, - 5 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 LOVE AND POLITICS, - - 24 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 A SURPRISE, - 42 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 A FIGHT AND A VICTORY, - 62 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 IN TROUBLED WATERS, - 81 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE MAYOR AND THE Boss, - 90 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 A BROKEN PROMISE, - - - 103 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 AT THE BALL, HI
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 CHAPTEK IX. 
 
 TEMPTATION, - 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 "BACK FROM THE DEAD," 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 THE CRUCIAL TEST, 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 A MIDNIGHT VISITOR, 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 "!N THE DAY OP BATTLE," 172 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 LOYE AND POLITICS, 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 THE BATTLE or WILLS, 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 THE EAVESDROPPER, 
 
 CHAPTER XVIL 
 
 VENGEANCE! - 215 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 THE REWARD, - - 226
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 TWO MEN AND A GIRL. 
 
 THE country house of Charles Wainwright, 
 financier, topped the ridge, overlooking the 
 water, in a climax of architectural hideousness 
 and extravagant cost. The grounds of Charles 
 Wainwright, financier, stretched out into 
 countless acres of landscape gardening. The 
 whole estate of Charles Wainwright, financier, 
 eclipsed those of his neighbors in the fashion 
 able suburb, even as the name of Charles Wain 
 wright, financier, eclipsed almost every other 
 in the city world where money ruled as undis 
 puted and absolute monarch. 
 
 Even when he turned from the bustle of 
 city and fellow money-builders, and sought for 
 a space the simple life on his $2,500,000 coun 
 try place, with its modest equipment of forty- 
 one servants, Mr. Wainwright so far carried 
 
 1 6
 
 6 The New Mayor. 
 
 into the wilds the atmosphere of business and 
 the burden of other men s wealth as to have a 
 very complete little stockbroker room fitted up 
 adjoining his big library, and to keep a man 
 night and day at his private wire. 
 
 Charles Wainwright, financier, was a bach 
 elor. No obese or statuesque wife carried 
 about with her a portable advertisement of his 
 wealth in the shape of fabulously valuable 
 jewels, or made his name renowned in opera 
 box, Newport Casino or Lenox cottage. His 
 only brother had died, years before, leaving a 
 mere beggarly million dollars or so and two 
 children to divide it. These children Dallas, 
 a strikingly pretty and still more strikingly 
 independent girl of twenty- four; and Perry, 
 a delightfully lazy, lovable lad of twenty-one 
 lived with their uncle, who managed their 
 affairs, let them go pretty much as they chose, 
 and as they were more or less ornamental 
 and entertaining and decidedly popular was 
 rather fond of them. 
 
 The trio had passed a pleasant, uneventful 
 month at the big house on the hill early in the 
 summer of 19 , when a day dawned whereon 
 Fate booked a number of decidedly interest 
 ing, fateful happenings to occur. 
 
 Wainwright himself was up betimes and at 
 work in his library, poring over market re-
 
 The New Mayor. 7 
 
 ports, cipher telegrams and a dozen other de 
 tails of deals which his simple life cult did not 
 prevent him from operating at long range. 
 With him was his secretary, Thompson, a pal 
 lid, earnest-looking young fellow, whose un 
 obtrusive efficiency had long since won the 
 financier s admiration. 
 
 This morning affairs in the financial world 
 had gone more than ordinarily to Mr. Wain- 
 wright s liking. Moreover, a paragraph in one 
 of the city papers that had caught his eye had 
 set his lean gray face to twitching with as 
 near an approach to a smile as the great man 
 ever permitted. Altogether, he was in an un- 
 wontedly genial mood, and some of his good 
 nature so far expanded as to include his busy 
 secretary. 
 
 "Thompson," he remarked, as the last batch 
 of correspondence was cleared away, "y u re 
 looking pale. Do I work you too hard?" 
 
 "No, indeed, sir," replied the secretary, with 
 a promptitude that had something almost sla 
 vish in it. 
 
 "Feeling all right?" went on Wainwright- 
 "You need more exercise. Why don t you get 
 out of doors oftener?" 
 
 "The work, sir- 
 
 "Get another man to help you with the tele 
 graph part of it, then. I :
 
 8 The New Mayor. 
 
 "Thank you, sir. You are very kind indeed. 
 But if it s just the same to you, I d rather han 
 dle it all myself. I hope the work s perfectly 
 satisfactory, sir?" 
 
 "Perfectly, Thompson. You re the only em 
 ployee I have who seems to love work for 
 work s sake. Seen anything of Mr. Gibbs this 
 morning?" 
 
 "No, sir. I don t believe he s up yet. Com 
 ing by such a late train last night, you know, 
 sir, and 
 
 "I was up as late as he was and I was at 
 work by eight. But when a man takes his 
 first holiday in six years, as he is doing, I sup 
 pose oversleeping is part of the fun. There s 
 a man to pattern yourself after, Thompson! 
 I remember when he started out he hadn t a 
 penny. Nothing but the resolve to get money 
 and then to get more of it. And now look at 
 him. At thirty-five he s the head of one of 
 the busiest brokerage houses in " 
 
 "Good-morning!" broke in a voice from the 
 foot of the broad stairway across the hall. 
 "Sorry to be so late. Do you know how the 
 market is?" 
 
 "It s opened even stronger than I hoped," 
 said Wainwright. "Take a look at these des 
 patches and see for yourself. Had your break 
 fast?"
 
 The New Mayor. 9 
 
 "Yes, thanks," answered the newcomer, a 
 well-groomed, stockily-built man, lounging 
 into the room with a nod at Thompson, who 
 discreetly withdrew into the adjoining office. 
 "Seems queer to have a whole day away from 
 the office. I hardly know what to do with so 
 much spare time." 
 
 "It s the every-day hard work that s put you 
 where you are to-day, Gibbs, and that s inter 
 ested me in you. For instance, that deal of 
 yours in South Sea Copper 
 
 "Yet that was the deal the papers all " 
 
 "All denounced you for? What do you 
 care? You were within the law. They ve been 
 hammering me for years and attributing all 
 sorts of low motives to me. As long as the law 
 doesn t interfere I m going to get all I can. 
 So there you are. So is every sane man. As 
 long as it can be done without any fuss or 
 shouting. A mosquito could bite twice as often 
 if only he didn t sing a song about it. By the 
 way, have you seen the papers?" 
 
 "No. Anything new?" 
 
 "One thing, at least, that ought to interest 
 you. Listen to this : The engagement of the 
 niece of a world-celebrated financier to a prom 
 inent young broker is about to be announced. 
 The young lady and her brother are orphans, 
 and are not only their famous uncle s wards,
 
 10 The New Mayor. 
 
 but also the sole heirs to his vast wealth. They 
 are summering at his magnificent country 
 place, where the fortunate broker is said to 
 spend every one of the very few moments left 
 vacant by his daring stock manipulations. No 
 mistaking that, eh, Gibbs?" 
 
 "It it ought to bring matters to a head, I 
 should think." 
 
 "It certainly should," assented Wainwright. 
 "In fact, it s such an audacious master-stroke 
 that I ve a notion you may possibly have been 
 at the bottom of it. Now confess. Weren t 
 you?" 
 
 "Well, of course I didn t exactly write it. 
 But- 
 
 "Clever boy! Dallas will have to show her 
 hand now or never. She s kept you on the anx 
 ious seat too long as it is. That s the reason 
 I asked you up here for the day. She must 
 settle it to-day if I can manage it. She knows 
 how anxious I am for her to accept you." 
 
 "But I m sometimes afraid she doesn t care 
 for me." 
 
 "Then make her care. As long as she cares 
 for no one else you can persuade her to be 
 lieve she adores you." 
 
 "How do you know? You re a bachelor." 
 
 "Perhaps that s how I know. And she 
 doesn t care for any one else."
 
 The New Mayor. 11 
 
 "You re stfre? There s Bennett, for in 
 stance." 
 
 "Alwyn Bennett? Why, absurd! She s 
 known him all her life. They re just good 
 friends, nothing more. He s our nearest neigh 
 bor here and it s only natural. Besides, he 
 isn t the sort of man she wants. He s an idler. 
 She likes men who have made something of 
 themselves, like yourself, for instance. So 
 make yourself easy on that score. If Bennett 
 loved her, he d have proposed long ago." 
 
 "Not necessarily. He s not a man to get 
 started easily. But once start him and 
 
 "Then don t start him. Go in and win. 
 What is it, Thompson?" 
 
 The secretary entered from the office with a 
 despatch. 
 
 "There s an answer, sir," said he. "Here s a 
 blank." 
 
 Wainwright read the message, scribbled a 
 few lines and handed the reply to the secretary, 
 who hurried out with it. 
 
 "So Thompson is not only a secretary, but 
 a telegraph operator as well," remarked Gibbs, 
 as the clicking of a Morse instrument sounded 
 from the office. 
 
 "He s everything," replied Wainwright. 
 "He s a wonder. He heard me say I wished 
 I had a good operator up here whom I could
 
 12 The New Mayor. 
 
 trust. So without a word to me he goes and 
 learns telegraphy. I ve had him nine years 
 now and tested and tempted him fifty ways. 
 But he s as true as steel. The one employee I 
 ever had that I could trust. By the way, the 
 message he just brought me ought to interest 
 you. It tells me Borough Street Railway stock 
 is offered now at 63. I ve given orders for your 
 office to take all they can get hold of at that 
 price quietly, and without making any bids 
 or attracting attention. That ll be the biggest 
 deal of my career if I can carry it through. 
 You understand your part perfectly? To take 
 for yourself 20 per cent, of the deal, handle 
 the whole affair on the floor and not buy any 
 of the stock for your own private account. 
 Stick to that and there s just one thing that 
 can possibly block us." 
 
 "You mean the defeat of the present city 
 administration this fall?" 
 
 "Just that. And I don t believe it will be 
 beaten. The organization s solid as a rock. 
 They have the police, the office-holders 
 and " 
 
 "But the people at large?" 
 
 "The people at large are sheep that like to 
 be driven by the strongest shepherd. If they 
 weren t they d have broken loose a century ago 
 and run the city and the country to suit them-
 
 The New Mayor. 13 
 
 selves. Just now Dick Horrigan happens to 
 be the shepherd who can make them go 
 wherever he says." 
 
 "Shepherd and crook combined, I should 
 say," commented Gibbs, chuckling at his own 
 feeble joke. 
 
 "I wouldn t let a speech like that get back 
 to Horrigan if I were you," returned Wain- 
 wright, dryly. "Your career might suffer. 
 Nothing (except, maybe, gratitude) is as bad 
 as humor for spoiling a man s chances in busi 
 ness or politics. A laugh costs more than peo 
 ple think. But, speaking of the election this 
 fall, a reform wave or any change of city ad 
 ministration would smash our Borough Street 
 Railway deal. To offset that, I ve joined 
 hands with Horrigan. If I can bring him to 
 see things my way, he shall have cash enough 
 to buy all the honest voters he needs. He s 
 coming here this noon to talk things over with 
 me. Phelan s coming, too." 
 
 "Phelan? You mean the Alderman of the 
 Eighth? You ll have a pleasant little gather 
 ing. Perhaps you didn t know that Phelan 
 and Horrigan have had a row and " 
 
 "And that s why I m bringing them togeth 
 er here to-day. I want to patch up their quar 
 rel if I can. I need them both. Phelan s a 
 useful man."
 
 14 The New Mayor. 
 
 "But Horrigan is boss of the organization. 
 If you have him on your side why do you 
 bother about getting Phelan too?" 
 
 "Yes, Horrigan is boss. He s fought his 
 way up by bulldog tactics. He has no diplo 
 macy. Nothing but brute force. Now, Phelan 
 has just as much force in his way, but he s as 
 tricky as a fox, too. I ve known him ever since 
 he was Chief of Police. He s a dangerous 
 man. If he s against us he can make trouble. 
 I want him. He s 
 
 "Judge Newman!" announced the butler. 
 
 A whimsical frown crossed Wainwright s 
 face, but cleared into a passably hospitable ex 
 pression as a little, gray-haired man with a 
 solemn, weak face trotted pompously in on the 
 heels of the butler s announcement. 
 
 "Good-morning, Judge," said the host, 
 pleasantly. "You don t know Mr. Gibbs, I 
 think, of Gibbs, Norton & Co.? Judge New 
 man is my next door neighbor on the left as 
 you come from the station, Gibbs. You must 
 have noticed the place Queen Anne house, 
 with " 
 
 "Oh, he probably never gave it a glance," 
 put in the Judge. "A mere cottage, that s all. 
 When a man with my meager judicial salary 
 has a social position to keep up and four daugh 
 ters that aren t married and Charles, you
 
 The New Mayor. 15 
 
 can t realize what it means to have four un 
 married 
 
 "No, I cannot," assented Waiawright quick 
 ly; "and from present signs I m not likely to. 
 I hope Mrs. Newman is well?" 
 
 The little Judge s face grew doubly impor 
 tant. 
 
 "Extremely well, thank you," said he. "A 
 wonderful woman! You ve met her, Mr. 
 Gibbs? No? But of course you must have 
 
 heard By the way, Charles, it was she 
 
 who told me to drop in on you this morning. 
 You see I she Mrs. Newman is most anx 
 ious for me to come up for re-election this fall. 
 Mr. Horrigan, to whom I broached the sub 
 ject, doesn t quite want to have me renomi- 
 nated. I thought perhaps as a personal fa 
 vor, to so old a friend you might say a word 
 to Mr. Horrigan in my behalf." 
 
 "Of course, I ll do what little I can. Hor 
 rigan will be here to-day. Drop in a little after 
 noon and I ll tell you how my intervention 
 turns out." 
 
 "Oh, thank you so much!" cried the Judge, 
 positively wriggling in his delight. "Mrs. 
 Newman will be so pleased. And by the way, 
 won t you ask Perry why he never comes over 
 to see my daughters? Please ask him if he 
 won t. I m sure Mrs. Newman would be gla<J
 
 16 The New Mayor. 
 
 if he did. Well, till afternoon, then. Good- 
 morning." 
 
 "Queer little rat!" observed Gibbs, as the 
 Judge bowed himself out. "Mrs. Newman 
 must be a marvel if all he says is " 
 
 "She is a wonder as a husband-trainer. She 
 tamed him so he doesn t know his soul s his 
 own. A good little man because he s never had 
 a chance to be otherwise. I ll speak to Hor- 
 rigan about him, though. It s always well to 
 have a friend on the bench. One never can tell 
 when " 
 
 But Gibbs was not listening. His heavy 
 face had lighted with a sudden glow of eager 
 ness. Turning to note the cause, Wainwright 
 saw his niece Dallas descending the stairs. In 
 voluntarily she halted as she reached the 
 threshold and saw Gibbs. Then, her sense of 
 hospitality triumphing over impulse, she came 
 in and greeted her uncle s guest with some 
 show of cordiality. 
 
 "Remember, Dallas," said Wainwright, as 
 he prepared to go into his office, "Gibbs is here 
 only for the day. I count on you to make his 
 holiday as pleasant as you can." He glanced 
 covertly at Gibbs, who had strolled to the win 
 dow. Then the financier lowered his voice and 
 said rapidly: 
 
 "Please be nice to Gibbs for my sake, Dallas.
 
 BROKER GIBBS MAKES "RATIONAL LOVE" 
 TO DALLAS. Page 17.
 
 The New Mayor. 17 
 
 I do a great deal for you, and I don t often ask 
 anything in return." 
 
 He patted her on the shoulder with a gesture 
 meant to be affectionate, and hurried into the 
 adjoining office. Scarcely had the door closed 
 when Gibbs turned from the window, crossed 
 the room to where Dallas stood, and, in his 
 usual direct fashion, asked: 
 
 "You saw that 
 
 "The article in this morning s paper? Yes." 
 
 There was no confusion, no embarrassment, 
 neither in the clear, girlish voice nor in the 
 honest, dark eyes that met Gibbs s so calmly. 
 He went on with a shade less confidence: 
 
 "It annoys you?" 
 
 "Very much indeed." 
 
 "You can t feel worse about it than I do, 
 Miss Wainwright. I " 
 
 "You didn t write it yourself, then?" 
 
 "I? Of course not! How could you 
 think " 
 
 "I didn t. I just wondered. Please see that 
 the rumor is denied." 
 
 "Why should I? You are going to marry 
 me some day, aren t you, Dallas?" 
 
 "Have I ever given you reason to think I 
 would?" 
 
 "You have let me keep on coining to see 
 you. You have "
 
 18 The New Mayor. 
 
 "I have told you that I don t care for you 
 the way you want me to. I have great admira 
 tion and respect for you, but that is all. And 
 it is not enough to marry on." 
 
 "It is enough for me. If I have your ad 
 miration and respect to start on I ll soon make 
 you love me." 
 
 "You would be satisfied with so little?" 
 
 "Yes. Knowing I could in time win more. 
 You aren t the sort of girl who could marry a 
 man if she didn t respect him didn t admire 
 him. You- 
 
 "Perhaps I couldn t marry such a man. But 
 perhaps I couldn t help loving him." 
 
 "Your chances for happiness would be bet 
 ter with me. Oh, Dallas, you know I love 
 you! You ve kept me waiting so long! Is it 
 fair to either of us?" 
 
 "I hesitate because I w r ant to be fair to us 
 both. For that reason I must still ask you to 
 wait." 
 
 "But I ve waited so long! Tell me one 
 thing: Is there any one else that 
 
 Steps, none too light, clattered down the 
 stairs, and into the library bounded a lad in ten 
 nis flannels. He was tall, well set up and 
 good to look at, and seemed always to have 
 stepped directly from a bandbox and to have
 
 The New Mayor. 19 
 
 had extremely recent acquaintance with much 
 soap and water. 
 
 "Hello, Dallas!" he shouted, encompassing 
 his sister in a bear hug. "How soon are " 
 
 "Here s Mr. Gibbs, Perry," Dallas remind 
 ed him, as she emerged, somewhat crumpled, 
 from the embrace. "Have you 
 
 The lad s manner underwent a lightning and 
 frigid change. 
 
 "Oh, good-morning!" he grunted, with a 
 curt nod to the visitor ; and picking up a paper, 
 turned to the sporting sheet, and became im 
 mersed in its contents, oblivious of all else. 
 
 "Mr. Gibbs is only spending one day with 
 us," admonished Dallas, trying to soften her 
 young brother s rudeness. 
 
 "Hope he ll enjoy it," came in absent tones 
 from the depths of the paper. 
 
 Gibbs rose. 
 
 "I m going out for a cigar on the terrace," 
 said he. "I ll join you a little later." 
 
 "Perry!" scolded Dallas, as soon as the 
 broker disappeared through the long windows, 
 "how could you treat a guest of uncle s so 
 rudely?" 
 
 "I don t like the fellow. And I don t like 
 what I read in the paper to-day about him and 
 you. Gee! what a measly paragraph! It s 
 enough to make a white man want to dash out
 
 20 The New Mayor. 
 
 his brains with a cigarette. You re going to 
 deny it in time for the retraction to get into 
 to-morrow s papers, aren t you? " 
 
 "I I m not quite sure." 
 
 "Good Lord!" gasped Perry, slumping 
 down in the nearest chair. "Are you crazy? 
 Say, if you are looking for a real, good, ex 
 citing match, why don t you marry a Wall 
 Street Stock Report. It d be better n Gibbs. 
 If you marry him you ll only be an also ran 
 with the ticker-tape and the market news. Oh, 
 keep out of it, old girl. You owe something 
 to your intelligent and distinguished little 
 brother. If you ve got to commit matrimony, 
 marry some one I like, can t you?" 
 
 "I haven t given him a definite answer yet," 
 admitted the girl, a little touched by the real 
 feeling that underlay her brother s flippant 
 words. 
 
 "That s good medicine! Confidence re 
 stored and the run on brother s emotions is 
 checked. Next time you get the marry bee I 
 have a dandy candidate to suggest for the job." 
 
 "Who?" laughed Dallas, amused in spite of 
 herself. 
 
 "Alwyn Bennett." 
 
 "How silly!" 
 
 "Not on your life! Words of wisdom from 
 the young. That s what it is. Go ahead and
 
 The New Mayor. 21 
 
 marry Bennett. Be a sport and say Yes. 
 Why don t you want to marry him?" 
 
 "For any one of a million reasons. First of 
 all, he never asked me to." 
 
 "Maybe he s scared to. But if he wasn t 
 stuck on you he wouldn t be hanging around 
 here every day and going everywhere with you 
 the way he does. I ll bet nine dollars he s 
 
 "Mr. Bennett!" the butler announced. 
 
 Brother and sister stared guiltily at each 
 other. 
 
 "Speaking of angels " muttered Perry. 
 
 But Dallas had already turned to welcome the 
 visitor. 
 
 Alwyn Bennett, at first glance, had little to 
 distinguish him from the average good-look 
 ing young man about town. But a close ob 
 server would have noticed a firmness about the 
 shapely mouth, an honesty and strength of pur 
 pose about the eyes, a general air of latent 
 power that lay unawakened beneath the jolly, 
 purposeless exterior. No crisis had yet called 
 forth any special manifestation of this power, 
 and meanwhile Bennett was content to loaf 
 through an existence that thus far had been de 
 cidedly pleasant. The only son of a widowed 
 mother who advised and spoiled him; more 
 than comfortably well-off from the great for 
 tune amassed by his dead father; possessed
 
 22 The New Mayor. 
 
 of a social position unassailable, and equally 
 fortunate in that mysterious quality that spells 
 popularity all these gifts had saved Alwyn 
 Bennett the trouble of fighting life s battle, or 
 showing what might be within his reach. 
 
 "Good old Bennett!" hailed Perry. "We 
 were just talking about you." 
 
 "Good!" answered Alwyn. "Anything is 
 better than indifference. What were you say 
 ing about me?" 
 
 "You tell him, Dallas!" grinned the boy. 
 
 "Be quiet!" whispered his sister, flushing 
 with vexation. 
 
 "Then I ll tell for myself," went on Perry, 
 gleefully. "I was just asking her 
 
 Seeing the girl s confusion, Bennett quickly 
 changed the subject by interrupting. 
 
 "My mother will be over here in a few min 
 utes, Dallas. She is bringing along a guest of 
 ours, who says you and she were chums at 
 school Miss Garrison." 
 
 "Cynthia Garrison? Oh, I ll be ever so glad 
 to see her again! I 
 
 "I know who she is," cried Perry, refusing 
 to be snubbed. "They say she s a gorgeous 
 looker. When her kennel was under the ham 
 mer, I bought in her two pet Boston terriers, 
 Betty and Prince. Maybe that won t make 
 me solid with her, eh? Well, I guess! All I
 
 The New Mayor. 28 
 
 ask is a start, and you ll find a whole lot of 
 cripples slower than I ll be. If they re walk 
 ing over, I might wander out, sort of aimless- 
 like, and happen to meet em. Maybe that s 
 a bum idea? Good old me!" 
 
 Full of his Macchiavellian scheme, the lad 
 bolted through the long window and was gone. 
 
 "Dallas," began Bennett without preamble, 
 "you must surely know why I m here to-day. 
 You ve seen that paragraph in the 
 
 "I have seen it," she answered, quietly. 
 
 Taken aback by her manner, Bennett hesi 
 tated an instant, then asked nervously: 
 
 "The the rumor isn t true, Dallas? Tell 
 me it isn t." 
 
 "Why shouldn t it be true?" she countered 
 perversely, as though not wholly sorry to wit 
 ness the new look her words called to his face. 
 The look deepened as Bennett continued: 
 
 "You don t love Gibbs? Surely you don t 
 love him?" 
 
 T 5> 
 
 The French windows swung wide, breaking 
 off her reply.
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 LOVE AND POLITICS. 
 
 ALWYN BENNETT turned sharply toward the 
 window, angry at the interruption. But Perry 
 Wainwright, ushering two ladies in from the 
 veranda, met his scowl with a wink of triumph. 
 
 "Not so bad, eh?" called the boy. "Met them 
 as they were turning into the drive. You 
 see 
 
 "Oh," observed the younger of the two 
 women a pretty, flower-faced girl who, since 
 her entrance into the room, had been engaged 
 in exchanging delighted greetings with Dallas. 
 "So you came to meet us? You said you just 
 happened 
 
 "Did I?" asked Perry, in deep amazement. 
 "Well, well ! The fact is, I wanted to do some 
 thing startling in honor of meeting you. So I 
 told my first lie. I " 
 
 "Don t mind him, Cynthia!" laughed Dallas. 
 "He s taken that way quite often." 
 
 "Oh, it s his usual pace, then?" queried Miss
 
 THOMPSON OVERHEARS HIS OWN LIFE STORY. Page 27.
 
 The New Mayor. 25 
 
 Garrison, innocently. "I thought perhaps he 
 was just warming up." 
 
 "And now," pursued Dallas, taking pos 
 session of Cynthia, much to Perry s disgust, 
 "tell me all about yourself. Have 
 
 "There isn t much to tell. But there s going 
 to be. I m going to work." 
 
 "Work? What for?" 
 
 "For a living, of course." 
 
 "Not really?" 
 
 "Yes; isn t it ridiculous?" broke in Mrs. Ben 
 nett, a sweet little old lady who now found her 
 first chance to edge in a word amid the general 
 volley of talk. "But Cynthia is set on doing 
 it." 
 
 "Why shouldn t I? I haven t a dollar, and 
 there s a theory that one must live." 
 
 "But what are you going to do?" asked 
 Dallas. 
 
 "I don t know. I have a pretty good educa 
 tion. I shall find something. I Dallas, I 
 think your brother is giving us a high sign of 
 some sort." 
 
 "I am!" declared Perry. "I just wanted to 
 tell you there s a surprise waiting for you. 
 Two surprises. In one kennel. Want to see 
 em?" 
 
 "What is he talking about?" queried Cyn-
 
 26 The New Mayor. 
 
 thia, appealing to Dallas for light on the mys 
 tery. 
 
 "About Betty and Prince Charlie," retorted 
 Perry. "Your two Boston terriers that I 
 bought. Want to see em?" 
 
 "Oh, the darlings! Of course I do. Where 
 are they?" 
 
 "Come along and I ll show you. The dar 
 lings, eh? Talk like that makes me wish I was 
 a dog!" 
 
 "Don t despair!" suggested Cynthia. "May 
 be you ll grow." 
 
 Still puzzling vaguely as to the possible 
 meaning of this cryptic utterance, Perry fol 
 lowed Miss Garrison from the room, a grin of 
 satisfied ambition wreathing his tanned face. 
 
 "To think of poor little Cynthia having to 
 go to work!" sighed Dallas, looking after them. 
 "One would as soon think of putting a butter 
 fly into harness. Is it true she has no money 
 left?" 
 
 "I m afraid it s onlv too true," answered 
 
 J 
 
 Mrs, Bennett. "Her father lost everything 
 in speculating. He was cashier of the Israel 
 Putnam Trust Company and afterward presi 
 dent. He- 
 She paused as the office door opened and 
 Thompson, the secretary, came into the room. 
 At sight of Mrs. Bennett he seemed about to
 
 The New Mayor. 27 
 
 turn back, but changed his purpose, crossed to 
 the table and began to look for some documents 
 he had failed to gather up. 
 
 "What was the rest of the story about Mr. 
 Garrison?" asked Dallas, really interested in 
 the older woman s recital. 
 
 Thompson s papers slipped through his fin 
 gers and went skidding across the polished 
 floor. The others looked around in surprise. 
 
 "Excuse me!" muttered the secretary, as he 
 stooped to gather up the documents. "Very 
 awkward! I m sorry." 
 
 He went on arranging the scattered papers 
 in his usual unobtrusive silence, effacing him 
 self from the general talk. 
 
 "You were telling me about Cynthia s 
 father," said Dallas. 
 
 "Oh, yes," said Mrs. Bennett, taking up the 
 thread of her tale. "He was looked on as one 
 of the most honorable bankers in the city. And 
 so he was, until his misfortune." 
 
 "Misfortune?" 
 
 "More misfortune than crime. His wife 
 was a girlhood friend of mine, so perhaps I am 
 prejudiced in his favor. A famous financier 
 a dear friend of his induced him to make a 
 very large loan that proved to be a mistake. 
 He went to the financier for advice as to how 
 to recoup the loss. The financier told him of
 
 28 The New Mayor. 
 
 an investment by which he could get all the 
 money back without any risk, and could make 
 good the loan. Mr. Garrison took his advice, 
 used the bank s funds for the purpose, and - 
 the investment proved worthless. The bank 
 was insolvent. Mr. Garrison shot himself." 
 
 "Plorrible! Horrible!" murmured Dallas. 
 
 "The horrible part of the whole story came 
 out later," said Alwyn Bennett. "It seems the 
 financier had deliberately ruined Mr. Garrison 
 and was on the other side of the deal by which 
 the bank s funds were lost. In other words, 
 he persuaded his friend to put money in what 
 he knew was a losing venture, then took that 
 money himself." 
 
 "He did it wilfully," chimed in Mrs. Ben 
 nett, "knowing his friend would be ruined and 
 that the bank s money which he lured Mr. Gar 
 rison into investing was going to swell his own 
 ill-gotten fortune." 
 
 "I did not think any one lived who could do 
 such things," shuddered Dallas. "Poor Cyn 
 thia!" 
 
 "Cynthia suffered least of all," said Mrs. 
 Bennett. "She was little more than a child 
 at the time. Her mother died of grief, and her 
 brother -a promising, clever young fellow, 
 just entering college disappeared." 
 
 "Deserted Cynthia?"
 
 The New Mayor. 29 
 
 "Not so bad as that. He probably went 
 away sooner than face his father s disgrace, 
 and began life somewhere far from home. That 
 was nine years ago ; yet ever since then he sends 
 Cynthia a little money every month. Not 
 much, but no doubt all he can scrape together 
 above his bare living expenses. She has tried 
 in every way to get in touch with him, but she 
 can t locate him anywhere. There is no clue 
 except that monthly money-order. I never 
 knew him very well. In fact, I only saw him 
 once or twice; but I ve heard he was a fine, 
 manly boy. The shock must have been worst 
 of all on him." 
 
 "So a man lost his good name and his life, 
 his wife died, his son s life was wrecked, and 
 his daughter impoverished," mused Dallas; 
 "and all that a financier might grow a little 
 richer. I can t believe it!" 
 
 A little ashamed of displaying such vehe 
 mence in the presence of one of her uncle s de 
 pendents, the girl glanced toward the table. 
 But the secretary had gone. 
 
 "My husband," prattled Mrs. Bennett, com 
 placently, "always said that the men who rose 
 highest in the money world reached their lofty 
 places over the despoiled bodies of hundreds of 
 victims. Thank God, my boy has no such 
 parental record to look back on! My husband
 
 30 The New Mayor. 
 
 was one man in a million. The soul of honor, 
 both in business and in prfVate life. You ve 
 read of his splendid Civil War record? Then 
 he went into business as a contractor and engi 
 neer, and earned a fortune, every dollar of 
 which was honest. That s something to be 
 proud of in these money-loving times." 
 
 "What was the name of the financier who 
 ruined Mr. Garrison?" asked Dallas, still 
 haunted by the narrative she had just heard. 
 
 "No one knows. It was suppressed at the 
 time. The facts in the written confession left 
 by Mr. Garrison became public property. But, 
 through political influence, the name of the 
 man responsible for the tragedy was sup 
 pressed. Here I sit chatting on doleful topics, 
 while those two young people are running all 
 over the place unchaperoned. Excuse me, 
 won t you? and I ll look them up." 
 
 She smiled at Alwyn as she left the room, 
 
 J 
 
 and his answering smile showed how fully he 
 understood and appreciated her motive in leav 
 ing him alone with Dallas Wainwright. Per 
 haps Dallas, too, understood, for she made as 
 though to follow Mrs. Bennett out on the lawn. 
 But Alwyn stepped between her and the win 
 dow. 
 
 "Don t go just yet," he begged. "I ve so 
 much to talk over with you. When they came
 
 The New Mayor. 31 
 
 in we were speaking of that paragraph about 
 Gibbs and yourself. You don t love him, do 
 you, Dallas? Tell me you don t!" 
 
 "What right have you to ask me such a 
 question?" 
 
 "Only the right that my love for you gives 
 me, dear heart. You must have known I loved 
 you, even though I ve never said it before. 
 I love you, Dallas, though till to-day, I think, 
 I never realized how much. Tell me it isn t 
 true that you re going to marry Gibbs." 
 
 "Even if it weren t true, I should not marry 
 you, Alwyn." 
 
 "Ah!" 
 
 The exclamation was wrung unconsciously 
 from his whitening lips. It was as though a 
 pang of physical pain had pierced him. 
 
 "I wouldn t marry you," went on Dallas, 
 though more gently, "because you don t really 
 love me." 
 
 "I do! I do! With my whole heart, 
 j " 
 
 "Oh, Alwyn!" she exclaimed, with almost 
 mother-like tolerance. "What a child you are! 
 What a mere child! Some one tries to take 
 away from you a plaything you ve grown used 
 to having. You never cared especially about 
 the plaything before, but now that you re in 
 danger of losing it you cry out Oh, I love it!
 
 32 The New Mayor. 
 
 I love it! You ll soon find another toy that ll 
 make you forget " 
 
 "Dallas! You are unfair! You have no 
 right to treat my love for you as if " 
 
 "As if it were a mere whim? Isn t it? Now 
 don t say No, but look me in the eyes and 
 answer one question. If Scott Gibbs hadn t 
 proposed to me if that paragraph had not 
 appeared in the paper would you have come 
 here to-day and told me you loved me? No, 
 you know you wouldn t!" 
 
 "Don t talk like that, dear!" implored Ben 
 nett. "I tell you I love you! More than I 
 ever dreamed a woman could be loved. I love 
 you! I- 
 
 "There s an easy way to prove it, then." 
 
 "What way? Anything " 
 
 "By doing something to make me feel proud 
 of you. I don t feel so now. I could not 
 marry a man who loiters his life away a man 
 who sits idle while others are thronging past 
 him in the upward climb. You are rich, thanks 
 to your father s efforts. What have you done 
 with that wealth? If you ve done no harm 
 with it, you ve at least put it to no good use. 
 You are young, talented, highly educated. 
 What have you done with your youth, your 
 talents, your education? How have you used 
 them for your own betterment or for your
 
 The New Mayor. 33 
 
 fellow-men s? What have you to offer me? 
 Money? Social position? I have plenty of 
 both. What else can you offer me? Nothing 
 absolutely nothing!" 
 
 "My love, for one thing. I can offer you 
 that." 
 
 "In what is your love better than any other 
 man s? Behind it is there a record of hard 
 work, of self-sacrifice, of achievement of any 
 of the things that go toward making love 
 strong and enduring and beautiful to make 
 it a support that a woman can lean on for life? 
 What have you to offer me or any other 
 woman?" 
 
 There was a silence. Yet when Bennett 
 spoke there was a new note in his voice ; a ring 
 of awakening strength that impressed Dallas, 
 in spite of herself; that sent a wholly strange 
 thrill through her and set her heart to beating 
 with unwonted quickness. 
 
 "You re right," said he. "I have done noth 
 ing. I ve been content to be a rich man s son. 
 And I ve nothing to offer that is worthy your 
 acceptance. But that does not mean I never 
 shall have. And by the grace of God, I shall ! 
 You ve put things in a new light. I see them 
 as I never did. It isn t a wholly pleasant ex 
 perience. But it s good for me. There s noth-
 
 34 The New Mayor. 
 
 ing yet that I m fitted to do. But I ll find 
 something, never fear. And when I do 
 
 "Don t say there s nothing you re fit for," 
 protested Dallas. "There s nothing you 
 couldn t accomplish if once you set yourself 
 to it. Why, just think of those speeches you 
 made for Mr. Lorimer last campaign. They 
 were fine. I was so 
 
 "Oh, those amounted to nothing. I just did 
 it to oblige him. And, besides, it was fun to 
 sway the crowds." 
 
 "That s just it. You did it for fun and for 
 a friend. Why not do something in earnest 
 and for yourself? The world is fairly bristling 
 with opportunities for such a man as you. 
 Grasp those opportunities. Won t you?" 
 
 "Yes! And when I do Is there any 
 hope that you will?" 
 
 "I have given Mr. Gibbs no promise. I 
 told him to wait." 
 
 "Then my chance is as good as his! From 
 now on I am going to drop the role of rich 
 man s son and be something on my own ac 
 count. If you have faith in me if you believe 
 in me if there is a ghost of a chance that you 
 can some day love me 
 
 "I have faith in you, Alwyn," she answered 
 softly, letting her hand lie passive in his grasp.
 
 The New Mayor. 35 
 
 Then, withdrawing it witn a pretty gesture of 
 petulance, she added: 
 
 "Only I wish it didn t always require a blow 
 to rouse you to action. Did you ever happen 
 to notice that trait in yourself?" 
 
 "Why, no. I don t quite understand." 
 "Then here s an instance that will show you 
 what I mean: In your senior year at Yale, 
 when you were playing halfback on the Var 
 sity eleven, I saw my first football game. It 
 was against Princeton. You were the only 
 man on either team I knew. So I watched 
 you from first to last. Little as I understood 
 football, I could see you were playing a clever, 
 hard, conscientious game. But it wasn t a 
 fighting game. Not the sort of game that 
 carries everything before it. Then, in the sec 
 ond half, in one of the scrimmages, I saw a 
 Princeton man strike you. Oh, it w r as a das 
 tardly, cowardly blow! He struck you when 
 your head was turned away. You saw who it 
 was and you made no appeal to the referee. 
 But in the next scrimmage you broke that 
 man s collarbone and stunned him. He was 
 carried senseless from the field. And you kept 
 on. You had begun to play a fighting game. 
 And it carried you through the Princeton line 
 for the only touchdown of the day. You won 
 the game for Yale. You were the college
 
 36 The New Mayor. 
 
 the man of the hour. But it took a blow to 
 rouse you. Now, do you understand?" 
 
 "Yes, I think I do. Perhaps you re right. 
 I certainly remember the blow well enough. 
 Do you happen to know who it was that struck 
 me that day on the football field?" 
 
 "No; I knew none of the players except you. 
 Who " 
 
 "It was Gibbs." 
 
 "No!" 
 
 "I m not likely to have forgotten. Ask him 
 yourself. He will remember, I fancy. It was 
 a week before he left the infirmary." 
 
 "But I can t realize that Mr. Gibbs would 
 do such a thing ! It was so cowardly so 
 
 "Oh, don t hold it against him. He was ex 
 cited and 
 
 "Tell Mr. Phelan I ll see him in the library," 
 called Wainwright from the hall. 
 
 "More politics!" exclaimed Dallas. "Come, 
 shall we go out to the tennis court?" 
 
 They passed through the open French win 
 dow as Wainwright and Gibbs entered the 
 library from the opposite door. 
 
 "The Alderman s a little behind time," said 
 Wainwright. "He s a character in his way. 
 You ll be interested in meeting him, Gibbs." 
 
 "Mr. Phelan!" announced the butler. 
 
 "I know my own name, son," remarked a
 
 The New Mayor. 37 
 
 voice behind him. "You needn t go hollerin 
 it at me like I was bein ratified at an East Side 
 meetin . Mornin , Mr. Wainwright! Maybe 
 it was you he was hollerin at." 
 
 "You re a little late, Alderman," said the 
 financier. 
 
 "I always am. Let the other feller do the 
 waitin . That s my motto, and many a good 
 hour s time I ve saved by it. Who s your 
 friend?" 
 
 "Mr. Gibbs, of Gibbs & Norton. Mr. Gibbs, 
 this is Alderman Phelan." 
 
 "Of the Eighth," amended Phelan. "Only 
 man to carry his ward last election runnin in 
 dependent. Pleased to meet you. Yes, sir, 
 I ran independent and I won, as Wainwright 
 here can tell you. Horrigan s out against me 
 this year, and he s got carried away by some 
 fool idea that he can down me next campaign." 
 
 "Can he?" asked Gibbs, politely bored. 
 
 "Can he?" roared Phelan, his close-clipped 
 hair a-bristle. "Can he? Can Chesty Dick 
 Horrigan down Alderman Jimmy Phelan? 
 Well ! Nothin to it, son. When I m through 
 with Dick Horrigan he ll have worried him 
 self so thin they ll have to wear glasses to shave 
 him. I ll bury him so deep this fall that they ll 
 never find him till they start diggin a subway 
 to China."
 
 38 The New Mayor. 
 
 "You seem pretty confident," observed 
 Gibbs. 
 
 "Confident! Why not? Why not, I ask 
 you? Why wouldn t I be confident? Is there 
 a voter in the ward black, white, yellow or 
 greenhorn that I can t call by his first name 
 and ask after all the children by name? Is 
 there a voter in the ward that I haven t staked 
 to coal, or outings or bail or booze? Is there? 
 If so, name him to me. Put a name to him. 
 They re my friends twelve months of every 
 year. Not just at election time. Horrigan, 
 indeed! Say, if he starts runnin any man in 
 my ward he ll have to sight him by a tree to 
 see if he s makin any progress or not. Hor 
 rigan, hey!" 
 
 "Come, come, Alderman," interposed Wain- 
 wright. "Why don t you and Horrigan smoke 
 the pipe of peace? Why 
 
 "The only pipe me an Dick Horrigan will 
 ever come together over will be a yard of lead 
 pipe, an my fist will be at one end of that 
 an his thick head at th other." 
 
 "But," remonstrated Wainwright, "he is a 
 strong man. Is it safe to fight him?" 
 
 "Why isn t it? He s got to come into the 
 Eighth to lick me, and he ll be about as strong 
 there as a barkeeper s influence with the Pro 
 hibition party. Besides, I like a fight. I m
 
 The New Mayor. 39 
 
 the original Stop, Look and Listen signal at 
 Trouble Station. I- 
 
 "As a personal favor to me, Alderman," 
 wheedled Mr. Wainwright, in his most per 
 suasive manner, "won t you make a friend of 
 Horrigan?" 
 
 "I d gladly oblige you by makin a fine, 
 fash nable, rollickin funeral of him; but 
 friends friends !" 
 
 "But if I asked him here to meet you, 
 wouldn t you try to be cordial to him?" 
 
 "I sure would! As cordial as a bankrupt 
 to a rent collector. He d be pretty near as 
 welcome as a broken leg!" 
 
 "I m sorry you look at it that way, Alder 
 man, because I ve asked him to-day." 
 
 "To come here? Quit your joshin !" 
 
 "But he doesn t know he ll meet you." 
 
 "An he ll never find it out. For I m on my 
 way. I d sooner meet a p rade from th Con 
 tagion Hospital." 
 
 "Of course, if you re really afraid of 
 him- 
 
 "Afraid of him!" snorted Phelan, coming to 
 a full stop at the door and then returning to 
 the middle of the room. "Afraid of Dick Hor 
 rigan! Show me the man I m afraid to meet, 
 and I ll meet him with pleasure just to show 
 you it s a lie. As for
 
 40 The New Mayor. 
 
 "Mr. Horrigan!" came the butler s an 
 nouncement from the threshold. 
 
 The man who followed the announcement 
 was one who carried in his bearing the chief 
 reasons for his success. Tall, stout, square f 
 jaw, square of brow, hard of mouth, he seemed 
 to dominate his very surroundings and to ex 
 hale a rough forcefulness that carried all be 
 fore it. His physiognomy was essentially that 
 of the born fighter, as well as leader the man 
 that neither gives nor asks quarter. From the 
 days when, as a ferry-ticket seller, he had laid 
 the foundations of his later fortunes by "knock 
 ing down fares" up through his varied career 
 as policeman, contractor, politician and boss- 
 he had fought his way ever to the front by that 
 same force, backed by a bulldog pluck, a 
 genius for organization and a mentality wholly 
 devoid of scruple and conscience. 
 
 It could not be said of Richard Horrigan 
 that his morals were bad. He simply had no 
 morals at all. By contact with men of higher 
 culture than his own he had lost his early in 
 correctness and vulgarity of speech. His domi 
 neering roughness of manner he had no wish 
 to lose. It was by far too valuable an asset. 
 
 "Good-morning, Mr. Wainwright," began 
 Horrigan, with a breezy familiarity, as he 
 g^rode into the library, quite unabashed at find-
 
 The New Mayor. 41 
 
 ing himself in the presence of the dreaded Fi 
 nance King; "I m a bit ahead of time, hut- 
 He stopped short with a grunt of rage. His 
 eye had fallen on Phelan. Bristling ,like a 
 plucky terrier at the onset of a mastiff, the Al 
 derman stood his ground, giving the Boss 
 glare for glare. 
 
 And so, for a moment, the enemies faced 
 each other.
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 A SURPRISE. 
 
 HORRIGAN was first to break the tense 
 silence. 
 
 "What s this here for?" he growled, in 
 dicating Phelan with a contemptuous jerk of 
 the head and addressing no one in particular. 
 
 "Ask your friend Wainwright," grunted 
 Phelan, with equal roughness. 
 
 "I you see," began Wainwright, conciliat- 
 ingly "I didn t like to see two such first-rate 
 chaps at odds with each other, so I wanted to 
 bring you together here to 
 
 "Oh, you did, did you?" sneered Horrigan; 
 "and what did Phelan say to that little plan?" 
 
 "I said," snapped Phelan, before his host 
 could reply "I said I d see you in - - first 1" 
 
 "Same here, twice over!" said Horrigan. 
 
 "But," interposed Wainwright, coaxingly, 
 "is there no way " 
 
 "No!" retorted Horrigan, his deep voice 
 rumbling far down in his throat; "there isn t.
 
 The New Mayor. 43 
 
 Look here, Phelan! I m out for your scalp, 
 and I m going to get it!" 
 
 "Come on, look for it!" crowed Phelan, fair 
 ly hopping up and down in rage and excite 
 ment. "Come a-runnin ! An while you re 
 huntin my scalp, don t overlook one bet. I m 
 after yours!" 
 
 "Mine, you little shrimp! Why 
 
 "Yes, yours, Horrigan, you cur! You re 
 pretty chesty an strong standin on the top of 
 the organization. But you re no bloomin 
 Statue of Liberty! You can be tore down. 
 An here s the man who s goin to do the tear- 
 in . Me Alderman Jimmy Phelan, of the 
 Eighth!" 
 
 "Let it go at that for now. You ll wake up 
 in the fall when the election 
 
 "Let it go at that for keeps. I 
 
 "Mr. Wainwright," broke in Horrigan, "if 
 this was the business you wanted to talk over 
 with me here 
 
 "It isn t," assured the thoroughly uncom 
 fortable financier. 
 
 "Oh! Then we can get down to real busi 
 ness, perhaps, when this fellow s gone." 
 
 "That lets me out," observed Phelan, cheer 
 fully, as he picked up his hat. "G -by, Mr. 
 Wainwright. G -by, Mr. Gibbs. Horrigan, 
 I ll -"
 
 44 The New Mayor. 
 
 "But you ll stay to lunch, Alderman, won t 
 you?" urged Wainwright, with an effort at cor 
 diality that deceived no one. 
 
 "No, thanks," replied Phelan. "When the 
 curtain s down and the orchestra s gone home, 
 I don t need no usher to poke me in the ribs to 
 tell me the show s out. As for stayin to break 
 bread with Dick Horrigan, I d sooner have a 
 jolly little grub-fest with Wiley s poison 
 squad. Good-by, all. Horrigan, as for you, 
 some day I ll cross two sticks of dynamite 
 under you and you ll scatter so wide that the 
 
 * / 
 
 inquest over your remains will have to be held 
 in fourteen counties." 
 
 "I am so sorry, Mr. Horrigan, that this 
 should have happened in my house," said 
 Wainwright, as the irate Alderman stalked 
 out, leaving the Boss staring after him in dumb 
 fury. "I meant it for the best, and 
 
 "Mr. Wainwright," interrupted Horrigan, 
 venting his pent-up wrath on his dismayed 
 host, "this old world of ours is white with bones 
 of failures, of fools, of dead beats. In other 
 words, of folks who meant it for the best. 
 Now* let s get down to business." 
 
 "First let me introduce Mr. Gibbs. He 
 
 "Glad to meet him; but he ll excuse me when 
 I say I never talk business when there s a third 
 party around. No offense, Mr. Gibbs. Just;
 
 The New Mayor. 45 
 
 walk out and take a look at the view, like a 
 good boy, won t you? Thanks!" 
 
 Gibbs, at a warning look of appeal from 
 Wainwright, checked the angry retort that 
 sprang to his lips, turned on his heel and 
 walked out. Horrigan, who had observed the 
 glance exchanged between the two men, grudg 
 ingly attempted to soften the effect of his 
 brusqueness. 
 
 "I didn t mean to snub your friend," said 
 he; "but Phelan riled me, and I took it out 
 of the next man I spoke to. What on earth 
 set you to having Phelan here to meet me for, 
 anyway?" 
 
 "Just as I said. I wanted to win him over 
 to us. We will need every strong man we can 
 get this fall. We- 
 
 "You know a lot about finance, Mr. Wain 
 wright, but you re a rank outsider in politics, 
 or you d never have made such a break. I 
 can t compromise with Phelan, even if I want 
 ed to. He s stood out against me, and I ve 
 got to smash him. If he could defy me and 
 get away with it, other leaders would think they 
 could do it, too; and in less than no time the 
 organization would be split up into a dozen 
 factions, and I d be down and out. Under 
 stand? I ve got to look out for discipline if 
 I m to hold the place I ve won. When a man
 
 46 The New Mayor. 
 
 in the organization starts a fight against me, 
 I must down him. There s no turning back. 
 That s why I m Boss. Every man in the crowd 
 knows he s got to obey me or fight me, and 
 that if it s fight, it s a battle to the death. And 
 he s the man who does the dying. Not I. 
 Now, you understand ? So we can get to busi 
 ness. "What 
 
 But business seemed this morning fated to 
 many interruptions. The latest came in the 
 form of Judge Newman, who, bustling into 
 the room with all his customary pompous dig 
 nity, suddenly stopped in his tracks and wilted 
 at sight of the Boss. 
 
 "Good-morning, Mr. Horrigan," said the 
 Judge, ingratiatingly, wriggling under the 
 Boss s glower. "I hope I m not here too early 
 and that Mr. Wainwright has interceded 
 for- 
 
 "For your renomination?" queried Horri 
 gan, speaking as though to a disgraced serv 
 ant. "If that s what you re here for you might 
 have spared yourself the trouble. What I told 
 you before still goes." 
 
 "But, Mr. Horrigan, consider how long I ve 
 been on the bench, and 
 
 "And it s time you got your nose out of the 
 feed-bag and gave some one else a chance. 
 You are "
 
 The New Mayor. 47 
 
 "I m growing old, Mr. Horrigan!" pleaded 
 the thoroughly cowed Judge. "How can I go 
 back to law practice and compete with younger 
 men? Besides, Mrs. Newman declares 
 
 "I can t help that," returned Horrigan, quite 
 unmoved. "You ve had your share. We ve 
 got to look out for our own active workers 
 for the men we can count on to do the right 
 thing." 
 
 "But, Mr. Horrigan," protested the Judge, 
 "I always try to do what is right." 
 
 "I said the right thing, " corrected the Boss. 
 "See the difference?" 
 
 "Excuse me, Judge," intervened Wain- 
 wright. "If you ll leave this matter in my 
 hands I will try to convince Mr. Horrigan of 
 your fitness. Just leave it all to me." 
 
 "Oh, thank you so much, Charles," cried the 
 relieved little Judge; "I m sure I can count on 
 you. Mrs. Newman will be so grateful. Well, 
 I won t detain you any longer. Good-by." 
 
 "Good-by, Judge," answered Wainwright, 
 tolerantly. 
 
 "Good-by, Mr. Horrigan," went on Judge 
 Newman, with effusion. 
 
 A grunt from Horrigan, who had turned his 
 broad back on the visitor, was the only reply, 
 and the Judge departed to bear the message of 
 hope to Mrs. Newman.
 
 48 The New Mayor. 
 
 "Have you any special objections to New 
 man?" asked Wainwright. 
 
 "No," said Horrigan, "except I think per 
 haps there s men who can do better by us. You 
 know how much it means sometimes to have 
 the right judge handle your case." 
 
 "I think at a pinch we can manage New 
 man, and " 
 
 "Oh, if it s a favor to you, all right. But it 
 doesn t do those judiciary fellows any harm 
 to keep them guessing awhile. It tames em 
 and teaches em to mind. Sort of keeps them 
 in their places, you know. And now won t you 
 tell that butler of yours not to let us be dis 
 turbed?" 
 
 Wainwright complied, and the two settled 
 down to their deferred talk. 
 
 "How about the election this fall?" began 
 the financier. 
 
 "We re already crowing; but just between 
 you and me, it s going to be a hot fight. The 
 people at large seem to be a little sore on the 
 organization. A few deals lately have been a 
 little raw, and some of the papers are kicking. 
 Good Lord! If it wasn t for the newspapers, 
 what a cinch a Boss would have in running a 
 city ! It d be like taking pennies from a baby s 
 bank. But "
 
 The New Mayor. 49 
 
 "Then you think there is some doubt about 
 the election?" 
 
 "I wouldn t go so far as that. It ll be a 
 tussle, but with plenty of cash, and the right 
 man for Mayor mark me, I say and the right 
 man we ought to win." 
 
 "The woods are full of right men/ " replied 
 Wainwright. "The money is the chief thing 
 to consider. That is why I asked you here to 
 day. This is the point I m getting at: As 
 soon as election is safely over, the Borough 
 Street Railway will apply for a franchise for 
 a car line from Blank Avenue to Dash Street, 
 along the river front." 
 
 "I see!" nodded Horrigan; "and as you own 
 the City Surface Line and as that is the Bor 
 ough Street Railway s worst rival, you want 
 the Borough s franchise bill killed when it 
 comes before the Board of Aldermen." 
 
 "You re wrong. To paraphrase your own 
 words, you know a lot about politics. I want 
 the Borough Street Railway s franchise grant 
 ed and I want that franchise to be perpetual." 
 
 "But I don t see what you re driving at. If 
 you intend to merge the Borough Street Rail 
 way with your own City Surface Line, its 
 charter will become void." 
 
 "I don t mean to merge them. I own both 
 roads, and I run them separately."
 
 50 The New Mayor. 
 
 "The you do!" 
 
 "That s a little surprise, eh? I haven t made 
 any parade of it. I just went quietly to work, 
 through Gibbs, and bought up a majority of 
 the Borough stock. Now, don t you see how 
 the granting of the franchise and the news that 
 I control the road will work when they are 
 made known?" 
 
 "Sure! It ll send that stock sky-high. 
 You ll scoop in a million or two." 
 
 "A million or two!" echoed Wainwright, 
 scornfully. "Nearer 
 
 "Hold on!" interrupted Horrigan. "What s 
 that noise?" 
 
 He had jumped to his feet with an alacrity 
 that was surprising in so large a man, and was 
 listening intently. 
 
 "That clicking?" asked Wainwright. "Oh, 
 that s only the private \vire in my office." 
 
 "Private wire? Any operator?" 
 
 "Of course. Why?" 
 
 "Suppose he should happen to be listening 
 to us?" 
 
 "Who? Thompson? Absurd!" 
 
 "I don t know. I d rather- 
 
 "Nonsense! It s Thompson, my private sec 
 retary. A man who s been with me nine years. 
 I trust him as "
 
 The New Mayor. 51 
 
 "But I don t. I don t trust anybody. Send 
 him into some other room." 
 
 "I can t. In his absence some important 
 message might come, and if he wasn t there 011 
 the very moment to transmit it to me I might 
 lose thousands. He s all right if ever a man 
 was. I trust him implicitly." 
 
 "Oh, all right, then. Go on with what you 
 were saying." 
 
 "I want the Borough Street Railway fran 
 chise made perpetual. Catch my drift?" 
 
 "Sure! But the papers and the property- 
 holders will make a big kick." 
 
 "Let them. They ll soon get hoarse and 
 have to rest their throats. As long as we get 
 the votes what do we care if 
 
 "Yes, yes," agreed the Boss, impatiently. 
 "That s all right; but what I want to know is: 
 How does all this concern me?" 
 
 Horrigan threw himself back in his chair, 
 uplifted cigar in one corner of his mouth, 
 thumbs in waistcoat arm-holes, and eyed his 
 host quizzically. Wainwright did not even pre 
 tend not to understand. Still, instead of giv 
 ing a direct answer, he went on with seeming 
 irrelevance : 
 
 "I am a public-spirited citizen. I believe 
 civic welfare would suffer by any change in 
 municipal administration. So, to keep the
 
 52 The New Mayor. 
 
 present party in power, I am willing to donate 
 to it $200,000 toward election expenses." 
 
 "That sounds pretty good as far as it goes, 
 but maybe you didn t hear something I asked 
 you a minute ago. What I want to know is: 
 How does all this concern me?" 
 
 "I m coming to that. As I said, I am a pub 
 lic-spirited citizen. I m also a good friend. 
 Such a good friend that I m always glad to put 
 my friends on to anything in the market that 
 looks particularly promising. Suppose I carry 
 for your account at the market price (that s 63 
 just now) 15,000 shares of Borough Street 
 Railway stock?" 
 
 "Well?" 
 
 "If that franchise is granted, Borough stock 
 will go up at least 25 points within two days. 
 That would clear up for you a profit of let s 
 see about $375,000." 
 
 Horrigan had pulled a pencil from his 
 pocket and was figuring on the back of an en 
 velope. 
 
 "Yes," he said at last, "that s right. Three 
 hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars. 
 That would be my profit, while yours would 
 run into the millions. That s not warm enough 
 friendship for me." 
 
 "Surely, that is a generous 
 
 "Generous, maybe; but I d like something
 
 The New Mayor. 53 
 
 munificent. Say 25,000 shares at 63. Then at 
 the 25 point jump I d make I d make," con 
 sulting his figures on the envelope, "something 
 over $600,000. That sounds better to me, 
 hey?" 
 
 "But, Mr. Kerrigan!" 
 
 "You ve got my terms. Take em or leave 
 em." 
 
 "Oh, very well," conceded Wainwright, with 
 lame graciousness. "Anything to oblige an old 
 friend." 
 
 "Good! So we get $200,000 for election ex 
 penses and my personal account receives 25,000 
 shares at 63." 
 
 "Quite so. And now " 
 
 "And now comes the question of the right 
 man for Mayor. We 
 
 Again Horrigan paused, rising to his feet 
 stealthily, like some ponderous cat, his head 
 bent slightly, as though catching a faint or dis 
 tant sound. 
 
 "What s the matter?" asked Wainwright, 
 looking up. 
 
 "Nothing," returned Horrigan. But he did 
 not resume his seat. Instead, as he talked he 
 began to pace the room in apparent aimless- 
 ness ; yet every turn chanced to bring him near 
 er and nearer to the door of the adjoining of 
 fice.
 
 54 The New Mayor. 
 
 see," he said, "we must have the right 
 man. If we don t, w r e haven t a shadow of a 
 show to win. We must be careful to choose 
 the best man possible. In fact, Mr. Wain- 
 wright in fact 
 
 His wanderings had brought him to the of 
 fice door. With the last word he- suddenly 
 jerked it open. 
 
 Thompson stepped quietly over the threshold 
 into the library, walked over to his employer, 
 handed him a despatch, and went out again 
 under the battery of Horrigan s glare, closing 
 the office door after him. 
 
 "That fellow was listening to every word 
 we said!" shouted the Boss as the door shut 
 behind Thompson. 
 
 "How foolish you are!" protested Wain- 
 wright. "He was bringing me this message. 
 I ve tried and tempted and tested Thompson 
 in a hundred ways, and he s always rung true. 
 I trust him utterly." 
 
 "Well, I don t trust a man living," retorted 
 Horrigan, reluctantly convinced. "I don t 
 sign receipts or keep accounts or write letters 
 or have witnesses when I talk. I always make 
 it a question of veracity between me and the 
 other man if there s an investigation. My 
 word s as good as any one s and they can t prove 
 anything against me in case of a show-down,
 
 The New Mayor. 55 
 
 I advise you to try the same plan. It s a good 
 one. And, in the meantime, if I were you I d 
 keep an eye on that secretary he ll bear 
 watching." 
 
 "Never mind about Thompson. He s all 
 right. Let s get back to the election. Who 
 have you in mind for Mayor?" 
 
 "Well," considered Horrigan, "he s got to 
 be some one who isn t mixed up in politics or 
 corporations. Some one the public isn t on to. 
 A man with no queer past." 
 
 "I advise you to consult the calendar of 
 saints and pick out your candidate there," 
 sneered Wainwright, who could not clearly fol 
 low his guest s reasoning. 
 
 "No, I think I can find him on earth," 
 laughed Horrigan. "He s got to be young, 
 clever, educated, with a good name, a good 
 family and social standing, and plenty of cash. 
 The cash is important, so the public will under 
 stand he isn t a graft hunter. They ve got to 
 be made to think he s in the game for purity of 
 politics and high principles and love of civic 
 duty, and all that sort of thing. At the same 
 time he s got to be some one we can handle to 
 suit ourselves. That s the man who ll catch em 
 coming and going. We ve got to find him. 
 Any suggestions?" 
 
 "Well, how about Gibbs?" 
 
 iLo f
 
 56 The New Mayor. 
 
 "Won t do. Broker and money juggler. 
 The public wouldn t stand for him." 
 
 "Young Sawyer 
 
 "Sawyer was born foolish and he s been get 
 ting steadily sillier every year since. And his 
 face shows it." 
 
 "Ten Broeck, then." 
 
 "Ten Broeck is too fond of turning a cigar 
 ette into the connecting link between fire and a 
 fool. And, besides, he wears a monocle. 
 What d happen if he was to flash that monocle 
 in a Fourth Ward meeting? There d be a 
 massacre." 
 
 "Well, who, then? Have you any one 
 in mind?" 
 
 "Yes," assented Horrigan, "I have. Do 
 you happen to know a young fellow who 
 spends his summers near here a chap named 
 Bennett? Alwvn Bennett?" 
 
 V 
 
 "Certainly; I know him well. But " 
 
 "Well, how does he strike you?" 
 
 "I d never have thought of him in such a 
 connection." 
 
 "Why shouldn t you? He pretty near ful 
 fils all our qualifications. Besides, his father 
 used to be a big man in the organization. Got 
 some fat contracts from it in his time, too." 
 
 "But young Bennett has never 
 
 "He s well off, well educated, clever and all
 
 The New Mayor. 57 
 
 that. I ran across him last fall when he came 
 over to help Lorimer in his fight in the Four 
 teenth. He made some rattling good speeches, 
 and the boys all took a liking to him. A swell, 
 but not a snob. Good mixer, good fellow, 
 popular, clear-headed, no past yes, he s our 
 man. More I think it over, the surer I am." 
 
 "I shouldn t wonder if you re right. How 
 would you like to talk it over with him now?" 
 
 "Now?" 
 
 "Yes; he s still around the place somewhere, 
 I think." 
 
 Wainwright rang a bell and the butler ap 
 peared. 
 
 "Find Mr. Bennett," said the financier, "and 
 ask him if he will step here for a moment." 
 
 "Yes," went on Horrigan, reflectively rub 
 bing his huge, plump hands together, "he s the 
 man for us. That is," he added with less as 
 surance, "if we can handle him." 
 
 "I think we can," answered Wainwright, a 
 fragment of his earlier conversation with Gibbs 
 flashing across his memory. "You see, I have 
 fairly good reasons for believing he s in love 
 with my niece, Miss Dallas Wainwright." 
 
 "So? That s- 
 
 "And, as I control her fortune and her broth 
 er s until Perry is twenty-five "
 
 58 The New Mayor. 
 
 "Oh, it s a cinch!" chuckled Horrigan. 
 "He- 
 
 "Mr. Bennett is playing tennis," reported 
 the butler, coming to the door. "He will be 
 here at once." 
 
 "Now," resumed Horrigan, "the only thing 
 that remains is to find out if he ll consent. 
 And then- 
 
 "You wanted me, Mr. Wainwright?" asked 
 Bennett, stepping through the long window 
 from the veranda. "Oh, good-morning, Mr. 
 Horrigan," he added, on seeing the second oc 
 cupant of the room. 
 
 The young man was coatless and collarless, 
 his silk shirt being turned in at the neck. In 
 one hand he swung a tennis racket. With the 
 other he mopped his flushed face, for the day 
 was hot and the game had been swift. 
 
 "Yes," answered Wainwright. "I m sorry 
 to interrupt your tennis set, but we want to see 
 you on a rather important matter. We ve been 
 talking about you." 
 
 "Thanks!" said Bennett, with a puzzled 
 smile from one to the other of the two older 
 men. "What about?" 
 
 "Want to be Mayor?" queried Horrigan, 
 abruptly. 
 
 "What s the answer?" countered the per- 
 pjexed youth.
 
 The New Mayor. 59 
 
 "It isn t a joke," intervened Wainwright. 
 "Mr. Horrigan is in earnest." 
 
 "In earnest! I hope the heat hasn t gone to 
 his head." 
 
 "You don t understand," put in Horrigan. 
 "I control the party s nominations. The nomi 
 nation for Mayor is yours, if you ll like it." 
 
 "Not not really?" gasped Alwyn, aghast. 
 
 "Yes, really. We- 
 
 "But with a whole organization full of good 
 material, why do you come to me?" 
 
 "Because you re the man we want." 
 
 "As an answer that s excellent. But as an 
 explanation it s mystifying." 
 
 "I ll tell you. We re looking forward to a 
 risky fight and 
 
 "And since you see no chance of winning, 
 you pick me out as the victim instead of some 
 organization man ? Good idea as far as you re 
 concerned; but I beg to decline without 
 thanks!" 
 
 "No, no," corrected Wainwright. "Mr, 
 Horrigan thinks you have a strong chance of 
 winning." 
 
 "That s right," corroborated the Boss. "It ll 
 be a hard fight, but with the right man we ll 
 win. And we believe you re the right man. 
 Even if you lose, you ll show the world what
 
 60 The New Mayor. 
 
 you re made of. Folks admire a fighter. They 
 haven t much use for an idler." 
 
 The coarsely spoken words brought back 
 with a rush Dallas Wainwright s plea, and his 
 own yearning to do something to make her 
 proud of him to win her by great deeds to 
 prove his love worth her acceptance. Was this 
 the chance? The chance he had so eagerly 
 longed for? It seemed providential. His face 
 alight with the joy of battle and the hope of 
 his heart s reward, Bennett turned upon the 
 waiting Boss. 
 
 "I accept!" 
 
 "Good!" yelled Horrigan, slapping him re 
 soundingly on the back. "Good boy! Now 
 we ll- 
 
 "But remember one thing, Mr. Horrigan," 
 interrupted Bennett, and his careless boyhood 
 seemed to have fallen away from him like a dis 
 carded garment, leaving the manhood and rug 
 ged strength stripped of all the follies and 
 idleness that had hitherto masked it; "remem 
 ber one thing: If I win this fight if I am 
 elected Mayor I shall never once swerve from 
 my solemn oath of office. I 
 
 Wainwright, uneasy at the candidate s un 
 wonted words and manner, started to speak, 
 but Horrigan deftly interfered. 
 
 "Of course you ll keep your oath of office!"
 
 HORRIGAN AND WAINWRIGHT PERSUADE BENNETT TO RUN 
 
 FOR MAYOR. Page 60.
 
 The New Mayor. 61 
 
 he bellowed jovially. "Of course you will. 
 That s understood." 
 
 Then, in an undertone to Wainwright, as 
 Alwyn moved away, the Boss whispered: 
 
 "Don t you butt in ! Leave him to me ! That 
 silly reform talk don t mean anything. It s 
 the way all youngsters in politics blow off 
 steam. Leave him to me I"
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 A FIGHT AND A VICTORY. 
 
 THE next few months were a period of un 
 precedented toil and excitement for Alwyn 
 Bennett. He sometimes wondered at his own 
 eloquence. Speech after speech he made in 
 every section of the city ; in half-built suburbs, 
 in halls w r here nine-tenths of his hearers were 
 in evening dress and where familiar faces 
 dotted the place; in overcrowded, smoke-reek 
 ing auditoriums, where not one man in three 
 wore a collar and where a score of nationalities 
 vied for precedence. 
 
 With a versatility that delighted Horrigan, 
 the candidate managed to adapt himself to 
 every audience, and, moreover, to impress his 
 hearers with a sense of his absolute sincerity 
 and honesty. In the crowded, polyglot meet 
 ings he hit on the plan of speaking to repre 
 sentatives of each race in their own language. 
 In a single evening, so the papers recorded, he 
 had made speeches in English, French, Ger- 
 63
 
 The New Mayor. 63 
 
 man, Italian and Spanish. At some meetings 
 toughs had tried to confuse him by interrupt 
 ing with questions, joking comment or insult. 
 For each, Alwyn, without breaking the thread 
 of his discourse, found some quick reply so 
 apt as to turn the laugh on his tormentor and 
 turn the audience s sympathy to himself. 
 
 At last Election Day came and went. And 
 Alwyn Bennett by a fair majority carried his 
 entire ticket to victory. Even his severest 
 critics in the organization were forced to ad 
 mit that Bennett, and Bennett alone, had 
 saved the party from severe defeat. Horri- 
 gan s judgment and choice of men for the 
 thousandth time in the Boss s crooked political 
 career was vindicated, and Horrigan himself 
 was overjoyed beyond measure. Nor did the 
 fact that he had failed to oust Alderman 
 Phelan in the primaries wholly cloud the Boss s 
 delight. 
 
 There was, however, a slight cloud on Al- 
 wyn s own triumph. For Dallas Wainwright 
 was not present to share that triumph. With 
 in a few days after Horrigan s visit to the 
 Wainwright place, Dallas had gone with an 
 aunt on an eight months tour of Europe and 
 the Mediterranean. But Perry, who at her 
 secret request had kept her posted on every 
 detail of the stirring campaign, cabled her the
 
 64 The New Mayor. 
 
 result on election night. And the following 
 day a reply message of congratulation crossed 
 the Atlantic to gladden Alwyn s heart. By 
 a letter that followed a week later, Dallas 
 asked the first political favor the future Mayor 
 was called upon to grant. She begged that in 
 his office Bennett would try to find a place for 
 Cynthia Garrison. In consequence of which, 
 when the young man made up his list of per 
 sonal appointments, Miss Garrison found her 
 self listed as assistant private secretary at a 
 decidedly comfortable salary. 
 
 It was while she was working in that capac 
 ity in the Mayor s private room in the City 
 Hall, during Bennett s lunch hour, one day 
 in midwinter, that her solitude was broken bjr 
 the entrance of a visitor. 
 
 Perry Wainwright, redolent of bandbox and 
 soap as ever, found his way past the door 
 keeper and burst into the sanctum. 
 
 "Hello!" was his greeting. "His Honor 
 isn t around?" 
 
 "No," answered Cynthia demurely, looking 
 up from her work with the most businesslike 
 air she could assume; "he s out at lunch." 
 
 "I knew he would be," grinned Perry. "I 
 timed it fine, didn t I?" 
 
 "If you knew he was out, why did you 
 come?" she asked severely. "You know I
 
 The New Mayor. 65 
 
 never receive callers during business hours. If 
 you didn t come to see Mr. Bennett " 
 
 "But I did. Honest I did. I have a mes 
 sage for him. It s awf ly important. He 
 mustn t miss it." 
 
 "Perhaps you ll leave it with me? I 
 can " 
 
 "No; it s got an answer to it. I ll have to 
 wait, I suppose." 
 
 He sat down, uninvited, with an air of mock 
 resignation that was too much for Cynthia s 
 gravity. 
 
 "Perry Wainwright !" she exclaimed in ex 
 asperation, "how often am I to tell you you 
 mustn t bother me here in office hours?" 
 
 "Now you ve hurt my feelings," announced 
 Perry in solemn conviction. "But," he added, 
 generously, "I ll forgive you; and to prove it 
 I ll give you a peace offering. See? Your old 
 Boston terriers, Betty and Prince Charlie, and 
 me holding them." 
 
 And he laid before her a photograph. She 
 caught it up with a little cry of pleasure. 
 
 "Oh, the beauties!" she exclaimed. 
 
 "We do look well in that pose," he admitted 
 modestly. 
 
 "I was speaking of the dogs," she reproved 
 him with lofty scorn.
 
 66 The New Mayor. 
 
 "But I m in the picture, too," he explained. 
 "I m the one with the hat on. And 
 
 "Thank you so much for the picture. I 
 shall keep it always. They re the nicest dogs 
 I ever had." 
 
 "I m nice, too; and it ain t my fault I m 
 not a dog. I 
 
 "I told you once before not to give up hope. 
 You ll grow. I- 
 
 "I told that to some fellows at the club and 
 we tried to figure it out, and we decided you 
 were guying me." 
 
 "What clever men you must be at that club ! 
 Are you going to the Administration Ball 
 next week?" 
 
 "Are you?" 
 
 "Why?" 
 
 "Because that s the answer. I ve never been 
 to an Administration Ball, but if you re there 
 I guess it 
 
 "Don t be silly! The Administration Ball 
 is a very great function indeed. I ve been 
 asking questions about it. Not only every one 
 connected with the Administration goes, but 
 all sorts of capitalists and other people like 
 that. I ve heard that some of the biggest 
 financial deals are arranged during that ball. 
 Isn t it queer?" 
 
 "Not especially. There s a deal I m think-
 
 The New Mayor. 67 
 
 ing of putting through, myself, that night, if 
 I don t get a good chance earlier. A deal that 
 means a lot to me." 
 
 "Then why wait till the ball? Why 
 not- 
 
 "I d do it now, only Bennett might come 
 in before 
 
 "What a worker Mr. Bennett is!" broke in 
 Cynthia, turning very pink and hastening to 
 change the subject. 
 
 "In the old days we thought he was the soul 
 of laziness. But now he s working here night 
 and day. He s not only the youngest Mayor 
 this city ever had, but I think he s the busiest, 
 too. He- 
 
 The eulogy on the new Mayor was cut short 
 by that dignitary s appearance from the center 
 room. As Alwyn paused to hang up his coat 
 and hat and pull off his gloves, Cynthia bent 
 once more over her work, while Perry straight 
 ened up and tried to look as though he really 
 had business of pressing importance with His 
 Honor. 
 
 The months had brought changes to Ben 
 nett. There were care lines on his face and his 
 eyes were tired. A few silver threads, too, had 
 crept into the darker hair on his temples. There 
 was little now about him to suggest the idler.
 
 68 The New Mayor. 
 
 "Well, old man," he exclaimed on seeing 
 Perry, "what s the excuse this time?" 
 
 "The what?" asked the youth, uneasily. 
 
 "The excuse. You come here when I m 
 likely to be out about four times a w r eek, and 
 always with a perfectly new excuse for your 
 intrusion. I tolerate you for the originality; 
 of those excuses. What is to-day s?" 
 
 "I have no need of an excuse," replied 
 Perry with an air of hurt dignity. "I am the 
 bearer of a most important message to you." 
 
 "From whom?" 
 
 "From from Dallas is home. Land 
 ed this morning." 
 
 A light came into the Mayor s tired eyes at 
 the news. 
 
 "And the message?" he asked eagerly. 
 
 "That s the message. She s home." 
 
 "She sent you to tell me that?" 
 
 "No; not exactly that," evaded Perry, wrig 
 gling uncomfortably. 
 
 "Well, what was her message then?" 
 
 "She she didn t send any." 
 
 "Then who sent the message that she has 
 come home?" 
 
 "Well, the fact is I sent it myself. That s 
 why I brought it." 
 
 "Oh, you poor idiot!" laughed Bennett. 
 "The same old excuse in a new shape 1 Well,
 
 The New Mayor. 69 
 
 now you re here, you can stay just five min 
 utes. I m too busy to play with little boys 
 to-day." 
 
 "Little boys! I ll be twenty- two next 
 spring. I 
 
 "Any messages while I was out, Miss Gar 
 rison?" 
 
 "Yes, one," answered Cynthia. "Your 
 mother telephoned that she would be here at 
 half-past two. She said she had a surprise 
 for you." 
 
 "Say," remarked Perry, feeling he was be 
 ing excluded from the talk, "I d go easy on 
 that surprise if I were you, Alwyn. I ve had 
 surprises over the telephone myself, and they re 
 punk. Once a girl 
 
 "Alderman Phelan would like to speak to 
 Your Honor," said Ingram, the old doorkeep 
 er, popping out of the anteroom. 
 
 "Show him in," answered Bennett. "Now, 
 then, Perry 
 
 "Were you about to ask me to stay a while 
 longer?" asked the boy; "because I m sorry, 
 but I can t. Good-by. Good-afternoon, Miss 
 Garrison. Glad you liked the photo. So long. 
 Maybe I ll bring another message from Dallas 
 to-morrow." 
 
 "What can Phelan want of me, I wonder?" 
 mused Bennett, half aloud. "He and I scarce-
 
 70 The New Mayor. 
 
 ly Good-afternoon, Alderman! I think 
 
 this is the first time you ve honored me with a 
 visit." 
 
 "Then be lenient with a first offense, Your 
 Honor," suggested Phelan, shaking hands with 
 the Mayor and nodding pleasantly to Cynthia 
 as she passed out to her own office. 
 
 "Something important, I suppose/ hazard 
 ed Bennett. 
 
 "Maybe it is important and maybe it isn t," 
 returned Phelan. "It all depends on whether 
 that was a true story in the Chronicle to-day 
 about your vetoing the Borough Street Rail 
 way bill. If you ve really vetoed that bill all 
 I ll have to do is to say, Sorry I can t stay 
 longer, and get out." 
 
 "No," said Bennett, "that announcement 
 wasn t authorized. I haven t vetoed the Bor 
 ough Street Railway bill. In fact, I haven t 
 made public any decision on it. Why?" 
 
 "I m glad to hear it, and, that being the 
 case, I ll invite myself to a seat and stay awhile. 
 Say, Your Honor, on the level, that Borough 
 bill was the rawest thing that ever came across. 
 Gee! but they did their work with a meat-axe!" 
 
 "Then you weren t one of the Aldermen who 
 voted for it?" 
 
 "Me? Nothin doin . I don t belong to 
 Dick Horrigan s solid thirteen. He can t
 
 The New Mayor. 71 
 
 buy and sell me at his own terms like ne does 
 them thirteen geezers." 
 
 "And yet, Alderman, from your reputa 
 tion " 
 
 "From my reputation I m a crook, hey? 
 Well, there s crooks and crooks. And I m one 
 of the other kind, if I m crooked at all, which I 
 deny most enthoosiastically. At least I fol 
 low no Horrigan whistle." 
 
 "Then why are you here in regard to the 
 Borough bill?" 
 
 "Perhaps it s on the theory of set a thief to 
 catch a thief. " 
 
 "Well," laughed Bennett, amused in spite 
 of himself by the Alderman s frankness, "at 
 least you call a spade a spade." 
 
 "I sure don t refer to it vague, but as a 
 utensil. You don t need any foot-note ex 
 planations in one syllable when Jimmy 
 Phelan s talking. Every move a picture. If 
 I hadn t been through the game from shuffle 
 to cash in, would I be wise to what the Horri 
 gan crowd is framing up on you now? Say, 
 I ve done some raw work in my time, but this 
 Borough business is the coarsest yet. They 
 must think you re the original Mr, Good 
 Thing." 
 
 "You speak as if I were to be made respon 
 sible for "
 
 72 The New Mayor. 
 
 "And ain t you?" cried Phelan. "Sure you 
 are. When the people get wise to what they re 
 up against and commence to do their scream, 
 will they remember that So-and-so framed the 
 bill and that such and such Aldermen voted 
 for it? Not them. What the public will re 
 member is that you signed it. It ll go screech- 
 in down the corridors of time as the iniquitous 
 Borough Franchise bill that Bennett signed. 
 Catch the idea?" 
 
 "Yes," said Bennett grimly, "I understand. 
 But what I don t see is why you should have 
 taken the trouble to come here and warn, me 
 of this. You ve never shown any special fond 
 ness for me hitherto." 
 
 "That s right; but I ve shown bunches of un- 
 fondness for Chesty Dick Horrigan. And 
 Horrigan s the man who s rushin the Borough 
 bill through. Lord, what a bill! It s so 
 crooked that if it was laid out like a street the 
 man who tried to walk along it would meet 
 himself coming back. Why, Your Honor, 
 
 "Mr. Wainwright, Your Honor," said In 
 gram at the door; "says he won t detain you 
 long." 
 
 "Let him in if you like," suggested Phelan. 
 "I can wait. Shall I go into the other
 
 The New Mayor. 73 
 
 "No. Wait here if you choose. His busi 
 ness isn t likely to be private." 
 
 "I m sorry to break in on your rush hours," 
 said Wainwright as he advanced to greet the 
 Mayor. "I won t keep you long. Good-after 
 noon, Alderman." 
 
 "Howdy?" returned Phelan, walking over 
 to the far end of the office, where, by falling 
 into deep and admiring study of a particular 
 ly atrocious portrait of some earlier Mayor, he 
 denoted that he was temporarily out of the 
 conversation. 
 
 "I ll come to the point at once, Mr. Ben 
 nett," began Wainwright. "I called to see you 
 about the Borough Street Railway bill." 
 
 "That s an odd coincidence," answered Ben 
 nett. "I was going to call you up this after 
 noon and ask your opinion of it. What do you 
 think of the measure?" 
 
 "What does he think of it?" muttered 
 Phelan, addressing the portrait in an aside that 
 was perfectly audible. "What does he think 
 of it? And him ownin the rival road! Oh, 
 easy! Ask him a real hard one!" 
 
 "You re mistaken, Alderman," returned 
 Wainwright blandly. "I am inclined to favor 
 the passage of the Borough bill." 
 
 Phelan shot one keen glance of incredulity
 
 74 The New Mayor. 
 
 at the financier, then wheeled about and re 
 sumed his rapt study of the portrait. 
 
 "Yes," continued Wainwright; "I admit 
 that my City Surface Line is, in a way, the 
 rival of the Borough Street Railway. But in 
 a big city like this there s surely room for both 
 lines to carry on a prosperous business. So 
 why should they try to injure each other?" 
 
 "Why, oh, why?" echoed Phelan, again ad 
 dressing the portrait. "Can I be gettin so old 
 that I ve begun hearin queer things that s 
 never said?" 
 
 Wainwright paid no heed to the interpola 
 tion, but went on : 
 
 "Of course the franchise will be a good thing 
 for the Borough road, but it needn t hurt the 
 City Surface Line. Besides, the passing of the 
 bill made Borough stock rise from 63 to 81. 
 Then when that unauthorized announcement 
 was made to-day that Your Honor would veto 
 it, the stock tumbled from 81 to 73. Just see 
 what power rests with you, Mr. Bennett! If 
 you should veto the bill the Borough stock will 
 slump to almost nothing. Think what that 
 will mean to widows and orphans and all sorts 
 of poor people who have invested all their sav 
 ings in that stock!" 
 
 "I ll be hearin harps twangin next!" 
 groaned Phelan in wonder. "Has the poor,
 
 The New Mayor. 75 
 
 dear man got swellin of the heart, or is he 
 maybe the advance agent of the millennium? 
 To think of old Tightwad Wainwright " 
 
 Ingram forestalled any reply from the 
 financier by entering with the tidings that 
 Thompson was in the anteroom with an impor 
 tant message for Wainwright. 
 
 "May I see him in here?" asked the visitor. 
 "It is my private secretary and 
 
 "Certainly," asserted Bennett. "Show him 
 in, Ingram." 
 
 "I d like to see a private secretary of mine 
 come buttin in like this," confided Phelan to 
 the picture. "I d chase him so far he d dis 
 cover a new street. I d 
 
 The Alderman broke off short. His eye 
 had fallen on Thompson as the latter entered. 
 Phelan stood rigid, with mouth open and eyes 
 bulging, taking in every detail of the quiet, 
 pallid young man s appearance. The secre 
 tary, meanwhile, had gone up to Wainwright 
 and begun to deliver his message. 
 
 "Mr. Horrigan called you up, sir," said he, 
 "just a minute or so after you left the office. 
 He wishes you to come and see him iimnediate- 
 ly, if possible." 
 
 "All right," answered the financier. "I ll 
 come at once. I m sorry, Your Honor, that 
 I am called away just now, for I d like to dis-
 
 76 The New Mayor. 
 
 cuss this Borough bill further with you. But 
 what I wished to express can be said in a nut 
 shell. If I, who own the rival road, am in favor 
 of granting the Borough franchise, I can t see 
 why any one else should object to it. Come on, 
 Thompson. Good-day, Your Honor. Good- 
 day, Alderman." 
 
 The financier passed out. Thompson was 
 following when Phelan, who had never once 
 removed his eyes from the secretary, stepped 
 in front of him. 
 
 "Well, young man!" said he. 
 
 "Well, sir?" said Thompson in mild sur 
 prise. 
 
 "You remember me?" 
 
 "I don t think so, sir." 
 
 "H m! That s queer! I m Alderman 
 Phelan of the Eighth." 
 
 "I ve read about you, of course, sir, but 
 j " 
 
 "But you don t know me? Never met me 
 before?" 
 
 "I m sorry, sir, but I can t recall it if I did. 
 Good-day, sir." 
 
 The secretary hurried out after his employ 
 er. Phelan, with a puzzled shake of the head, 
 seemed trying to solve some elusive problem. 
 But Bennett, who had not noted the brief scene
 
 The New Mayor. 77 
 
 between Thompson and the Alderman, broke 
 in on the latter s musing with the remark: 
 
 "You appeared to be amazed at Mr. Wain- 
 wright s attitude toward the Borough Street 
 Railway franchise." 
 
 Amazed is a mild, gentle word for my 
 feeling," declared the Alderman. "To hear 
 that old flint-heart prattlin about widows and 
 orphans and fair play why, say, Your Honor 
 I know Charles Wainwright from way back, 
 and I tell you he has the same affection for 
 the money of widows and orphans that a tom 
 cat has for a canary. As for fair play he 
 wouldn t recognize it if he was to hear it 
 through a megaphone. He s up to something ! 
 I don t know just what, but I ll " 
 
 "Come! come!" remonstrated Bennett good- 
 humoredly. "I m sure you do Wainwright an 
 in j ustice. He 
 
 "He s a fine old bird! Do you chance to 
 remember the Garrison case, nine years back? 
 President Garrison of the Israel Putnam Trust 
 Company 
 
 "Who shot himself after being ruined by a 
 financier who was his dearest friend? Yes. 
 What has that to do with " 
 
 "With Wainwright? Oh, nothin much. 
 Only Wainwright happened to be the finan 
 cier."
 
 78 The New Mayor. 
 
 "No! You must be mistaken. * 
 
 "Am I? I ought to know something about 
 it. I was Chief of Police at the time and han 
 dled the case. It was I who suppressed Wain- 
 wright s name. For a small consideration 
 
 "Wainwright!" gasped Bennett. "Of all 
 men! But- 
 
 "So you see why I coppered the mercy and 
 fair play cards when he dealt em just now," 
 purred Phelan. "There s something big be 
 hind this talk of his in favor of the Borough 
 bill. Wasn t it at his house last summer that 
 Horrigan offered you the nomination? That s 
 the story. And " 
 
 "Yes; on the 25th of July. He ." 
 
 "The 25th of July, hey? That was the day 
 he had me out there. The day I met that feller 
 Gibbs. By the way, Your Honor, the papers 
 say it s Gibbs s firm that s buyin all that Bor 
 ough stock. They ve been buyin it up, on the 
 quiet, for months. I begin to see a lot of fun 
 ny little lights that make this thing clearer. 
 Gibbs is buyin Borough stock. He s Wain- 
 wright s chum. Horrigan and Wainwright 
 frame up your nomination. Then, the minute 
 you come into power, this Borough Franchise 
 bill is flashed on you by Horrigan, an Wain 
 wright begs you to sign it. Take my tip -
 
 The New Mayor. 79 
 
 Wainwright owns the Borough road, as well 
 as the City Surface. And Horrigan s gettin 
 a fat swad of stock for arrangin the franchise. 
 Oh, they ve got Your Honor all tied up in rib 
 bons, like you was a measly bookay. You and 
 me ought to get together and fight this thing 
 out, side by side. An when once I get the 
 Indian sign on Dick Horrigan 
 
 "But I ve no personal quarrel with Horri 
 gan. He- 
 
 " You ve the same quarrel with him that the 
 pigeon has with the muskrat. If you don t use 
 your wings you ll be swallowed. Let me put 
 you on to a few of the little jokers in that bill 
 of his. You see 
 
 "I see more about that bill than you think," 
 interposed Bennett. "I ve worked over it 
 night after night with my lawyer. Don t you 
 get the idea I ve been asleep just because I 
 haven t been making any premature disturb 
 ance." 
 
 "I think," observed Phelan slowly "I think 
 I m beginnin to get a new line on you and 
 understand you better. If it s any joy to 
 you to know it, Jimmy Phelan said: You re 
 all right! " 
 
 He held out his hand, and Bennett gripped 
 it cordially. 
 
 "I m glad we had this talk, Alderman," said
 
 80 The New Mayor. 
 
 he. "We are fighting from different points of 
 view, but our main object is the same. I think 
 we can pull together on this matter." 
 
 "We sure can!" agreed Phelan. "An* as 
 for Horrigan, when I m done with him he ll 
 be rolled up in a nice bundle and I ll print on 
 it in big letters: Use all the hooks you like! 
 
 "Mrs. Bennett, sir," said Ingram. 
 
 "I thought you was single!" exclaimed 
 Phelan. 
 
 "It s my mother. Show her in." 
 
 From the musty antechamber came the 
 rustle of feminine attire, and Mrs. Bennett 
 came in. Devoted as he was to his mother, 
 Alwyn now had no eyes for her, for over her 
 shoulder he had caught a glimpse of another 
 face.
 
 ALDERMAN PHELAN TELLS HOW HE "PICNICS 
 HIS CONSTITUENTS IN SUMMER, AND * TUR 
 KEYS " THEM IN WINTER. Page 82.
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 IN TROUBLED WATERS. 
 
 "DALLAS!" cried Bennett, oblivious of his 
 surroundings of everything except that the 
 girl he had so long missed, and who had in 
 spired him to all he had achieved was stand 
 ing before him.- 
 
 It was Dallas herself who brought him to a 
 sense of the others presence. For, as he sprang 
 forward to meet her and eagerly grasped both 
 her outstretched hands, the girl bowed in mock 
 reverence and answered his ardent greeting 
 with a demure 
 
 "Good-afternoon, Your Honor!" 
 
 "Don t!" he begged, half in jest. "It s so 
 good to see you again that I 
 
 "I sent word that I had a surprise for you, 
 Alwyn," interrupted his mother. "I knew it 
 would please you. But," with a glance at the 
 Alderman, "you re busy? Perhaps we 
 
 "Not at all, mother. May I present Alder 
 man Phelan? Miss Wainwright, this is " 
 
 81
 
 82 The New Mayor. 
 
 "Alderman Phelan, of the Eighth," amend 
 ed the politician, thoroughly ill at ease in the 
 presence of the visitors. "I must be goin now, 
 Your Honor. I 
 
 But Dallas had come forward with a smile 
 that melted the speaker s embarrassment in 
 an instant. 
 
 "The Alderman Phelan who gives turkeys 
 to all those poor people at Christmas?" she 
 asked in genuine interest. "I ve often read 
 about- 
 
 "The same, ma am, at your service," assent 
 ed the delighted Phelan. "I fill em with tur 
 key and coal in winter and I take their wives 
 and kids on outings in summer. Ever been 
 to one of the James Q. Phelan outings, miss?" 
 
 "No," replied Dallas, with a perfectly grave 
 face. "I m sorry to say I haven t. Tell me 
 about them, won t you?" 
 
 "They ve got to be seen to be understood. 
 A thousand poor tired wives and white-faced, 
 spindly kids turned out into the country for 
 the only glimpse of green grass and shady trees 
 they ever get all year. A thousand mothers 
 and children out in a cool grove with nothing 
 to do but roll around the soft grass and play 
 and eat all the fancy grub they can hold. May 
 be, miss, it wouldn t mean a lot to you, but if 
 you d been workin twelve months in a stuffy,
 
 The New Mayor. 83 
 
 dark, smelly back tenement room, toilin like 
 a slave to keep food an clothes betwixt the kids 
 an starvation, an was barely able to keep body 
 an soul together well, maybe then you d un 
 derstand what them outings an turkey-fests 
 an loads of coal means to the poor; an they 
 won t turn down Jimmy Phelan at Horrigan s 
 orders." 
 
 "I do understand," cried Dallas, her big eyes 
 bright with tears. "I understand, and, in be 
 half of all women and children, I thank you 
 with my whole heart!" 
 
 "You re all right, miss!" muttered the de 
 lighted, embarrassed Phelan, at once at a loss 
 for words. "You re you re all right! I ll 
 leave it to His Honor if 
 
 "Indeed she is!" broke in a suave voice, at 
 whose sound the little spell of sentiment was 
 broken and which caused Phelan and Bennett 
 to turn in annoyance toward the door. 
 
 Scott Gibbs, bland, well-groomed, quite ig 
 noring the other men s lack of welcome, stood 
 bowing on the threshold. 
 
 "Oh, I forgot to tell you, Alwyn," whispered 
 Mrs. Bennett in a hurried aside to her son, as 
 the latter summoned up sufficient civility to 
 greet the newcomer "I forgot to tell you. 
 Mr. Gibbs was calling on Dallas when I
 
 84 The New Mayor. 
 
 stopped for her, and he asked leave to come 
 along. I m sorry, but 
 
 "How are you, Bennett?" Gibbs was say 
 ing. "And Mr. Phelan, too, isn t it? Alder 
 man, I m glad to see you again. You remem 
 ber me? Scott Gibbs? I met " 
 
 "Yes," said Phelan; "I remember you, all 
 right. You was up to Wainwright s last sum 
 mer, that day me an Horrigan sent the dove 
 of peace screechin up a tree. I didn t know 
 you visited the City Hall, too." 
 
 "I don t, as a rule," answered Gibbs. "I 
 came here with Mrs. Bennett and Miss Wain- 
 wright. I w r anted a glimpse of the man who 
 can make one pen-stroke that will send Bor 
 ough Street Railway stock up to 100 or down 
 to 10." 
 
 "Do you mean," broke in Dallas, "that Mr. 
 Bennett can really have such an effect on the 
 stock market?" 
 
 "That and more," Gibbs assured her. "Why, 
 the mere rumor that he meant to veto the Bor 
 ough s Franchise bill has sent the stock tum 
 bling eight points since the market opened to 
 day." 
 
 "What power for one man!" exclaimed the 
 girl, turning to Bennett in surprise. "And 
 are you going to veto it?"
 
 The New Mayor. 85 
 
 "Office secrets," reproved Alwyn jestingly. 
 "Hands off!" 
 
 "Veto it!" echoed Gibbs with a laugh. "Of 
 course he isn t. It would be too hard upon his 
 friends unfair and unkind, to say the least." 
 
 "But why?" queried Dallas, forestalling Al 
 wyn, who was about to speak. 
 
 "Because," cut in Gibbs, before Bennett 
 could interfere, "the men who are backing the 
 Borough bill are the men who made him 
 Mayor. It wouldn t be square for him to turn 
 his new power against the very men who gave 
 him that power. Now, would it?" 
 
 "By the men who are backing the bill* 
 whom do you mean?" asked Bennett. 
 
 "Oh, I just spoke in generalities. As a mat 
 ter of fact, the break in the price to-day was 
 lucky for those who wanted to buy." 
 
 "An your firm s doin most of the buy in , 
 I m told," interpolated Phelan. 
 
 "We have a great deal of the stock, I ad 
 mit," said Gibbs. "So you see, Bennett, you 
 can make me or break me. I place myself in 
 your hands." 
 
 "I see you are taking a most unfair advan 
 tage of me, Mr. Gibbs," retorted Alwyn with 
 some heat. "You have no right to thrust this 
 information on me and to appeal 
 
 "But I was only "
 
 86 The New Mayor. 
 
 "You were trying to influence my action to 
 ward the Borough bill. You cannot do it." 
 
 "Why, I didn t think you d be angry 
 at- 
 
 "I m not. Let s drop the subject, please." 
 
 "I only answered Miss Wainwright s ques 
 tions. I- 
 
 "We ll leave Miss Wainwright s name out 
 of the matter," replied Bennett. 
 
 "Certainly, if you like," assented Gibbs, with 
 a shrug of his broad shoulders. "I am afraid 
 my time is up. Good-day, Bennett. I m sor 
 ry you misconstrued " 
 
 "I didn t. Good-day." 
 
 "I ll be on my way, too," announced Phelan, 
 breaking the awkward pause that followed 
 Gibbs s exit. "Ladies, I m proud to have met 
 you. If either of you knows a poor woman 
 needin a turkey, or a family wantin an out 
 ing, just drop me a line, and I ll see they get 
 it. An they needn t come from my ward, 
 neither." 
 
 "That s bad politics, Alderman!" laughed 
 Bennett. 
 
 "It s good humanity, though. There s two 
 things I love to do: First, to down the man 
 who s me enemy, an second, to give good times 
 to folks who s strangers to fun. Good-by,
 
 The New Mayor. 87 
 
 Your Honor; I ll be in agin, now I ve found 
 my way. Good-by, ladies." 
 
 "Alwyn," said Mrs. Bennett, as the Alder 
 man bowed himself out with many flourishes, 
 "I want to see Cynthia. Can I go into her 
 office now, or is she too busy? I ll be back in 
 a few minutes, Dallas, and bring her with me. 
 I know how anxious she is to see you again." 
 
 "I wonder what Phelan would think of that 
 for raw work!" thought Alwyn, as the old 
 lady bustled into the inner room, leaving Dal 
 las and himself alone. Perhaps Dallas, too, 
 understood, for her manner was less assured 
 than usual as her eyes met his. 
 
 "It is so good so good to see you again," 
 he said. "It seems years instead of months 
 since you went away." 
 
 "But how splendidly you ve filled the time! 
 And what a magnificent fight you made! I 
 was so proud of you, Alwyn!" 
 
 "Really? I remember you once said I was 
 a mere idler a rich man s son and that you 
 weren t at all proud of me." 
 
 "That is past. We must forget it. You 
 are awake now." 
 
 "Forget it? Not for worlds! I owe all my 
 success to you, Dallas. It was your face that 
 strengthened me when there seemed no hope. 
 It was the memory of your words that kept me
 
 88 The New Mayor. 
 
 brave and made me resolve to win against all 
 odds. You were my inspiration, the light in 
 my darkness. At each step I thought Dallas 
 would be glad, or Dallas would not approve 
 of this. And I steered my course accordingly 
 to victory." 
 
 "No, no!" murmured the girl. "It was your 
 own courage your strength 
 
 "Not mine. It was your faith in me. Do 
 you know, I think no man ever accomplishes 
 anything by himself. There s always a wom 
 an, I think, behind every great achievement. 
 The world at large does not see her but she s 
 in the heart of every man who is making the 
 fight. He battles in her name as did the 
 knights of old. And the triumph is hers, not 
 his. Whether his reward is the crown of love 
 or the crown of thorns, she is the inspiration." 
 
 "Then if I had a share in your success, I am 
 very happy, Alwyn. For your name is in every 
 mouth. You are the man of the hour., even 
 as you were in the olden days on the football 
 field. Oh, I am proud of you! Very, very 
 proud. There is a glorious future before you." 
 
 "That all rests in your dear hands," cried 
 Alwyn. 
 
 "Future or present, Dallas, it s all the same ; 
 if only you 
 
 "Say, Bennett!" roared a deep voice as the
 
 The New Mayor. 89 
 
 v- 
 
 door from the outer office was banged open 
 and Kerrigan, red-faced and angry, burst in, 
 
 "I understand that you ve Oh, I didn t 
 
 know you had a lady calling on you," he broke 
 off. 
 
 "Well, I have," retorted Bennett, furious at 
 the untimely intrusion. "Ingram should have 
 
 v <U 
 
 told you that at the door." 
 
 "I don t stop to hear what folks tell me at 
 doors. I ll wait outside till you re alone." 
 "Don t trouble to wait. Good-by I" 
 "You can bet I ll trouble to wait," snarled 
 Horrigan. "There s something you and I have 
 got to settle to-day. Understand ? I ll be out 
 side. Don t keep me waiting long!"
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE MAYOR AND THE BOSS. 
 
 "WHAT a strange man!" exclaimed Dallas 
 Wainwright in wonder, as the anteroom door 
 slammed behind the Boss. "And what utter 
 ly abominable manners! Who is he, Alwyn?" 
 
 "Homgan." 
 
 "Richard Horrigan, the 
 
 "The Boss. Yes. He has a pleasing way 
 of stamping into this office, unasked, as if he 
 owned it and as if I were his clerk. But to 
 day s behavior was the worst yet. It s got to 
 stop!" 
 
 "But don t do or say anything reckless, Al 
 wyn ! Promise me. Remember how strong he 
 is!" 
 
 "There is no danger of his letting me forget 
 his power," said Bennett with a bitter smile. 
 
 TT 
 
 Jtie 
 
 "But you ll be careful, won t you? Please 
 do! For my sake. And you mustn t keep 
 him waiting if there s a way out through Cyn- 
 
 90
 
 The New Mayor. 91 
 
 thia s office. We ll go by that. Good-by. I ll 
 explain to your mother. Office business must 
 come first. Won t you call this evening? I ll 
 be home and alone." 
 
 Despite Bennett s remonstrances she was 
 firm; and it was in no pleasant frame of mind 
 that the Mayor threw himself into a seat when 
 he was left alone in the room. That the talk 
 with Dallas, which had promised so much for 
 him, should be thus rudely interrupted. 
 That Horrigan flung open the door and 
 stamped in. The Boss s anger had by no means 
 subsided, in the few moments of delay, but 
 had rather grown until it vibrated in his every 
 word and gesture. He wasted no time in for 
 malities, but came to the point with all the 
 tender grace and tact of a pile-driver. 
 
 "Look here, Bennett," he rumbled, menace 
 underlying tone and look. "I m told Phelan s 
 been here this afternoon. What did he want?" 
 
 "To see me," answered Bennett calmly, the 
 effort at self-control visible only in the whiten 
 ing of the knuckles that gripped the desk edge, 
 
 "What did he want to see you about?" 
 
 "A business matter." 
 
 "What business matter?" 
 
 "Mine." 
 
 "Yours, eh?" sneered Horrigan. "Well, 
 young man, I want you to understand here
 
 92 The New Mayor. 
 
 and now, that no one can be chummy with Jim 
 Phelan and be my man at the same time. Got 
 that through your head?" 
 
 "Yes," assented Bennett, "I think I have. 
 And, while we re speaking plainly, I want you 
 to understand, here and now, that no one can 
 bully me, either here or elsewhere, and that 
 I m no man s man. Have you got that through 
 your head?" 
 
 ITorrigan starea in savage amazement. He 
 doubted if his ears had not played him false. 
 Bennett had always treated the Boss with uni 
 form courtesy and Horrigan belonged to the 
 too-numerous class who do not understand 
 until too late the difference between gentle 
 breeding and weak cowardice. That a man 
 should speak to him courteously and not inter 
 lard his talk with oaths, obscenity or roughness, 
 seemed to Horrigan, as it does to many an 
 other boor, an evidence of timidity and lack of 
 virility. A Damascus blade is a far more harm 
 less-looking weapon than a bludgeon, yet it is 
 capable, when the necessity arises, of far dead 
 lier work. 
 
 It is only the man whose gentleness has not 
 granite strength as its foundation, who de 
 serves the newly-popular term of "mollycod 
 dle." 
 
 Had Horrigan s large experience with men
 
 The New Mayor. 93 
 
 been extended to embrace this fact he would 
 probably never have picked out Alwyn Ben 
 nett, in the first place, as a candidate for 
 Mayor, nor deemed the younger man a fit tool 
 for the organization s crooked work. The 
 French nobles of the old regime, whose polish 
 of manner was the envy of the world, fought 
 like devils on occasion and went to death on the 
 scaffold with a smile and a jest on their lips; 
 while many a brutal demagogue, in the same 
 circumstances, broke down and screamed for 
 mercy. However, Horrigan chanced to be 
 more familiar with the history of the organiza 
 tion than with that of France. Hence, deem 
 ing Bennett s reply a mere sporadic flash of de 
 fiance from a properly cowed spirit, he resolved 
 to crush the rebellion at a blow. 
 
 "Don t give me any insolence!" he roared. 
 "I won t stand for it and " 
 
 "Moreover," quietly continued Bennett, as 
 though the Boss had not spoken, "I shall be 
 very much obliged if, in future, you will knock 
 at my door instead of bursting in on me. This 
 is my private office, not yours." 
 
 "Do you mean to " 
 
 "I ve explained as clearly as I can just what 
 I mean. If you don t understand me I can t 
 supply you with intelligence." 
 
 "Bennett," said the Boss, his burning rage
 
 94 The New Mayor. 
 
 steadied down to a white heat, far more dan 
 gerous but less incoherent, "you and me are 
 talking too much and saying too little. We ve 
 got to come to a show-down. You re a clever 
 boy and you made a rattling good fight, and 
 you re on the right side of the public and of 
 the press, too. You re the best material we ve 
 got, and if you try and do the right thing, 
 there s no limit to what you can rise to. But 
 only if you do the right thing." 
 
 "The right thing? " echoed Bennett. 
 "What do you mean by the right thing?" 
 
 "I mean you ve got to do the right thing by 
 the men who put you where you are to-day." 
 
 "That s fair; but who put me where I am 
 to-day? " 
 
 "I did I, Dick Horrigan! Whoever heard 
 of you till I took you up? Nobody. If I 
 didn t make you Mayor, who did, I d like to 
 know?" 
 
 "The voters. The people of this city." 
 
 "The voters!" scoffed Horrigan; "the deuce 
 they did! Who had you nominated?" 
 
 "You did; but it was the public who elected 
 me, and I m going to obey your orders in one 
 thing I m going to do the right thing by the 
 men who put me where I am to-day. I m 
 going to pay the voters for their trust in me 
 by giving them a fair and square admmistra-
 
 The New Mayor. 95 
 
 tion. In the case of this Borough Street Rail 
 way Franchise bill, for instance," tapping the 
 document lying before him on his desk, "be 
 fore I sign that bill I intend to make sure it s 
 for the good of the people, that it is for the 
 good of the city, not merely for the good of 
 Richard Horrigan and a clique of his friends 
 and heelers. Is r o, don t swear! It ll do you 
 no good. I m firm on this matter. If you re 
 discontented with me, it s your own fault. I 
 warned you months ago that if I was elected 
 I should keep my oath of office. As for this 
 Borough bill 
 
 "As for this Borough bill," broke in Horri 
 gan savagely, "you ll sign it. If you 
 don t- 
 
 "Well?" queried Bennett, as the Boss 
 paused, choked by his own fury. "If I don t 
 sign it what then?" 
 
 "If you don t, your political career is ended 
 from this time on. See? It s ended! Smashed 
 flat! You think of yourself as a fine, promis 
 ing young man who s on the road to the Gov 
 ernorship and maybe to the White House. 
 Well, you aren t. You re what Dick Horri 
 gan made you. And your future will be what 
 Dick Horrigan chooses to make it. I lifted 
 you up and I can tear you down just as easy. 
 And, what s more, by , I ll do it if you
 
 96 The New Mayor. 
 
 don t sign the Borough bill. I m a man of my 
 word, and before ever you were nominated I 
 pledged my word to have that bill put through. 
 The bill paid your election expenses. It 
 
 "I paid my own election expenses. You 
 know that." 
 
 "Your personal expenses, perhaps. But 
 who paid for parades, halls, banners, fireworks, 
 speakers, advertisements, workers and watch 
 ers and all the other million things that elected 
 you? The men behind that Borough bill paid 
 them. And they did it on the understanding 
 that you d sign the bill." 
 
 "In other words," remarked Bennett, "you 
 made a bargain for me, but you can t keep it." 
 
 "Oh, I ll keep it all right. You ll sign that 
 bill, or you ll- 
 
 "Mr. Horrigan," exclaimed Bennett, con 
 trolling his temper with more and more diffi 
 culty, "you said something just now about our 
 coming to a show-down. This is the time for 
 it. I want you to remember henceforth that I 
 wear no man s collar yours or any one else s 
 and that you can t deliver any goods you ve 
 bargained for in my name. If I sign that bill 
 it won t be under your orders, but because I 
 think it right." 
 
 "Oh!" laughed Horrigan, who thought he 
 began to see the drift of the other s mind. "I
 
 BENNETT LAYS DOWN THE LAW TO THE ASTONISHED 
 BOSS. HORRIGAN. Page 96-
 
 The New Mayor. 97 
 
 don t hold out for that. "I don t care why you 
 sign it as long as you do sign it. * 
 
 "What do you think about the bill yourself?" 
 inquired Alwyn. "Do you consider it honest?" 
 
 "What do I care? It s got to be signed 
 and " 
 
 "I care; and I think the bill is fraudulent." 
 
 "Getting tender in the conscience, aren t 
 you? Well " 
 
 "If you put it that way, yes. I think this 
 Borough bill is crooked from first to last. 
 But- 
 
 " What s the matter with it? Ain t " 
 
 "Let me explain," pursued Alwyn. "This 
 bill gives the Borough Street Railway Com 
 pany the right to use whatever motive power 
 they choose to. It gives them the right to 
 charge five-cent fares without any transfers. 
 In one paragraph there s a clause permitting 
 them to build a subway if they want one. By 
 another paragraph s concessions they can build 
 a conduit and lease it out for telephone or tele 
 graph wires. By another they can do an ex 
 press business. But all these provisions are as 
 nothing compared to the fact that the bill gives 
 the streets above and below ground to the Bor 
 ough Company forever and ever not for a 
 term of years, but until the end of the world. 
 It delivers that route to the company not only
 
 98 The New Mayor. 
 
 for our time, but for always, and binds us and 
 our descendants to its terms. That is the chief 
 outrage of the whole thing. To think that 
 the- 
 
 "Oh, we ve got a howling reformer in the 
 Mayor s chair, have we?" scoffed Horrigan. 
 "If I d known that " 
 
 "The people have got a man who is trying 
 to protect their rights and property. Here s a 
 letter I received to-day. You ll recognize the 
 name of the capitalist who wrote it. You know 
 he is honest as well as wise. This is his proposi 
 tion: He will pay $2,000,000 for that 
 same franchise, give the city 10 per cent, of 
 the gross receipts and turn over the whole plant 
 to it at the end of fifty years. What do you 
 think of that?" 
 
 "It s a fake." 
 
 "It is a bona-fide offer. He volunteers to 
 deposit $1,000,000 to bind the bargain. Now, 
 what I want to ask you, Mr. Horrigan, is this : 
 If the franchise is worth $2,000,000, why are 
 you and your faction in the Board of Alder 
 men so anxious to give it away for nothing?" 
 
 "Look here!" blustered the Boss. "I- 
 
 "I am looking," retorted Bennett; "I ve 
 been looking deeper into it than you realize. I 
 asked you a question just now. I ll answer it 
 myself in one word: Graft! That is why you
 
 The New Mayor. 99 
 
 want to give away a franchise that is worth 
 $2,000,000." 
 
 "Graft!" snorted Horrigan contemptuously. 
 "The same old reformer howl! What s your 
 idea of graft, anyway?" 
 
 "Graft is unearned increment. Money to 
 which the recipient has no legal or moral right. 
 That is- 
 
 "So! Then show me the man who ain t a 
 grafter! A lawyer shows his client how to 
 evade the law, and he takes a fee for doing it. 
 What s that but graft? A magazine takes pay 
 for printing an advertisement its editors know 
 is a fake. What s that? Graft! When a Con 
 gressman votes for an appropriation because 
 another Congressman has agreed to vote for 
 one of his, what s that? Graft! When a 
 five-thousand-a-year Senator retires at the end 
 of ten years worth a million, what s that? 
 Graft ! A police captain on $2,750 a year buys 
 yachts and country estates. Graft! How 
 about the railroad president who gets stock 
 free in a corporation that ships over his road? 
 Or the insurance man or banker who gives or 
 takes fat loans on fancy securities and clears 
 1,000 per cent.? Grafters, all of em! Graft 
 ers 1 Every one grafts who can or who isn t 
 too stupid. Show me a man who doesn t graft
 
 100 The New Mayor. 
 
 and I ll show you a fool! Present company 
 not excepted." 
 
 "That s where you re wrong," returned Al- 
 wyn, ignoring the slur and speaking with a 
 judicial quiet oddly at contrast with the Boss s 
 vehemence. "The man who said Honesty is 
 the best policy* knew what he was talking 
 about. It pays best not only hereafter but here 
 as well. Why did Missouri choose Folk for 
 Governor? Because, in spite of his faults, he 
 is honest. Why was La Follette sent to the 
 Senate from Wisconsin? Because, faults and 
 all, he was honest. Why did the people of this 
 country make Roosevelt their President? 
 Were they blind to his faults and foibles ? No ; 
 but they knew he was honest! I am honest. 
 This bill isn t. That is why I won t sign it." 
 
 "You won t, eh?" roared Horrigan. "Then 
 veto it! Veto it, if you dare. I ll not only 
 smash your political career, but I ll pass the 
 bill over your veto. That ll show you pretty 
 well how you and me stand as to power in this 
 city. I ll make you the laughing-stock of the 
 administration by taking the whole thing out 
 of your hands and passing it in spite of you." 
 
 "I doubt it," answered Bennett, paling, but 
 meeting coolly the fiery wrath in Horrigan s 
 little red eyes. "I intend to fight your Bor 
 ough bill in the Aldermanic Council and out-
 
 The New Mayor. 101 
 
 side that Council. To pass a bill over my veto 
 you ll have to get a two-thirds majority. That 
 means fourteen votes. You have only your 
 solid thirteen. And I ll make it my business 
 to see you don t get a fourteenth vote." 
 
 "I ll look out for that, all right, all right!" 
 
 "One thing more, Mr. Horrigan. I have 
 reason to believe there is bribery in this matter. 
 I ll ferret out the name of every man who gives 
 or takes a bribe in connection with the Bor 
 ough Franchise bill, and I ll send every one of 
 them to jail. Not only the Aldermen, but the 
 capitalists who are behind the measure. Re 
 ceiver and thief shall go to jail together." 
 
 "Is that so?" chuckled Horrigan. "Then, 
 Mr. Reformer, let me tell you who is really be 
 hind this whole affair the man you ll have to 
 jail first of all Mr. Charles Wainwright, 
 uncle of the girl you re trying to marry!" 
 
 He leaned back to note the effect of his 
 revelation. But Bennett s face moved no mus 
 cle, gave no hint of what lay beneath. 
 
 "Besides," went on Horrigan, eager to press 
 his advantage, "every cent of Miss Wain- 
 wright s fortune and of her brother s has been 
 put by Wainwright into Borough stock. If 
 the franchise is beaten that stock will collapse, 
 and Miss Wainwright will be a pauper. You ll 
 beggar the girl you re in love with and her
 
 102 The New Mayor. 
 
 young brother if you veto that bill. Now go 
 ahead and do as you like." 
 
 It was Horrigan s trump card and he had 
 played it well. White, silent, Bennett walked 
 back to his desk. The fight seemed all knocked 
 out of him. Heavily he moved, like a man 
 
 V 
 
 over-exhausted. Picking up a pen, he wrote 
 rapidly, then cast aside the pen, crossed to the 
 window and looked out into the snowy, crowd 
 ed park. 
 
 "You ve signed the bill?" cried Horrigan in 
 delight. 
 
 "I ve vetoed it!" replied Bennett.
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 
 
 A BROKEN PROMISE. 
 
 "THE Boss is turned down!" 
 
 This startling news flew, lightning fast, to 
 every quarter of the organization, and in its 
 wake spread a trail of incredulous amaze. 
 Every member, from Alderman to "heeler," 
 knew why Horrigan had made Bennett, Mayor. 
 That the latter should turn against his bene 
 factor seemed not only black ingratitude, but 
 something akin to insanity. For it apparently 
 spelled political suicide for the young man. 
 
 While neither of the disputants had repeated 
 the details of the quarrel, yet those details with 
 many another were already passing from 
 mouth to mouth in the mysterious fashion 
 whereby the closest kept secrets are divulged 
 and enlarged on. In the financial world, too, 
 the veto came as a bombshell. Borough Street 
 Railway stock fell with a thud that shook more 
 than one colossal fortune. Bennett central 
 point of the whole upheaval was the calmest 
 
 103
 
 104 The New Mayor. 
 
 man of all who were involved. He had chosen 
 his course and he was following it with a 
 dogged quiet far more dangerous than any 
 loud-mouthed bluster. He had laid out a cam 
 paign and that campaign he rigidly followed. 
 
 His first step was to send for Perry Wain- 
 wright early on the morning following the 
 clash with Horrigan, and, under strict pledge 
 of secrecy, to explain the whole complicated 
 affair to that very bewildered young man. 
 
 "You re all right, Alwyn! You re all the 
 goods!" crowed Perry in genuine admiration. 
 "But why didn t you back-heel Horrigan and 
 throw him downstairs?" 
 
 "I think I did," said Bennett, dryly. "I 
 think I m still doing it. That s why I sent 
 for you to-day." 
 
 "Want me to lick him for you?" asked Perry 
 in delight. "He s a bit over my weight, but I 
 wouldn t mind pasting 
 
 "No," interrupted Bennett, amused at the 
 lad s vehemence; "I want you to play the melo 
 dramatic brother and protect your sister." 
 
 "Say!" snorted Perry, all the lightness gone 
 out of his manner and his young frame stiffen 
 ing ominously. "D you mean to say the cur 
 is framing up any game on Dallas? I " 
 
 "Sit down!" ordered Alwyn, "and try to use 
 what little human intelligence you may have.
 
 The New Mayor. 105 
 
 I ve got to have your help, and what use are 
 you when all you can think of is getting 
 thrashed by somebody? Sit down now and 
 listen to me." 
 
 Perry meekly obeyed the new note of com 
 mand in his friend s voice, and Bennett re 
 sumed : 
 
 "Your uncle has tried to hamper me by put 
 ting all your fortune and Dallas s into Bor 
 ough Street Railway stock. The news of my 
 veto will reach the Exchange almost at once. 
 That will cause a slump in Borough stock. If 
 Ilorrigan fails to carry the bill through over 
 my head and he will fail if I can possibly 
 block him that will mean the practical col 
 lapse of the stock. It will mean that you and 
 Dallas will be almost penniless." 
 
 "Well," suggested Perry cheerfully, "then 
 you can marry Dallas, and little brother Perry 
 can come and live with you. Don t worry, old 
 chap! I- 
 
 "Shut up, you young idiot, and sit down and 
 listen! Here s a check. Also a note of intro 
 duction to my broker. He s a close-mouthed 
 fellow and he ll keep the secret. I want you 
 to sell Borough stock short to the amount 
 of- 
 
 "To speculate? Gee! I never thought 
 
 "I don t believe in speculation as a rule, but
 
 106 The New Mayor. 
 
 this time it s the only way out. Sell short; 
 then if the bill is defeated, you and Dallas 
 will still be as well off as you are now, even 
 after paying me back this sum I ve advanced. 
 If the bill is passed over my head, the stock 
 will boom, and you ll both be richer than ever. 
 Understand the idea? I think I ve arranged 
 it so you and she won t lose a dollar in either 
 case." 
 
 "Alwyn!" cried Perry, the full idea at last 
 penetrating his youthful brain, "you re the 
 whitest ever! The 
 
 "Hold on! I do this on one condition." 
 
 "Oh!" 
 
 "On condition you promise solemnly that 
 neither Dallas nor any one else shall know 
 my share in it." 
 
 "But- 
 
 "Promise!" 
 
 "Oh, well! All right, then. But Dallas 
 ought to " 
 
 "No, she oughtn t. Now clear out. I m 
 busy. Don t waste any time going to my 
 broker. I m holding back the official announce 
 ment of the veto as long as I can. But 
 
 "I m on! So long, old chap! Enter Perry 
 the Lamb into Bear-and-Bullville ! Let Hor- 
 rigan & Co. indulge in a timely tremble!"
 
 The New Mayor. 107 
 
 Scarce had Perry departed on his mission 
 when Phelan was announced. 
 
 "Your Honor!" he shouted as he first caught 
 a glimpse of Bennett, "you re all aces! Noth- 
 in to it. Friend Horrigan s bitin holes in the 
 ceilin . He s oh, you needn t look so mum. 
 I m wise. I haven t spent ten years and close 
 on a million bucks in scrapin together a pri 
 vate secret service system for nothin ! You ve 
 signed the bill? squeals Horrigan. No, you 
 big stiff, says you, I ve vetoed it. Now, go 
 chase yerself before I knock you from under 
 your hat ! says you. Them was the very words, 
 so I m told." 
 
 "I congratulate you on your secret service 
 men!" laughed Bennett. "They seem to have 
 a wonderful faculty for quoting one s remarks 
 literally. But- 
 
 "But did I come here to ladle out hot air to 
 you?" supplemented Phelan. "No, I didn t. 
 I come to tip you off to a meetin that s held 
 last night at Wainwright s house. Him an 
 Horrigan an Gibbs an some others, incloodin 
 Hen Williams, who s Horrigan s mouthpiece 
 an handy-man in the Board of Alderman. 
 Didn t happen to hear of that meetin , did 
 you?" 
 
 "No. I am unfortunate in having no secret 
 service corps."
 
 108 The New Mayor. 
 
 "Never mind," returned Phelan, on whom 
 the satire of the reply was quite lost. "You 
 can get the benefit of mine. Now, at this meet- 
 in they did a lot of jabberin , and they cussed 
 you up hill and down dale. Says Horrigan: 
 If that young cub - " 
 
 "Thanks!" interposed Alwyn; "but I don t 
 care to hear what was said about me. I 
 
 "All right, then. But there s something you 
 do want to hear: They got busy at last an 
 framed up a new wordin for the Borough bill 
 that ll maybe throw dust in your eyes if you 
 ain t put on to it in advance. They ve cut out 
 the subway paragraph, an the express busi 
 ness clause, an they allow transfers at all cross- 
 lines. That s the way they ll put the bill up 
 to the Aldermen next time. A nice, harmless- 
 lookin document it ll be, an perhaps the 
 Board ll swallow it, if 
 
 "But do the alterations in the bill also elimi 
 nate the perpetual franchise clause?" 
 
 "Ah, there s the point. They don t. All the 
 other things you kicked against have been 
 wiped out, but that perpetual franchise clause 
 stands." 
 
 "And the $2,000,000 cash offer stands, too," 
 added Bennett. "I still fail to see why I should 
 present Mr. Wainwright s company with a 
 franchise for which another man is willing to
 
 The New Mayor. 109 
 
 pay the city $2,000,000. And I shall fight the 
 bill to the very end." 
 
 "Good boy, Your Honor! An Jimmy 
 Phelan s with you. We ll make Horrigan look 
 like- 
 
 "He needs fourteen votes to carry the bill 
 past my veto. He has his thirteen Aldermen 
 under Williams s lead. But only those thir 
 teen voted for the bill in its original state. Un 
 less Horrigan and Williams can find a four 
 teenth Alderman to 
 
 "Unless one of the men who voted against it 
 before can be bought to vote for it next time, 
 Horrigan loses," answered Phelan. "He ll 
 make it his business to buy a fourteenth man, 
 an I ll make it my business to find out who he 
 tries to get and to help Your Honor keep that 
 same fourteenth man straight. That s how 
 it adds up so far. Well, I ll be joggin . I ll 
 keep you posted, an between us we ll make 
 Horrigan give a livin picture imitation of a 
 man without a scalp before we re through with 
 him." 
 
 Little of Phelan s exultation was reflected 
 in the new Mayor s face as the Alderman 
 bustled out. His duty lay clear before him, 
 and that duty he would follow. But he alone 
 realized the cost. He had so counted on the 
 promised talk with Dallas Wainwright the pre-
 
 110 The New Mayor. 
 
 ceding evening. On the hopes of that inter 
 view he had staked his all. In it he was to have 
 received the half-pledged reward for his 
 months of toil and achievement. 
 
 Yet, in view of his present relations toward 
 Wainwright, he could not, of course, visit the 
 financier s home. The doors of the house that 
 contained the woman he loved had been barred 
 to him. And Dallas what must she have 
 thought of his failure to call?
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 AT THE BALL. 
 
 "I VE found out who their fourteenth man 
 is, Your Honor," whispered Phelan in high ex 
 citement. "It s Roberts Richard P. Roberts, 
 of the Third. He s the Alderman that Horri- 
 gan s trying to put the Indian sign on. We ve 
 got to nail him if we can." 
 
 "You re sure it s Roberts?" asked Bennett 
 in the same undertone. 
 
 The Administration Ball was in full swing. 
 Mayor and Alderman had chanced to meet for 
 a moment in a big, crowded reception foyer, 
 just off the ballroom. 
 
 "Am I sure it s Roberts?" echoed Phelan. 
 "Am I sure? Might as well ask me am I sure 
 Chesty Dick Horrigan is crooked. I ve got 
 the facts down straight. Them secret service 
 chaps of mine 
 
 "If they get Roberts they will be able to pass 
 the bill- 
 ill
 
 112 The New Mayor. 
 
 "They ain t goin to get him if Jimmy 
 Phelan s hand don t turn out to be all deuces 
 an trays. An - 
 
 "Keep an eye on him and don t let him go 
 away without my knowing it. I must see hirn 
 to-night and learn positively how he stands in 
 regard to the matter. He has a reputation for 
 being honest. If only 
 
 "Here s Alwyn, Mrs. Bennett," came Perry 
 Wainwright s voice from the doorway. "In 
 here. Say, Your Honor, your honorable 
 Honor s honored mother has been looking 
 everywhere for you. And now that I ve re 
 united the long-lost Mayor and his anxious 
 mamma I ll chase off and find my partner for 
 the next waltz. I wish it was Cynthia. Ever 
 dance with Cynthia, Alwyn? Poetry of mo 
 tion and all that. Like a swan or or a 
 Oh, good-evening, Alderman. I didn t see 
 you. Are you dancing to-night?" 
 
 "Dancin ?" repeated Phelan in high disgust. 
 "Do I look it? It s bad enough to be harnessed 
 into this open-faced suit that feels like I was 
 goin to slip through it every minute, with 
 out tryin to dance, too. At a show of this kind 
 I feel like a pair of yellow shoes at a fun ral. 
 So long, Your Honor. Even , Mrs. Bennett! 
 There s the music startin , son," he added to 
 Perry, as he started for the barroom.
 
 The New Mayor. 113 
 
 "I heard it," said the lad; "but I m in no wild 
 hurry." 
 
 "Thought you said you had a partner to 
 look up." 
 
 "I have one of Judge Newman s daugh 
 ters. Ever see her? I thought not, or you 
 wouldn t have wondered why I wasn t in a hur 
 ry. Better late than 
 
 "Are you having a good time, mother?" Ben 
 nett was asking the little old lady as he found 
 a seat for her. 
 
 "Yes," she answered. "Aren t you?" 
 
 "Of course I am. Why do you ask?" 
 
 The foyer was thinning out as people 
 trooped to the ballroom. For the moment 
 mother and son were alone together. 
 
 "You aren t having a good time, Alwyn," 
 she contradicted gently. "You re unhappy 
 about something. Tell me." 
 
 "Nonsense!" he denied, with a forced laugh. 
 
 T 5> 
 
 "You are thinking of Dallas, my boy. Is 
 anything wrong between you and her? What 
 has happened?" 
 
 "Nothing," he answered sullenly. But the 
 mother was not content. Her heart ached for 
 the grief her son was trying to hide. 
 
 "Something has happened, Alwyn," she de 
 clared, "and I want to know what, so that I
 
 114 The New Mayor. 
 
 can help you. You love her, and that day she 
 came back from Europe I felt sure she loved 
 you. What is holding you two apart?" 
 
 "Nothing that can be helped." 
 
 "But you never go to see her, or 
 
 "How can I? You know my attitude to 
 ward her uncle. How can I call on her while 
 she is in his house? I exposed his relations to 
 ward the Borough Street Railway Franchise 
 bill. I am righting him and his iniquitous bill 
 with every means in my power. Dallas 
 lives- 
 
 "I hadn t thought of that. You poor boy! 
 But surely 
 
 "And something more. Her money and 
 Perry s are invested in Borough stock. By 
 beating that bill I seem, outwardly, to be wil 
 fully wrecking their fortune. I told you the 
 plan I arranged with Perry to avert this, but 
 she doesn t know of that. And 
 
 "Why don t you tell her, then? Or let me 
 tell her?" 
 
 "Because it isn t her gratitude I want. I 
 want her to love me." 
 
 "But don t you see, in the meantime, what 
 a weapon you are putting into Mr. Wain- 
 wright s hands? Suppose he tells Dallas of 
 your enmity to him and lets her know you are 
 seemingly trying to impoverish her and her
 
 The New Mayor. 115 
 
 brother? He might prejudice her terribly 
 against 
 
 "I ve thought of all that. I must be content 
 to wait. Next Friday the revised Borough 
 bill comes up before the Aldermen again for 
 the final fight. When it s settled one way or 
 the other I can go to her and explain. Mean- 
 time- 
 
 " Meantime she is here to-night with Mr. 
 Wainwright. Have you seen her?" 
 
 "Only for a minute." 
 
 "Did she treat you with the same friendli 
 ness the same interest as of old? Don t think 
 I m inquisitive, dear. I only ask all these ques 
 tions because I love you." 
 
 "I know," he answered, pressing her hand 
 as it lay on his arm; "yet I can hardly answer 
 you, for I hardly know. In her presence I am 
 not at ease because I can t tell her everything. 
 And she seems ill at ease because she knows 
 there s something I don t tell her. Oh, it s a 
 wretched position for us both!" 
 
 "Then why don t you clear it up?" 
 
 "By going to her and saying, Dallas, I am 
 exposing your uncle as a blackguard and am 
 destroying your fortune and Perry s. Will 
 you marry me? These are the facts. But 
 thank God it s only till Friday. After that I 
 can go to her and make it all clear."
 
 116 The New Mayor. 
 
 Before Mrs. Bennett could reply, Perry re 
 turned from the ballroom, Cynthia at his side. 
 
 "Then why not give me the next one, too?" 
 the lad was pleading. "If one two-step s good, 
 two two-steps are twice as good. Please 
 
 "But see," expostulated Cynthia, showing 
 him her card. "The next is Mr. Gibbs s. I ve 
 told you that twice." 
 
 "I wish Gibbs all the luck in the world," ob 
 served Perry benevolently, as he deposited 
 Cynthia on a f auteuil beside her chaperon, Mrs. 
 Bennett. "I wish him so much good luck that 
 if he d slip and break both his legs I d pay for 
 a cab to take him home." 
 
 "Look out! Please!" begged Cynthia. 
 "He s coming!" 
 
 "The next is ours, I think, Miss Garrison," 
 said Gibbs, entering from the ballroom with 
 Dallas on his arm. "I hope we ll have better 
 fortune than Miss Wainwright and I. My 
 step doesn t seem to suit hers to-night." 
 
 "No, I m afraid the fault was mine," pro 
 tested Dallas. "I m a little tired, I think. May 
 I sit here with you a few minutes, Mrs. Ben 
 nett?" she added as Gibbs bore Cynthia away 
 for their dance. 
 
 "You don t seem very fond of Mr. Gibbs, 
 Perry," observed Mrs. Bennett, noting young 
 Wainwright s scowl of impotent wrath.
 
 The New Mayor. 117! 
 
 "Not fond enough to make me want to live 
 in the same world with him. Mrs. Bennett, 
 you re too pretty to be just a chaperon. Come 
 and dance this two-step with me. Please do!" 
 
 He nodded with vast significance toward 
 Dallas and Bennett, and the little old lady, 
 catching the idea, accepted with alacrity. 
 
 "I m so glad even to get this minute with 
 you," began Alwyn, when he and Dallas were 
 alone. "It s so long since " 
 
 "Since you came to see me? Yes, but that 
 is your fault. Alwyn, why haven t you called 
 since I came home?" 
 
 "Don t you know why, Dallas?" 
 
 "No." 
 
 "Are you certain you don t know?" 
 
 "I I don t know, absolutely," she faltered. 
 "Oh, there are so many things I don t know 
 absolutely." 
 
 "What is one of them?" 
 
 "For one thing, you and I used to be such 
 good friends, and " 
 
 "That is past," said Ahvyn firmly. "There 
 can be no talk of mere friendship between you 
 and me, Dallas. I must be everything or noth 
 ing to you. To-night I can t speak as I want 
 to, but I can in a very few days. Trust me 
 till then. You know I am fighting Mr. Wain- 
 iwright s interests
 
 118 The New Mayor. 
 
 "Yes, v she replied bitterly. "My uncle gives 
 me no chance to forget that." 
 
 "Don t think I m fighting him for my own 
 amusement. I must oppose him or else give 
 up a fight that I set out to win. And I mean 
 to win it!" 
 
 "That s the same old fighting spirit I used to 
 try so hard to awaken in you," said Dallas, a 
 faint note of admiration in her rich voice. "I 
 told you once it always took a blow to arouse 
 
 / / 
 
 you. That blow has evidently been struck." 
 
 "It has been struck!" he acquiesced, with a 
 ghost of a smile. 
 
 She saw the haggard lines about his mouth, 
 the tired look in his eyes, and a lump came into 
 her throat. She leaned forward impulsively; 
 but before she could speak, he had, unknowing 
 ly, thrown away the golden moment by con 
 tinuing : 
 
 "I must win this fight, even though it af 
 fects others besides Mr. Wainwright. Even 
 if- 
 
 "What others do you mean?" 
 
 "Oh, I can t explain now. After Friday I 
 can. On Saturday may I come to see you and 
 tell you everything?" 
 
 "Why not now?" 
 
 "There are obstacles that 
 
 "Tell me what they are?" she begged,
 
 The New Mayor. 119 
 
 "I can t. All I can tell you now is that I 
 love you. I love you above all the world, 
 sweetheart, and 
 
 But Fate, in the dual guise of Horrigan and 
 Wain wright, intervened. The financier and 
 the Boss, seeking some quiet spot for a chat, 
 strolled through the foyer, where Horrigan, 
 on sight of Bennett, halted with a glower of 
 dislike, which he took no pains to conceal.
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 TEMPTATION. 
 
 THE moment of strained silence that ensued 
 upon Horrigan s entrance was broken by the 
 irrepressible Perry, who, having rescued Cyn 
 thia from Gibbs at the close of their dance, was 
 escorting her triumphantly from the ballroom. 
 
 "This is my dance," he remarked happily to 
 Alwyn, as he came up, "and we re going to sit 
 it out. If Mrs. Bennett, in her capacity as 
 chaperon, should ask for Cynthia, you can tell 
 her we re going into the glass-house to stroll 
 among the romantic vegetables." 
 
 And he departed with his prize in the direc 
 tion of the conservatory. The moment s in 
 terruption had sufficed for Wainwright to 
 whisper an admonitory word in Horrigan s ear. 
 Dallas, too, fearing a clash, took Bennett s 
 arm. 
 
 "It s so warm in here," she murmured. "Per 
 haps we can find better air in one of the other 
 rooms. Shall we try?" 
 
 120
 
 The New Mayor. 121 
 
 i 
 
 "Wainwright," exclaimed Horrigan, as the 
 
 portieres closed behind the Mayor and girl, "I 
 don t like that! Is your niece on his side or 
 with us?" 
 
 "I don t know," answered Wainwright dis 
 contentedly, "and I don t like to force an issue 
 by asking her. It doesn t especially matter, I 
 suppose. In any case, I can trust her." 
 
 "You re in luck!" sneered Horrigan. "That 
 makes two people you say you can trust. First 
 your secretary, Thompson, and then- 
 Hello!" he broke off, as a swarthy, middle- 
 aged man hurried in. "Looking for me, Wil 
 liams? What s up?" 
 
 The newcomer was visibly excited, and at 
 first glance Horrigan had seen that something 
 was amiss. 
 
 "What s up!" repeated the Boss. 
 
 "Ellis has gone deserted!" cried Williams. 
 
 "Ellis!" echoed Wainwright in dismay; for 
 the man of whom Williams spoke was one of 
 the Aldermanic "solid thirteen" on whom Hor 
 rigan counted. The Boss made no comment, 
 but waited impatiently for his henchman to 
 continue. 
 
 "Ellis has gone," repeated Williams. "He 
 left a note for me, saying his wife is very ill 
 and the doctor s ordered him to take her South ; 
 so he can t attend Friday s meeting."
 
 122 The New May or. 
 
 "Can t attend the meeting?" gasped Wain- 
 wright. "But everything depends on 
 
 "Oh, he ll be on hand the cur!" growled 
 Horrigan. "The rest are standing solid, of 
 course?" 
 
 "I think so," hazarded Williams; "but some 
 of em are pretty scared. We ve never had 
 such a fight before as Bennett s putting up 
 against us now, and 
 
 "I ll strengthen em up so as to knock out 
 any weakening!" declared Horrigan confident 
 ly. "It s Ellis we ve got to look after now. 
 Go after him, Williams, on the first train South 
 and haul him back. Have him here by Friday, 
 if you have to kidnap him. I ll stand for any 
 damage or expense. Only see he s here for 
 that meeting. It s up to you. Now jump!" 
 
 As Williams hastened toward the door, Hor 
 rigan called after him: 
 
 "On your way out send word to Roberts that 
 I want to see him here. Well, Wainwright," 
 he resumed, turning back into the room, "it 
 looks bad." 
 
 "Do you think- 
 
 "I think we re in a tight place. If our Al 
 dermen found out about Ellis s quitting, 
 there s no knowing how many of em would 
 bolt! If we could only work Bennett!" 
 
 "Out of the question ! He can t be turned,"
 
 The New Mayor. 123 
 
 "There s no man who can t be turned. I ve 
 one card up my sleeve yet that ought to land 
 him. But I d rather try something else first. 
 I wish we could get a line on his price." 
 
 "He can t be bought! He- 
 
 "Rot! Everybody can be bought. Only 
 there s some that can t be bought with cash. 
 I m wondering what there is that ll buy him 
 if money won t." 
 
 Gibbs, in search of an elusive partner, 
 crossed the foyer and paused to greet them. 
 
 "What news?" he asked. 
 
 Wainwright surveyed the broker s well- 
 groomed figure with less approval than usual. 
 
 "You seem to be industrious enough to 
 night," said he. "It s a pity some of to-night s 
 dancing energy couldn t have been devoted to 
 your work this morning." 
 
 Gibbs flushed at the reproof in words and 
 tone. 
 
 "I don t understand," he replied stiffly. 
 
 "Why didn t you notify me of the big block 
 of Borough stock that was bought up just 
 before noon?" 
 
 "I hadn t heard about it," answered Gibbs, 
 with not quite all his customary assurance. 
 
 "Everybody else heard of it. You ll have to 
 keep better tabs on the market than that if
 
 124 The New Mayor. 
 
 you re to be any use to us. Do you know who 
 bought it?" 
 
 "No," returned Gibbs, with growing uneasi 
 ness ; "of course I don t. How should I know? 
 What are you driving at?" 
 
 "This is what I m driving at: Several big 
 blocks of the stock have been unloaded on the 
 market during the past few days and have been 
 quietly snapped up. Somebody s evidently 
 tailing on to our game. You don t know who?" 
 
 "I ve told you twice that I didn t know," 
 blustered Gibbs, masking his concern under a 
 show of virtuous indignation. 
 
 The effort called forth all the astute young 
 broker s nerve. For a certain shrewd scheme 
 of his showed signs of falling through. By his 
 original arrangement with Wainwright he was 
 to have manipulated all the Borough stock 
 purchases on the Exchange floor and to receive 
 20 per cent, of the profits on the condition that 
 he invest not one dollar in the stock on his pri 
 vate account. 
 
 Having strong faith in the deal s success and 
 having no equally strong incentive to keep faith 
 with his partner, Gibbs had sought to swell his 
 own profits by secretly buying up quantities 
 of the stock for himself, until every penny of 
 his capital was involved. His troubled mind 
 could not now determine whether or not Wain-
 
 The New Mayor. 125 
 
 wright suspected him. Gibbs, while possess 
 ing all the ambition, selfishness and lack of con 
 science that go toward the making of a great 
 financier, lacked the one chief essential for the 
 part namely, a cold and unshakable nerve. It 
 was this defect that now threatened to expose 
 him. 
 
 "Well," resumed Wainwright, as though 
 dismissing the topic, "you should have made it 
 your business to know who is doing this pri 
 vate buying. That s what we brought you 
 into the deal for. Anyhow, the mysterious pur 
 chaser is liable to find himself in hot water be 
 fore long." 
 
 "Why?" queried Gibbs, in a voice he tried 
 to make indifferent. 
 
 "Only because the deal will probably fall 
 through." 
 
 "Fall through 1" cried Gibbs in dismay. 
 
 "What do you Why, you told me Mr. 
 
 Horrigan could win over a fourteenth Alder 
 man and that with his solid thirteen 
 
 "Yes," drawled Horrigan, who had been un 
 obtrusively eyeing Gibbs from the moment of 
 his entrance, "we had some such notion, as you 
 say. But my solid thirteen didn t happen to 
 be as solid as he looked. He s bolted." 
 
 "Bolted! Then we we will lose! We- 
 
 "Say, Mr. Gibbs," observed Horrigan, "you
 
 126 The New Mayor. 
 
 seem to take this thing pretty hard for a man 
 with only 20 per cent, at stake. Mr. Wainwright 
 stands to lose some millions. I m interested 
 to the extent of almost a million. Yet you 
 don t see us getting pale and shaky, do you? 
 If a man can t pay for the chips, he has no 
 right in a poker game. We haven t lost yet. 
 I ve sent after the fellow that bolted, and I 
 think I can land the fourteenth Alderman, 
 too." 
 
 "Good!" exclaimed Gibbs in wild relief; 
 "and you ll do your very best to pull the deal 
 through, won t you?" 
 
 "No!" snarled Horrigan in elephantine sar 
 casm; "I m going to spend the time playing 
 ping-pong and diabolo with the kids, or taking 
 a course of lessons in fancy knitting. Oh, buck 
 up, can t you, and quit acting like a baby! 
 Judge Newman s out there on the other side 
 of the ballroom. Chase over and tell him to 
 come here." 
 
 Too confused to resent the Boss s words, 
 Gibbs meekly set out on his errand. 
 
 "That chap s got a streak of yellow a yard 
 wide," commented Horrigan, gazing after him. 
 
 "Not as bad as that," replied Wainwright. 
 "He s young and not used to reverses. You ll 
 find he s game, all right, when it comes to a 
 pinch. What did you want of Newman?"
 
 The New Mayor. 127! 
 
 "You ll see. Here he comes." 
 
 "You wished to speak to me, Mr. Horri- 
 gan?" piped the little Judge, hurrying into the 
 foyer. "Good-evening, Mr. Wainwright. 
 What a success this ball is! My daughters 
 have been dancing all evening. Mrs. Newman 
 is so " 
 
 "Never mind Mrs. Newman just now, * 
 broke in Horrigan. "There s something I 
 want you to do for me." 
 
 He spoke, as he always did to Newman, in 
 the manner of one addressing an incompetent 
 servant. The Judge, for all his pomposity, 
 deemed it wise to ignore the politician s mode 
 of address. 
 
 "I want you to hunt up Bennett," went on 
 the Boss, "and persuade him to stop fighting 
 the Borough Franchise bill. Tell him 
 
 "Oh!" gasped the Judge in genuine alarm. 
 "I really don t think I could presume to " 
 
 "Yes, you can," contradicted Horrigan. 
 "You can do it, and what s more, you will. 
 You don t feel shy about asking favors of me, 
 and when it s the other way around you ve got 
 to come down or 
 
 "I know ! I know !" protested the frightened 
 little Judge, soothingly. "But you don t un 
 derstand how "
 
 128 The New Mayor. 
 
 "I got you the nomination last fall. Are 
 you going to be a white man or a welcher?" 
 
 "But I m sure that Mrs. Newman 
 
 "To blazes with Mrs. Newman! Now listen 
 to me. Go to Bennett and do what you can to 
 make him keep his hands off our Borough bill. 
 If he s difficult offer him, in my name, the 
 nomination for Governor next year. If you 
 can get him, well there s a vacancy next year 
 in the Supreme Court and 
 
 "I ll do what I can," assented the Judge. 
 "I m sure you are right, Mr. Horrigan, even 
 if your way of putting matters is just a little 
 rugged. I ll see Mr. Bennett to-night and use 
 all the persuasion in my power. I m quite sure 
 civic welfare will be best served if he will cease 
 his unseemly opposition to the Borough bill. 
 Thank you, Mr. Horrigan. I m sure Mrs. 
 Newman 
 
 "I m sure, too," cut in Horrigan. "Now 
 run on. We re busy. Remember, now the 
 next Supreme Court vacancy 
 
 "Do you really think he has any influence 
 with Bennett?" asked Wainwright as the 
 Judge vanished. 
 
 "Can t do any harm to try. They re neigh 
 bors in the country and in the same crowd in 
 society, and all that. If it fails, I ve another 
 card that s even stronger. Roberts ought to be
 
 The New Mayor. 129 
 
 here by now. You found out about those notes 
 of his?" 
 
 "Yes, both of them. One for $7,000, one 
 for $15,000. Both secured by mortgaging his 
 factory. Roberts can t meet them. They ve 
 been extended twice, though the security must 
 have been good or the Sturtevant Trust Com 
 pany wouldn t have lent 
 
 "Williams said you wanted to speak to me, 
 Mr. Horrigan," said a nervous voice from the 
 door, and a pale, middle-aged man came for 
 ward. He wore worry s stamp between his 
 perplexed eyes and care had bent his narrow 
 shoulders. 
 
 "Yes. Good-evening, Roberts," replied 
 Horrigan cordially. "See you later, Wain- 
 wright." 
 
 The financier took the hint and walked to 
 ward the ballroom, on his way out nearly col 
 liding with Phelan, who was entering the foyer. 
 At sight of Horrigan and Roberts together, 
 Phelan s eyebrows went upward with a jerk, 
 and he tiptoed out in the opposite direction, 
 as fast as his stout legs could carry him, in 
 search of Bennett. Meantime Horrigan had 
 come directly to the point, as usual, in his ap 
 peal to Roberts. 
 
 "Look here, Alderman," said he, "you ve
 
 130 The New Mayor. 
 
 been trying for years to get through a park 
 bill for your ward. Still want it?" 
 
 "Yes," returned Roberts. "My constitu 
 ents are at me all the time about that park. 
 They- 
 
 " It would make your ward s property values 
 go up 50 per cent., and it would make you 
 solid there forever, hey?" 
 
 "Yes;but- 
 
 " Introduce that bill again and I ll guaran 
 tee it will go through." 
 
 "Are you in earnest?" 
 
 "There s my hand on it. Only, of course, 
 it s understood that your park bill won t come 
 up until after the Borough Street Railway 
 Franchise is passed. Understand?" 
 
 "I m afraid I do," said Roberts after a 
 pause; "but I voted against that bill, and 
 
 "You voted against the bill in its original 
 form," Horrigan interrupted, reassuringly, 
 "and you were right to. It had a lot of clauses 
 that you thought weren t square. But all those 
 have been cut out." 
 
 "But I still- 
 
 "But you ll be doing what s best for your 
 own constituents by looking after their inter 
 ests in the matter of the park. You ll be their 
 hero for that. Of course if I wanted to put it 
 another way I could remind you that your
 
 The New Mayor. 131 
 
 business is in a bad way and that a friend of 
 mine has bought up your notes at the Sturte- 
 vant Trust Company and means to send them 
 to you to-morrow. But that has nothing to 
 do with the case. So I just 
 
 "I m honest, Mr. Horrigan," faltered 
 Roberts. "I- 
 
 "Sure you re honest! That s why you ll have 
 the courage to vote for the bill when you see 
 it s been amended so as to be a good thing for 
 the city. That s being honest, isn t it?" 
 
 "I I suppose so. And the notes the 
 
 "They ll be sent you by registered mail to 
 morrow, if you want them. Do you?" 
 
 "Y-yes that is, I- 
 
 "That s settled, then. You ve got a level 
 head. Good-night." 
 
 The Boss strode out, a grim smile of victory 
 on his big face, leaving Roberts standing con 
 fused, doubtful, his brain awhirl. How long 
 the tempted Alderman stood thus oblivious 
 to the music, his surroundings and all else 
 he could never remember. But a voice at his 
 elbow brought him to his senses with a start, 
 that was followed by a thrill of fear as he 
 wheeled and recognized the speaker.
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 "BACK FROM THE DEAD." 
 
 ROBERTS S eyes rested on the grinning, com 
 placent features of Alderman Phelan. At the 
 latter s side was Bennett. 
 
 "I was saying," remarked Phelan blandly, 
 "that it s a fine ball. Isn t it, now, Roberts?" 
 
 "Yes," said Roberts hastily, preparing to 
 move away. But Phelan buttonholed him. 
 
 "Stay an swap talk awhile with His Honor 
 and me, Roberts," he begged. 
 
 "I m in a hurry," began Roberts, "and 
 
 "Alderman Phelan has been trying to cheer 
 me up a bit," said Bennett. "He knows I m 
 worried about the Borough bill s outcome. I 
 wish Friday was past." 
 
 "Same here," chimed in Phelan. "An you, 
 Roberts?" 
 
 "I?" muttered the uncomfortable man. 
 "Why?" 
 
 "It s Friday that the Borough bill comes up 
 again," explained Bennett, as though impart- 
 
 132
 
 The New Mayor. 133 
 
 ing new information. "You are still against 
 it, of course, Mr. Roberts?" 
 
 "I m not sure you see, it s been altered so 
 asto- 
 
 "The alterations don t affect the main issue 
 and they can t change any honest man s views. 
 So I can count on you to continue opposing it, 
 can t I?" 
 
 "I object to this catechizing!" flared up poor 
 Roberts. "I won t stand for it. I m my own 
 master and 
 
 "Are you sure you re your own master?" 
 demanded Bennett. "If so, why should you be 
 afraid to say how you are going to vote?" 
 
 "Do you accuse me of 
 
 "I accuse you of having changed your mind 
 about the bill for some reason that won t bear 
 the light. And I warn you to go carefully. 
 Somebody s going to prison before this mat 
 ter s ended." 
 
 "I m not answerable to any one but my 
 constituents," said Roberts, with a pitiful at 
 tempt at cold dignity; "and they 
 
 "And they shall demand an answer from 
 you," warned Bennett. "I ll see to it that they 
 do. Now, you can go if you want to," turning 
 his back on the confused Roberts, who eagerly 
 took the opportunity to escape. 
 
 "I m afraid friend Roberts ain t havin the
 
 134 The New Mayor. 
 
 happiest time of his life to-night," remarked 
 Phelan, going to the doorway and looking 
 after the departing Alderman. "There s not 
 much of what the poet-geezer calls Whoop up 
 the dance, let joy be unrefined about him. 
 Poor fool ! He never was cut out to be a crook. 
 He makes a punk job of it, in spite of the 
 trimmin s Horrigan s dec rated him with. If 
 I hadn t the sense to be crooked without makin 
 a monkey of myself, I m blest if I don t b lieve 
 I d turn honest. Hey? Here s a couple of 
 folks, though, that s gettin more fun out of 
 the ball than ever I had at a dog fight." 
 
 As he spoke, Perry Wainwright piloted 
 Cynthia in from the conservatory at top speed, 
 his jolly young face alight with a joy that re 
 flected itself in Miss Garrison s own very 
 flushed countenance. 
 
 "Alwyn!" shouted young Wainwright, not 
 seeing Phelan in his excitement, "guess 
 what s happened! I ll give you three guesses 
 and " J 
 
 "And I can t possibly guess if you gave me 
 a thousand," retorted Bennett with vast grav 
 ity. "So I won t try. I ll just congratulate 
 you with all my heart, old chap, and wish Miss 
 Garrison every happiness that : 
 
 "Gee! how d you know? We haven t told 
 a soul. It only happened about four minutes
 
 The New Mayor. 135 
 
 ago. I was telling Cynthia what a daisy little 
 girl she was and she said she thought I was 
 pretty nice, too, and so I got brave and said, 
 Then why don t you- 
 
 "Perry!" reproved Cynthia sternly, jerking 
 his arm to show that Phelan as well as Alwyn 
 was recipient of the highly intimate tidings. 
 
 "Oh, don t mind me, children!" put in 
 Phelan. "I m used to it. I was young myself 
 once, so I ve been told, though I don t clearly 
 remember it myself. Can I butt in with a line 
 of congratulation?" 
 
 He extended his big hand with an honest cor 
 diality that quite won Cynthia. 
 
 "Thanks, Alderman," grinned Perry effu 
 sively. "Now, Alwyn, we ve got to go and 
 break it to your mother if we can find her. 
 Come along and back us up." 
 
 Dragging Bennett between them, the two 
 youngsters started off on their quest. Phelan 
 was about to return to his beloved bar when 
 he was checked by seeing in the opposite door 
 way a man who stood as though petrified, 
 watching Cynthia Garrison s departing form. 
 The intruder was about to withdraw when 
 Phelan hailed him. 
 
 "Good-evening," called the Alderman. 
 
 "Good-evening, sir," said the newcomer, re-
 
 136 The New Mayor. 
 
 spectfully pausing on the point of leaving the 
 foyer. 
 
 "I ve met you before, I think," went on 
 Phelan. 
 
 "Some days ago in the Mayor s office," as 
 sented the other. "I am Thompson, Mr. Wain- 
 wright s private secretary." 
 
 "I m Alderman Phelan, of the Eighth. And 
 I ve seen you before we met at His Honor s." 
 
 "So you said then, sir. But you were mis 
 taken. Good-evening." 
 
 He turned again toward the door, but 
 Phelan resumed, without seeking to stop him: 
 
 "A mistake was it? I m not a man who 
 makes many mistakes, Mr. Garrison." 
 
 The retreating secretary halted as though 
 struck. 
 
 "That is another mistake, sir," he said in 
 a muffled voice. "My name is Thompson." 
 
 "Is it though?" inquired Phelan innocently. 
 "It s queer how I could get mixed up so. 
 When I was Chief of Police there was a bank 
 president named Garrison who shot himself 
 after bein swindled an whipsawed by a finan 
 cier who was his dearest friend. He left a 
 little daughter, Miss Cynthia, who you was 
 lookin at so keen just now, an a son, who 
 disappeared. That was nine years ago, an I 
 only saw the boy once, so maybe I ve over-
 
 The New Mayor. 137 
 
 played my hand in pipin you off for him. 
 But," added Phelan, laying a strong, detain 
 ing hand on Thompson s shoulder, "here comes 
 some one who can clear it up easy enough." 
 
 The secretary twisted in the iron grasp and 
 sought vainly to break away as Cynthia and 
 Perry entered. 
 
 "Cynthia s lost her fan," explained Perry at 
 sight of the Alderman. "She s had me looking 
 all over for the measly thing. Wait here a 
 minute," he added to her, "and I ll chase into 
 the conservatory and see if we left it there." 
 
 And depositing the girl in a chair, he bolted 
 away in search of the missing article. 
 
 "Now, then, young man," said Phelan, "if 
 your name s Thompson, as you say, there s no 
 reason why you should object to my introdu- 
 cin you to this young lady. Step up, son." 
 
 Still holding the reluctant, struggling sec 
 retary by the shoulder, Phelan turned to Cyn 
 thia. 
 
 "Miss Garrison," said he, "here s a gentle 
 man I think you know. Would you mind look- 
 in hina over?" 
 
 Wondering at the odd request, Cynthia 
 raised her eyes to the stranger. But the latter 
 persistently kept his face averted. 
 
 "I don t think I know him," she answered
 
 138 The New Mayor. 
 
 doubtfully. "There is something familiar 
 about 
 
 The secretary shifted restlessly, unconscious 
 ly bringing his profile into her range of vision. 
 With a gasp Cynthia sprang to her feet, her 
 face white, her eyes wide and incredulous. 
 
 "It s not it s oh, Harry!" she cried in 
 an ecstasy of recognition, flinging her arms 
 about the secretary s neck. "Harry! Brother! 
 Back from the dead! Don t you know me? 
 It s Cynthia! Don t- 
 
 "I am afraid you ve made a very strange 
 blunder, Miss Garrison," returned the secre 
 tary, his voice hoarse and tremulous. "My 
 name is 
 
 "Your name s Harry Garrison!" Phelan 
 shouted. "What s the use of lyin to your own 
 sister? I give you credit for havin good rea 
 sons for callin yourself Thompson, an I think 
 I begin to see what them reasons are. But 
 when it comes to denyin your own sister, 
 you re playin it down low, whatever your game 
 may be, an I ve a good mind to 
 
 "Harry!" the girl was pleading, "you do 
 know me! After all these nine lonely years 
 have you no greeting for me? Every night I ve 
 prayed that God would bring you back to me. 
 And now 
 
 The secretary s pallid, expressionless mask
 
 The New Mayor. 139 
 
 of a face broke in a flash into a look of infinite 
 love and yearning. With a single gesture he 
 gathered Cynthia s fragile body in his arms 
 and crushed her against his breast. 
 
 "Oh, my little sister!" he murmured, a great 
 sob choking his words. "My little, little sis 
 ter!" 
 
 Phelan cleared his throat and coughed sav 
 agely to express his contempt for the mist that 
 sprang into his own hard old eyes. The sound 
 recalled the secretary to himself. 
 
 "You ve trapped me into this," he exclaimed, 
 with a laugh that was half a groan, "and you 
 must both promise not to betray my secret. It 
 won t be much longer now, thank God! But 
 you ll both promise, won t you?" 
 
 "Sure!" assented Phelan. 
 
 "And you, too, Cynthia?" pleaded her broth 
 er; "you can trust me, can t you?" 
 
 "Of course I can. If you insist, I won t tell 
 any one. I 
 
 "I m happier this minute than I ve ever been 
 in all my whole life!" smiled the secretary, 
 again clasping his sister in his arms. "If you 
 only knew, little girl, how I ve longed for 
 this!" 
 
 "Here s the fan!" announced Perry, hurry 
 ing around the corner of the doorway. "Found 
 it under a "
 
 140 The New Mayor. 
 
 He stopped short, open-mouthed, dumb and 
 motionless. Thompson and Cynthia stood, in 
 close embrace, before him, with Phelan look 
 ing on like some obese caricature of a benevo 
 lent fairy. 
 
 The fan slipped from young Wainwright s 
 nerveless grip, and fell with a clatter to the 
 polished floor, its ivory sticks snapping like 
 icicles.
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 THE CRUCIAL TEST. 
 
 AT sound of the breaking fan, all three par 
 ticipants in the strange reunion turned. For 
 a second or more they faced the crimson- faced 
 dumfounded Perry without a word. Here 
 was an element in the affair on which neither 
 Phelan nor Cynthia had counted when giving 
 Thompson their promise not to reveal his iden 
 tity. They gradually realized this, and it left 
 even the ready-witted Phelan speechless. 
 
 Perry himself was first to break the spell. 
 
 "Well," he observed, with an assumption of 
 airy scorn that was meant to be annihilating. 
 "You all seem quite happy. Don t mind me! 
 I m sorry to butt in on this cute little love fest, 
 but I left a fiancee here. Perhaps one of you 
 can explain what s happened to her since 
 
 "Oh, Perry!" exclaimed Cynthia, "don t be 
 silly. I ll tell you all about it some time. It 
 
 is - " 
 
 141
 
 142 The New Mayor. 
 
 "Some time?" yelled Perry, rage battering 
 down his attempt at sarcasm. "Some time! 
 Maybe it might be just as well if you did con 
 descend to explain. Here you promise to mar 
 ry me, and ten minutes later I find you in a 
 catch-as-catch-can hug with this ugly little 
 shrimp; and Phelan looking on as happy as if 
 he d eaten a canary! And then you ve the gall 
 to tell me you ll explain some time !" 
 
 He glared at Cynthia in all the majesty of 
 outraged devotion, only to surprise on that 
 young lady s face a look that indicated a violent 
 struggle with the desire to laugh. 
 
 "This is funny all right I guess not!" he 
 snapped. "Cynthia, you ve mauled and 
 smashed a loving heart and I ll make a hit with 
 myself by forgiving you. But as for you," 
 wheeling about and thrusting his furious face 
 to within three inches of Thompson s immobile 
 countenance "as for you, I m going tc do all 
 sorts of things to you the moment Miss Garri 
 son will have the kindness to sasshay out of 
 the room. Your sorrowing relatives will have 
 all manner of fun sortins? vou out when I ve 
 
 o / 
 
 finished with you ! Steal my sweetheart, would 
 you, not ten minutes after I d 
 
 "There!" interposed Phelan, shoving his 
 powerful bulk good-naturedly between the two 
 younger men and linking his arm in Perry s.
 
 The New Mayor. 143 
 
 "Now you ve got quite a bunch of hot words 
 off your chest an you ll be in better shape to 
 hear sense. Ain t you just a little bit 
 ashamed?" 
 
 "Ashamed?" sputtered Perry. "Who? I? 
 Well, that- 
 
 "Yes, you, youngster. And if you holler 
 like that in comp ny I ll sure be forced to wind 
 up by spankin you. Now, stand off there no, 
 over there where you can see Miss Garrison 
 an listen to me. So! Now, first of all, did 
 you happen to be in love with this young lady?" 
 
 "It s none of your measly business. But 
 I did." 
 
 "Why did you ask her to hitch up with you 
 for keeps ?" 
 
 "Because I loved her and 
 
 "Because you had a lot of faith in her, too, 
 hey?" persisted the Alderman. 
 
 "Yes, and a nice way she s 
 
 "Pretty girl, too!" mused Phelan, as if to 
 himself. "In my young days if I could a got 
 a little beauty like that to sign articles with me 
 I d a thought I was the original Lucky Jim. 
 I d- 
 
 "So did I!" interrupted Perry hotly. 
 it-r 
 
 But Phelan was continuing in the same ab 
 stract monologue:
 
 144 The New Mayor. 
 
 "And if I could a seen from her eyes (like 
 any dough-head could see from Miss Garri 
 son s) that she had a heart as big as a water 
 melon an as true as a Bible text, an as warm 
 as a happy man s hearth-fire well, if I d seen 
 all that, an got wise to the gorgeous news that 
 that same heart was just chock-a-block full of 
 love for my own ornery, cheap-skate self, I d 
 a flopped down on both knees and sent up a 
 bunch of prayers to be allowed to go on dream- 
 in , an never, never wake up." 
 
 Phelan paused. This time Perry did not 
 break in, and the half-audible monologue con 
 tinued : 
 
 "I d have had the sense to know that a girl 
 with eyes like those couldn t be a flirt an 
 couldn t double-cross the man she loved if her 
 life depended on her doin it. I d a licked any 
 guy that said she could, an if I d seen her kiss- 
 in another man I d a punched myself on the 
 jaw and called myself a liar. That s what Jim 
 my Phelan, of the Eighth, would a done. 
 An - 
 
 "Say !" broke in Perry in a curiously subdued 
 voice, "these eyes of mine do funny things 
 sometimes. I ll bet nine dollars they played a 
 joke on me just now. And even if they didn t, 
 I don t believe em. Cynthia, I m dead-stuck 
 on you! You re all right, even if you did hap-
 
 The New Mayor. 145 
 
 pen to be acting a trifle eccentric a few minutes 
 ago. You can explain or not, as you like. If 
 you ll just say you love me, that s ace-high with 
 yours truly." 
 
 He slipped an arm about her waist as he 
 spoke, awkwardly seeking to atone l^r his re 
 cent anger. The secretary looked at them for 
 an instant, then said briefly : 
 
 "You can tell him, Cynthia. He s a good 
 fellow. Come on, Alderman. I think you and 
 I still have something to say to each other." 
 
 Cynthia and Perry drifted away toward the 
 conservatory again, quite oblivious of the oth 
 ers, while Phelan and the secretary made their 
 
 way to a deserted alcove off the ballroom. 
 
 ****** 
 
 "I ve been looking all over for you, Mr. 
 Bennett," called Judge Newman, hurrying out 
 through the chain of anterooms, as Alwyn wan 
 dered out of the ballroom into the foyer, a few 
 moments later. 
 
 "Anything important?" asked Bennett, 
 pausing in his stroll and greeting the older 
 man cordially. He had known the Judge as 
 long as he could remember and had always had 
 a decided liking for the pompous, henpecked 
 little dignitary. Surrounded as he was by polit 
 ical intrigue, heartache and association with 
 rogues, the harassed young man rather wel-
 
 146 The New Mayor. 
 
 corned the variety promised by a chat with 
 this old friend of his boyhood. 
 
 "Anything important, Judge?" he repeated, 
 "or are you just taking pity on a lonely chap 
 and giving him a chance to chat with you over 
 old times?" 
 
 "Well," began the Judge, his customary air 
 of pompous nervousness tinged by an almost 
 conciliatory manner, "I would like to have a 
 little business talk with you, if you don t mind 
 discussing work at a ball." 
 
 "Not at all. I ve had the honor of dancing 
 with three of your daughters this evening, and 
 the least I can do is to repay such pleasure 
 by- 
 
 "Did you, really?" beamed the Judge, on 
 whom the unmarried state of his four fast- 
 aging girls rested heavily. "I m sure Mrs. 
 Newman will be pleased. But this business 
 matter. You you won t misunderstand 
 me- 
 
 "Of course not!" replied Alwyn heartily. 
 "You and I are too old friends, Judge, to 
 
 "I hope so, I hope so," conceded Newman, 
 with growing anxiety in his tone. "You 
 see " 
 
 "I see you have some trouble coming to the 
 point," said Alwyn, pitying the Judge s evi 
 dent discomfiture, "and I m sorry you feel so.
 
 The New Mayor. 147 
 
 You were mv father s friend and I like to think 
 
 / 
 
 of you as one of my own best friends. There 
 surely should be no hesitation in asking any 
 thing in my power to grant." 
 
 Thus emboldened, Newman blurted out: 
 "I we that is, it seems to me you have 
 been a little hard upon this Borough Franchise 
 bill, if you don t mind my saying so, Bennett. 
 Couldn t you let up on them now?" 
 
 "Why, no, Judge, I can t," replied Bennett, 
 still failing to connect Newman with the Wain- 
 wright-Horrigan clique, and attributing the 
 Judge s interest in the matter to an amateur s 
 love of dabbling in politics. "I can t let up 
 on that fight," he continued. "All perpetual 
 franchises are wrong, and this particular fran 
 chise bill is rotten to the core. In sheer justice 
 to my oath of office I must fight it." 
 
 "My boy," said the Judge in a fatherly man 
 ner that he had often found successful in ar 
 gument, "I was in politics long before you 
 were born and I m speaking for your own good 
 when I say I deeply regret the stand you ve 
 taken in this matter. You objected to the bill 
 in its original form. Almost every change you 
 demanded has been made in it. As the gentle 
 men who asked me to speak to you said- 
 He checked himself a second too late. The 
 narrowing of Bennett s eyes and the vanishing
 
 148 The New Mayor. 
 
 of the friendly light in the young man s face 
 warned Newman he had made a fatal error. 
 
 "So you come to me as an emissary, not as 
 a friend," said Bennett slowly. "And the 
 gentlemen you come from 
 
 "Are the men who represent all that can 
 make or break your career capital and polit 
 ical organization." 
 
 "In other words, Wainwright and Horri- 
 gan?" 
 
 "Yes. All they ask is that you remain neu 
 tral. Thatyou- 
 
 "That I look the other way while they rob 
 the city?" 
 
 "I am an old man, Bennett," evaded the 
 Judge, trying another tack, "and I ve seen one 
 rash step wreck many a bright career; just 
 as this will wreck yours. Never antagonize 
 wealth and the organization. The public for 
 whom you sacrifice yourself will forget you in 
 a month. Capital and politics never forget." 
 
 "I am not catering to the public. I am 
 acting as my own conscience 
 
 "But this is stubbornness, not conscience. 
 All you have to do is to remain neutral. If you 
 do this, I am authorized to promise you now, 
 listen! to promise you the nomination for 
 Governor when your term as 
 
 "That s the bait, is it?" cried Alwyn an-
 
 The New Mayor. 149 
 
 grily. "If I consent to betray my trust I ll 
 get the Governorship. The bribe is golden 
 and I don t wonder at Horrigan for offering 
 it. The only thing that surprises me is that he 
 should have chosen such a man as you for his 
 lackey and go-between." 
 
 " Lackev! Bribe! Go-between! " echoed 
 
 ^ 
 
 the Judge in real indignation. "How dare 
 you, sir? This 
 
 "Isn t it a bribe?" insisted Alwyn; "and 
 weren t you the man chosen to offer it? It will 
 do you no good to bluster or grow indignant. 
 In your heart you know the words I used were 
 deserved. The Governorship offer was a bribe, 
 pure and simple, and worthy the modern high 
 waymen who made it. But that you, a Judge 
 a former friend of my own blameless father 
 that you should come to me on such a vile 
 errand turns me sick. Heaven help Justice 
 and Right when our Judges can be controlled 
 by a political boss and a roll of bills! That s 
 all! I don t care to go further into the sub- 
 ject!" 
 
 Bennett walked away, leaving the little 
 Judge to stare after him, pink with wrath, 
 speechless with amazement. In all his sixty 
 years no man had thus laid bare to Newman 
 his own heart, stripped of its garments of re 
 spectability and self-deception. And, as usual
 
 150 The New Mayor. 
 
 in such cases, now that the truth had been 
 driven home to him, Newman wrathfully de 
 nounced it, even to himself. 
 
 Still flushed and incoherent, he wheeled to 
 face a trio who were just returning from the 
 supper- room. They were Dallas, Gibbs and 
 Wainwright. 
 
 "Hello!" exclaimed Wainwright in surprise. 
 "What s the matter with you, Judge? Are 
 you ill?" 
 
 "If Mrs. Newman should come to know of 
 this!" sputtered the Judge, glaring from one 
 to the other. "She- 
 
 "To know of what ?" queried Gibbs. "What 
 has happened?" 
 
 "Happened!" fumed Newman. "I have 
 been insulted. Grossly, vulgarly insulted!" 
 
 "Insulted, Judge?" repeated Dallas. "By 
 whom?" 
 
 "By Alwyn Bennett!" snapped the Judge. 
 "Outrageously 
 
 "Impossible!" exclaimed Dallas. "There 
 must me a mistake somewhere. Mr. Bennett is 
 too well bred to insult any man, much less a 
 man so much older than 
 
 "A gentleman, is he? I should not have be 
 lieved it. He has insulted me most 
 
 "I m not surprised," observed Wainwright. 
 
 "I am!" announced Dallas,
 
 The New Mayor. 151 
 
 "Naturally!" sneered Wainwright. "If you 
 can remain on speaking terms with him after 
 his abominable treatment of me you can easily 
 overlook any other brutality of his." 
 
 "Tell us about it, Judge," interposed Gibbs, 
 seeking to avert any further clash between 
 uncle and niece. 
 
 "I went to him," began Newman, "bearing 
 a request from from 
 
 The Judge paused. It was not wholly easy 
 to present matters to this honest-eyed young 
 girl in such a way as to bring her to his way of 
 thinking. But Wainwright felt no difficulty. 
 His shrewd brain caught at a means of turn 
 ing the affair to account. 
 
 "You see, Dallas," the financier broke in 
 with a warning glance to Newman, "I begged 
 the Judge to intercede for me with Bennett, 
 to ask him to bury the hatchet and let us be 
 friends again for the sake of old times. I 
 thought Judge Newman s age and his high of 
 fice would compel a certain respect, even with 
 a man of Bennett s character. But I was 
 wrong, and I am sorry, Judge, for the unjust 
 humiliation I caused you." 
 
 "I don t understand," said Dallas, looking 
 in bewilderment from one to the other. 
 "Judge, my uncle sent you to make overtures 
 of peace? And Mr, Bennett refused to "
 
 152 The New Mayor. 
 
 "He not only refused, but called Mr. Wain- 
 wright a highwayman, and 
 
 "But why?" demanded Dallas. 
 
 "He pretended to misunderstand what I 
 said about the conditions." 
 
 "Oh, it was a conditional offer, then? I 
 thought 
 
 "Certainly there were conditions," cut in 
 Wainwright, again coming to the emissary s 
 rescue. "I asked that he take a position of 
 neutrality in regard to this Borough bill. Sim 
 ply neutral, mind you! Not to change his at 
 titude in its favor, or " 
 
 "That was a splendidly fair offer!" cried 
 Gibbs enthusiastically. 
 
 "So it seemed to me," agreed Newman; "but 
 Bennett would not listen when I tried to point 
 out his proper line of duty. He called me a 
 go-between and " 
 
 "Even after you told him we were granting 
 practically all the concessions he had asked in 
 the bill?" queried Gibbs. 
 
 "Yes," said Newman. "He must have some 
 motive behind it all. I can t " 
 
 "Nonsense!" exclaimed Dallas. "What ul 
 terior motive could he have?" 
 
 "That is more than I know positively," re 
 turned the Judge mysteriously.
 
 The New Mayor. 153 
 
 "But I do," declared Wainwright, pointing 
 at Dallas. "There are the reasons!" 
 
 "I?" exclaimed Dallas, incredulously. "Ex 
 plain, please!" 
 
 "Willingly," replied her uncle, "if you ll 
 give me a fair hearing. Bennett is in love with 
 you. He knows Gibbs also .Mashes to marry 
 you. He knows, too, that Gibbs s fortune de 
 pends on the success of the Borough franchise. 
 If the bill is beaten, Gibbs will be practically 
 ruined and thus in no position to marry. We ve 
 known all along of this reason of Bennett s for 
 fighting our bill, but Gibbs forbade me to tell 
 you. He was afraid you might think he " 
 
 "I don t believe one word of it!" cried Dallas, 
 her big eyes ablaze. "Alwyn Bennett could 
 not stoop to such a thing." 
 
 "No?" said Wainwright. "Then you prob 
 ably will refuse to believe what I am about to 
 tell you now. I considered Borough stock a 
 safe investment and I put all your money and 
 Perry s in it. Bennett knows this, and in spite 
 of the knowledge he is trying to kill the fran 
 chise, even on the certainty of beggaring you 
 and Perry along with Gibbs. If only he can 
 ruin Gibbs he cares nothing about making you 
 and Perry paupers, too. That is the sort of 
 man you are defending against your own uncle. 
 X have just learned besides that he has secretly,
 
 The New Mayor. 
 
 through his brokers, sold large blocks of Bor 
 ough stock short. Thus his veto, that ruins us, 
 will make him a very rich man." 
 
 "It isn t true!" affirmed Dallas in dogged 
 certainty. "Mr. Gibbs, do you confirm this 
 story of my uncle s?" 
 
 "Please leave me out of this, Miss Wain- 
 wright," answered Gibbs gently. "I prefer to 
 say nothing to prejudice you. When I fight 
 I fight fair." 
 
 "Even at the cost of all your money," 
 amended Wainwright. "Gibbs, this is carry 
 ing your sense of honor to an absurd point. 
 And Bennett will- 
 
 "Pardon me," broke in Alwyn, entering the 
 foyer and going up to Dallas. "I m a little 
 late for our dance. I was detained by 
 
 "Alwyn!" exclaimed Dallas in relief. "I m 
 so glad you came here just when you did. Now 
 we can clear this up in a word." 
 
 "Clear what up?" queried Bennett, glancing 
 about in suspicion at the three silent men. 
 
 "You know Mr. Gibbs is favored in the Bor 
 ough Street Railway affair," began Dallas. 
 "He told you so at your office that day we were 
 there. Well- 
 
 "Yes; but don t let s discuss business to 
 night," replied Bennett. "This is our dance, 
 and "
 
 The New Mayor. 155 
 
 "Wait, please! You knew his fortune was 
 largely tied up in Borough stock. But here is 
 something you didn t know. My uncle says 
 my money and Perry s is all invested in that 
 stock, and that if you defeat the bill we will 
 be dependent on Mr. Wainwright s charity. If 
 that is true, you didn t know it, did you?" 
 
 Her voice was almost tremulous in its eager, 
 confident appeal. But Bennett forced himself 
 to answer: 
 
 "Yes ; it is true. And I knew it." 
 
 The eager glow died from her eyes, leaving 
 a look of dawning horror. 
 
 "And knowing this knowing Perry and I 
 shall be made paupers by your action you 
 still insist on 
 
 "On opposing the bill? Yes. I am sorry, 
 but it is my duty." 
 
 "Duty!" sneered Wainwright. "Your duty 
 was done when you vetoed the bill. That act 
 made your position clear and showed the pub 
 lic how you regarded the measure. So why 
 go on fighting it after 
 
 "I won t discuss this with you, Mr. Wain 
 wright," interrupted Bennett. "We already 
 understand one another, you and I !" 
 
 "My uncle says," pursued Dallas, "that you 
 made your broker secretly sell Borough stock
 
 156 The New Mayor. 
 
 short, knowing the deal would enrich you. 
 Won t you even deny this?" 
 
 "No." 
 
 "You realize what all this foolish stubborn 
 ness must mean to me to all of us," continued 
 Dallas, "and you still persist in your opposi 
 tion?" 
 
 "I must," said Bennett. "I can t turn back. 
 Oh, Dallas," dropping his voice till none but 
 she could hear, "can t you trust me? Only till 
 Friday? I ll come to you on Saturday morn 
 ing and tell you the whole miserable story. I 
 only ask you to wait until then. Please 
 
 "I see no need of waiting for an explana 
 tion," retorted Dallas aloud. "I understand 
 everything." 
 
 "But you don t understand!" insisted Al- 
 wyn. "I- 
 
 "I understand only too well/ repeated Dal 
 las. Checking his reply and ignoring the an 
 guished appeal in his eyes, she turned to Gibbs. 
 
 "I have kept you waiting long for your an 
 swer, Mr. Gibbs," she said, speaking in a level, 
 firm, emotionless voice. "I am prepared to 
 give it to you now publicly. You have often 
 asked me if I would be your wife. My reply 
 is yes." 
 
 "Dallas!" gasped Bennett in horrified sur 
 prise.
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 A MIDNIGHT VISITOR. 
 
 ALWYN BENNETT sat in his own study at 
 home, in the big Bennett house, that remained 
 as almost the last landmark of that solid, 
 middle-nineteenth-century wealth and fashion 
 which had once dominated a neighborhood now 
 given over to office buildings and apartment- 
 houses. 
 
 The hour was late. An hour and more had 
 passed since the young Mayor and his mother 
 had returned from the Administration Ball. 
 The house was silent, and even the usually busy 
 streets outside were wrapped in the hush that 
 never falls until after midnight and is dis 
 persed by the gray of dawn. Late as it was, 
 Alwyn had made no move to discard his eve 
 ning clothes. Alone he sat, his head resting be 
 tween his crossed arms on the desk before him. 
 
 Motionless, inert, hopeless, he had remained 
 there ever since his arrival from the ball. But 
 if his body was powerless his brain was awhirl. 
 
 157
 
 158 The New Mayor. 
 
 Try as he would he could see no light in the 
 tangle of events into which his own sense of 
 right had plunged him. He saw the future 
 stretching out before him dreary and barren as 
 a rainy sea. 
 
 Through all of his months of battling, he 
 had ever struggled forward through increasing 
 difficulties toward one bright goal Dallas s 
 love. And now that love was snatched from his 
 grasp, through no fault of his own, and be 
 stowed on a man unworthy to kiss the hem of 
 her garment. 
 
 At each step in the long climb, Alwyn had 
 asked himself, "Would she approve?" And 
 now, through trying to be worthy that approv 
 al, he had forever lost it. For Dallas, he knew, 
 had not only rejected him and engaged herself 
 to Gibbs, but had done so with the belief that 
 Bennett was a heartless, unscrupulous in 
 triguer, undeserving a good woman s regard. 
 
 A rap at the door aroused Bennett from his 
 bitter thoughts. He lifted his head wearily 
 and gave word to enter. A drowsy servant 
 came in with a card. 
 
 "He says it s important business, sir," said 
 the footman; "and he wishes to see you at 
 once if possible." 
 
 "Show him up," answered Bennett, drop 
 ping his voice so as not to disturb his mother,
 
 The New Mayor. 159 
 
 who slept on the same floor. "I will see him 
 here." 
 
 A minute later Horrigan s bulky form 
 blocked the threshold. 
 
 "Queer time of night for a call," he ob 
 served casually, as he entered uninvited, closed 
 the door behind him and took a chair. "But 
 my business wouldn t wait." 
 
 "Then state it as briefly as you can," directed 
 Bennett, making no move to rise or welcome 
 his unbidden guest. "It is very late and I am 
 tired." 
 
 "I ve come to see you about our Borough 
 bill." 
 
 "So I supposed." 
 
 "You won t call off your fight against us?" 
 
 "That question is hardly worth answering. 
 No!" 
 
 "I thought not. Well, Mr. Alwyn Ben 
 nett, I ve got you! I ve got you! Do you 
 understand me?" 
 
 "Perfectly. Is that all?" 
 
 "No, it ain t all," mimicked the Boss. "And 
 I m in earnest. I ve got you where I want 
 
 you." 
 
 "That doesn t interest me. If you ve noth 
 ing else to say " 
 
 "But I have!" chuckled Horrigan. "When
 
 160 The New Mayor. 
 
 it came to a show-down between us two, I put 
 a staff of men to looking up your record." 
 
 "You found nothing you could use. Is 
 that- 
 
 "No, it isn t even the beginning. Then I 
 remembered about your father." 
 
 "About my father?" 
 
 It grated on Bennett that his dead father s 
 honored name should be spoken by this low 
 politician. But before he could protest more 
 forcibly, Horrigan went on: 
 
 "What d j^ou think if I said your father 
 was a grafter one of the worst of his time?" 
 
 "I d say you lied," answered Bennett calm 
 ly, "and I d drive the foul lie down your throat 
 with my fist. You ll have to think of some 
 better scheme than that." 
 
 "Do you think I d be idiot enough to come 
 here with the story if I didn t have full proof 
 of it?" asked Horrigan in contempt. 
 
 And, despite himself, Alwyn saw the man 
 was speaking what he believed to be the truth. 
 He paused in his impulsive forward move, re 
 seated himself and asked coldly: 
 
 "What so-called proofs have you been 
 fooled by your heelers into thinking " 
 
 "Don t believe me, hey? Well, you will fast 
 enough before I m done, unless you re afraid 
 of what I ve got to say."
 
 The New Mayor. 161 
 
 "I m not afraid of anything you can say. 
 The highest tribute to my father s memory is 
 the fact that a cur like you cannot defile it. Go 
 on! I ll listen to you." 
 
 "Very good," said Horrigan, quite unmoved. 
 "I ll make it as short as I can. I remembered 
 your father got rich pretty quick. He was a 
 member of the organization and his firm got 
 the jobs of building the aqueduct and the new 
 library. That gave me my cue. I looked up 
 the specifications for both jobs, and I turned 
 them over to the old engineering firm of Morris 
 & Cherrington. You know the firm, perhaps. 
 If you don t you can look them up. They don t 
 belong to the organization ; they re the best ex 
 perts in their line, and they can t be juggled 
 with." 
 
 "I know them. Go on!" 
 
 "I paid them a fancy sum to go over those 
 specifications and then examine the library and 
 the aqueduct and see if they were up to the 
 mark, or if the city d been cheated by the Ben 
 nett Contracting Company. I had a strong 
 idea I was right, but I wouldn t speak till I 
 had the proof. When I got home after the ball 
 to-night I found the Morris & Cherrington re 
 port waiting for me. I brought a copy of it 
 along with me."
 
 162 The New Mayor. 
 
 "Well," asked Bennett indifferently, "what 
 then?" 
 
 "Here s the copy of the report. Look it 
 over for yourself. The crookedest job ever 
 pulled off in this city. Third-rate material, 
 when the material called for in the specifica 
 tions was used at all. Granite shell filled with 
 mortar instead of solid granite; foundations 
 barely half the depth called for; inferior tiles 
 in place of fire-proof ones ; cheap, crumbly iron 
 and steel instead of first quality oh, there s 
 fifty such substitutions and frauds! It s the 
 rawest, bummest job I ever heard of. If any 
 of the organization tried it nowadays the men 
 who did it would be wearing stripes in a week. 
 Graft, hey? Why, your father was the boss 
 grafter of the century. The star graft-getter 
 of the bunch. He- 
 
 "Hush ! For God s sake, hush !" panted Al- 
 wyn. "My mother sleeps only a few rooms 
 beyond. I 
 
 "What do I care?" roared Horrigan in tri 
 umph. "Let everybody hear! The whole 
 world is going to hear it unless that Borough 
 Franchise bill goes through. Beat that bill and 
 every paper in the country will have that re 
 port to publish. Stop your fight against us 
 and the report is burned. That goes! See? 
 Now, do as you please about the bill. You re
 
 The New Mayor. 163 
 
 a fine man to preach about graft, you are! The 
 very roof over your head the clothes on your 
 back, were bought with graft money!" 
 
 Bennett scarcely heeded the coarse insult. 
 Nor did he note Horrigan s grunt of good-by 
 and the clumping of his departing feet on the 
 stairs. The young man sat, lost, hopeless, 
 horror-gripped, his eyes running mechanically 
 over the closely typewritten pages of the engi 
 neer s report. Outsider as he was in matters 
 of practical business, Alwyn could see that 
 Horrigan had in no way exaggerated the docu 
 ment s contents. He knew, too, that the firm 
 of engineers who had drawn up the report were 
 the foremost of their sort and above all shadow 
 of suspicion. 
 
 Little by little the numbness lifted from his 
 brain, and in its place crept a horrible convic 
 tion of the truth. His father the gallant 
 young soldier who had won a nation s applause 
 in the Civil War the man who, poor and un 
 aided, had built up a fortune against keenest 
 competition and had earned a repute for ster 
 ling probity which had ever been the delight 
 and model of his son this was the man whom 
 a low blackguard like Horrigan now had the 
 right to revile; a man apparently no better 
 than the Boss himself than any dishonest 
 heeler in the organization!
 
 The New Mayor. 
 
 And as if it were not enough that the idol 
 of a lifetime were hurled, crushed and defiled, 
 from its bright pedestal the family name 
 must next be dragged through the mire of 
 political filth and ill-repute and the dead man s 
 memory forever blasted. Either that or his 
 son must withdraw from the gallant fight he 
 was waging against civic corruption. For, 
 that Horrigan would carry out his threat and 
 blazon the story and proofs of the elder Ben 
 nett s shame, Alwyn had no doubt. With all 
 his faults the Boss was a man of his word. 
 
 "Stop your fight against us," Horrigan had 
 said, "and the report is burned." 
 
 Yes, the Boss was a man of his word. Even 
 Bennett admitted that. He would fulfil his 
 promise in either event. 
 
 Listlessly, Alwyn began to review the case. 
 On the one side a perhaps Quixotic fight for 
 an abstract principle, a fight whose reward was 
 political death, loss of the woman he adored, 
 family shame that might crush his fragile old 
 mother to the very grave. On the other, 
 wealth, honor, love, the Governorship, a future 
 happy and glorious. 
 
 Was he not a fool to hesitate? Had he not 
 salved his conscience sufficiently by vetoing 
 the Borough Franchise bill? Had he the right
 
 The New Mayor. 165 
 
 to bring this new shame upon his mother s gray 
 head? Where lay his highest duty? 
 
 The soft rustling of silk and a hand laid in 
 light caress upon his head aroused the miser 
 able man from his reflections. 
 
 Bennett looked up to see his mother stand 
 ing beside him. She had thrown on a wrapper 
 and, in slippered feet, had stolen noiselessly 
 into the study. 
 
 "I was awakened by voices," she explained. 
 "I thought I heard some one talking excitedly 
 in here. Is anything the matter?" 
 
 "Nothing, nothing, dear," he answered gen 
 tly, drawing the little old lady affectionately 
 down to a seat on his knee, and smiling man 
 fully into her sleep-flushed face. "Nothing is 
 the matter. Only a business call." 
 
 "A business call at two o clock in the morn 
 ing!" she exclaimed. "Dear boy, you are work 
 ing too hard. Your father never brought his 
 business worries and work home. He always 
 left them at the office. Can t you do the same? 
 You ll wear yourself out." 
 
 "My father began Bennett; but the 
 name choked him. 
 
 "You are growing to be so much like him," 
 went on Mrs. Bennett fondly. "And it makes 
 me so happy that you are. Your splendid fight 
 against that infamous Borough bill, for in-
 
 166 The New Mayor. 
 
 stance how proud he would have been of that! 
 It is just the sort of thing he himself would 
 have done in your place. He was surrounded 
 with wicked and dishonest men, just as you 
 arc. But through it all he remained true, hon 
 orable, incorruptible. What a grand heritage 
 for any son! He Alwyn!" she broke off 
 alarmed, "why do you look at me that way? I 
 never saw such a look in your eyes before. 
 Are you ill? Has something happened that 
 you are keeping from me?" 
 
 "No, no," evaded Bennett. "I only- 
 
 "You had a caller here before I came in," 
 pursued the mother, refusing to abandon the 
 clue to which her womanly intuition had led 
 her. "He brought you bad news? Tell me, 
 dear! I m your mother and I love you!" 
 
 "You are making my course more difficult 
 for me by asking such questions, mother," he 
 answered wretchedly; "and I 
 
 "I only want to help you, Alwyn. I can t 
 bear to see you miserable. A woman s wit and 
 a mother s love are often a combination that 
 can solve problems beyond even the wisest 
 man s powers of logic. Let me help you." 
 
 "I was trying to make up my mind," vague 
 ly replied Bennett, sorely distressed by her 
 pleading, "whether a man ought to follow his 
 conscience, even if it leads to heartbreak for
 
 The New Mayor. 167 
 
 those he loves, or whether he ought to let con 
 science go by the board for once and protect 
 the happiness of his loved ones." 
 
 "Alwyn! How can you hesitate a second 
 over such a question? One must do right, no 
 matter what the consequence." 
 
 "I don t know about that," he said moodily. 
 
 "You know it perfectly well. It is what 
 your father would have advised and- But, 
 Alwyn, you surely are not making yourself 
 unhappy over a mere supposititious case?" 
 
 "Well," he continued, "let us take a mere 
 supposititious case if you like. Suppose, for in 
 stance, that a man, holding a position of trust, 
 had had a father whose memory he honored and 
 revered as I do my own father s 
 
 "Yes?" prompted Mrs. Bennett, as he 
 paused. 
 
 "Suppose some one tempts him to betray 
 his position of trust even as I have lately been 
 tempted and threatens, in case of his refusal, 
 to make public certain facts which would prove 
 his dead father to have been a scoundrel. Now, 
 what should the man do? Should he let his 
 father s sacred memory be trampled in the 
 mud, let his duty go by default and save ! 
 
 "It would be an awful responsibility to de 
 cide such a question," said Mrs. Bennett with
 
 168 The New Mayor. 
 
 a little shudder; "but there could be only one 
 reply." 
 
 "And that is?" 
 
 "He must remain faithful to his duty, be 
 the results what they may." 
 
 "You really think so?" 
 
 "There can be no doubt. Right is right, 
 and- 
 
 "It shall be as you say!" groaned Alwyn. 
 
 "What?" queried Mrs. Bennett, startled at 
 the despair in his voice. "Do you mean it is 
 an actual case? Some friend of yours, per 
 haps?" 
 
 Bennett nodded. 
 
 "Oh, the poor, poor fellow!" she sympa 
 thized. "What a terrible position for him! 
 It was he, perhaps, that I heard talking to 
 you in here just now? No wonder he seemed 
 excited. The sins of the fathers shall be visit 
 ed upon the children, even unto the 
 
 "It is sometimes less hard on the children 
 than on the wives," mused Bennett, half to 
 himself. 
 
 "The wives? Your friend has a mother liv 
 ing? That makes it doubly tragic. How I 
 wish I might help her! Oh, my son, every day 
 I thank God in all humility that my husband 
 lived so blameless a life and left so honored
 
 The New Mayor. 169 
 
 a name ! How grateful you and I both ought 
 to be for 
 
 "It is easy enough to decide for some one 
 you have never seen," retorted Bennett, al 
 most rudely; "but suppose the dishonest man 
 in my story had been father, and 
 
 "I refuse to suppose anything of the sort!" 
 interrupted his mother indignantly, rising to 
 her feet. "I wonder that you can speak so! 
 How can you suggest so horrible a thing?" 
 
 "Just a thoughtless, tactless speech of mine, 
 that s all," lied Alwyn. "It s very late. You ll 
 have a headache, I m afraid. Won t you go to 
 bed?" 
 
 "Yes; it is late. And I m keeping you up. 
 Good-night, dear. I wish your friend- 
 She checked herself suddenly with a little 
 gasp. Bennett, glancing up to learn the rea 
 son, saw her eyes were riveted on a bit of paste 
 board lying on the corner of his desk directly 
 beneath the reading lamp. 
 
 It was Horrigan s card. 
 
 Slowly the mother s gaze shifted from the 
 card to her son. From her face the color had 
 been crushed by some swift emotion that left 
 it very old, pale and sunken. 
 
 "Mr. Horrigan!" she murmured. "It was 
 he who was your visitor to-night? Surely he
 
 170 The New Mayor. 
 
 isn t the sort of man to care about his father s 
 reputation for honesty. He 
 
 "You re tired, mother," interrupted Ben 
 nett in haste. "Won t you 
 
 "Wait!" she panted. "His visit here Al- 
 wyn!" her voice rising to a wail of panic-strick 
 en appeal, "did did that man dare to hint any 
 thing against your father? Tell me the truth! 
 I have a right to know. Did he?" 
 
 Alwyn bowed his head in silence. 
 
 "Tell me what he said." 
 
 It was no appeal now, but the outraged love 
 of a wife that demanded satisfaction. 
 
 "He said," muttered Bennett, almost inco 
 herently "he said my father made his fortune 
 -by graft!" 
 
 "And you thrashed him and threw him out 
 of the house?" she cried, her old eyes ablaze. 
 
 "No." 
 
 "Alwyn!" 
 
 "He he proved what he said!" 
 
 "It is a lie! A wicked, abominable lie!" 
 
 "It is the truth, mother. Would I have told 
 you such a thing would Horrigan have left 
 this room alive if it were not true?" 
 
 A silence dreadful in its intensity fell 
 over the room. Alwvn dared not look at his 
 
 i 
 
 mother. At last she spoke:
 
 The New Mayor. 171 
 
 "I must know more; I refuse to believe one 
 word. You spoke of proofs. What are they?" 
 
 Without a word, Bennett handed her the 
 engineer s report. And again tense silence 
 brooded over the study, broken only by the oc 
 casional turning of a page of the report. Then, 
 after what seemed to Alwyn an eternity of 
 waiting, the document slid to the floor. Ben 
 nett glanced at his mother. She was standing 
 rigid, her face cold and hard as granite. 
 
 "Horrigan has ferreted this out," he said, 
 not daring to draw nearer to proffer comfort to 
 the woman whom the Boss s disclosure had 
 turned to stone. "He has secured the proofs 
 and says he will publish them broadcast unless 
 I withdraw my opposition in the Borough fran 
 chise matter. If I let that bill pass, Friday, 
 he will burn the report and 
 
 "There is only one thing to do," interposed 
 the mother, speaking with slow decision, her 
 voice as cold and colorless as her face. "Right 
 must prevail, no matter what 
 
 "Mother!" cried Alwyn, quickly rising, 
 "you advise me to you advise me " 
 
 "I do not advise I command! Do right!"
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 THE DAY OF BATTLE/ 
 
 THE momentous Friday had arrived, the 
 day whereon the famous or infamous Bor 
 ough Street Railway bill in its amended form 
 was to come up for the Aldermen s considera 
 tion. 
 
 Every paper in the city devoted columns to 
 the situation. Everywhere it was known that 
 the "boy Mayor" was fighting with all his 
 might the bill he had already vetoed. Equally 
 well was it understood that Horrigan was 
 making the battle of his whole career in behalf 
 of the measure. If he could but induce his 
 "solid thirteen" Aldermen to stand firm and 
 could maintain his hold on Roberts for the four 
 teenth, all would be plain sailing, and the bill 
 w r ould pass by a two-thirds vote, in spite of 
 the Mavor s veto. 
 
 m/ 
 
 More than the mere bill and his price for it 
 were included in Horrigan s reasons for his 
 present activity. He recognized that his pres- 
 
 173
 
 The New Mayor. 173 
 
 tige as Boss was at stake. That in case of 
 failure his hold on the organization would be 
 considerably weakened; perhaps almost so 
 much shaken as to permit Phelan to fulfil his 
 once absurd threat to tear him down from his 
 eminence. For the whole organization was 
 viewing with breathless interest the duel be 
 tween Horrigan and the youthful Mayor the 
 Boss had "made." In such circles a beaten 
 
 man commands scant respect. 
 
 ****** 
 
 The Board of Aldermen were in session in 
 the City Hall. Off the antechamber of the 
 great room where they met was a small, snugly 
 furnished apartment, first of a series of similar 
 rooms that stretched away, with connecting 
 doors, to the far end of the main corridor. 
 This place, with the room adjoining, had once 
 been the Comptroller s office. Of late, how 
 ever, that official had changed his quarters, and 
 the room nearest the antechamber had been 
 appropriated by Horrigan himself as a sort 
 of unofficial snuggery, where he could sit at 
 ease and transact business at close quarters 
 whenever the organization s secret interests 
 demanded his presence at the City Hall. 
 
 Here, his whereabouts known only to his 
 intimates and personal lieutenants, the Boss 
 was wont to sit at ease, like some fat, rubicund
 
 174 The New Mayor. 
 
 spider in the center of a web of intrigue, and 
 issue his orders or plans of campaign. Some 
 of these were carried by word of mouth 
 through the anteroom into the Aldermanic 
 Chamber. Others he transmitted bv means of 
 
 v 
 
 a telephone that stood ready on the center 
 table, before which his great easy chair was 
 always placed. 
 
 Around this table, as the Board of Alder 
 men were about to convene on the fateful Fri 
 day of the Borough bill s final consideration, 
 sat three men Wainwright, Gibbs and Hor- 
 rigan. The former, in spite of his habitual 
 steady coolness, was plainly uneasy. Gibbs 
 made no effort to deny his anxiety. His eyes 
 were bloodshot, his manner abstracted, and his 
 nerves evidently strung to breaking point. 
 Horrigan alone of the trio had abated not one 
 jot of the colossal calm and brutal power that 
 were part and parcel of the man s mighty char 
 acter. 
 
 "When will our bill come up, do you sup 
 pose?" asked Gibbs, breaking a brief silence. 
 
 "In half an hour or so, probably," answered 
 Horrigan, glancing at his watch. "I thought 
 it was better for us to get here ahead of time." 
 
 "Half an hour!" fumed Gibbs; "and neither 
 Ellis nor Roberts here yet ! Suppose they don t 
 get here on time?"
 
 The New Mayor. 175 
 
 "They will!" grunted Horrigan placidly. 
 
 "Do you think it is possible either of them 
 has come yet?" went on Gibbs, with a glance 
 at the antechamber door. 
 
 "No." 
 
 "How do you know? Perhaps " 
 
 "Williams would have told me. He knows 
 where I m to be found." 
 
 "You re sure Ellis and Roberts will show 
 up?" 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "How soon?" 
 
 "In good time." 
 
 "But suppose they don t?" insisted Gibbs 
 nervously. "What then?" 
 
 "Why, if they don t, then they won t. What 
 do you suppose?" snapped Horrigan. "What s 
 the matter with you, anyhow? Are you look 
 ing for a museum job as the Human Question 
 Mark?" 
 
 "Gibbs is naturally nervous," explained 
 Wainwright. "He s not so old at this game 
 as you and I, Horrigan, and we must make 
 allowances." 
 
 "Nervous!" grunted the Boss. "I should 
 say he is! Just look at that cigar I gave him. 
 He s been chewing it as if it was a sausage. 
 That s no way to treat a fifty-cent cigar, man! 
 Here, try another, and see if you can t smoke
 
 176 The New Mayor. 
 
 it, instead of eating a free lunch off it. Noth 
 ing like a good smoke to steady your nerves. 
 If- 
 
 The antechamber door opened and Williams 
 hurried in. 
 
 "I got Ellis!" he reported. "He s here, 
 and" with significant emphasis "he ll vote 
 right!" 
 
 "Good!" assented Horrigan. "I thought 
 he d come to time. Now for Roberts, and the 
 thing s done." 
 
 "The gallery in there is jammed," reported 
 Williams, jerking his head toward the Alder- 
 manic Chamber. "I never saw such a mob in 
 the place before." 
 
 "That s what comes of all this newspaper 
 publicity," growled Horrigan. "If it wasn t 
 for the papers the people d never make any 
 trouble for us. But they read the news and 
 then they get silly ideas about their rights, 
 and a lot of them come here to see they don t 
 get swindled. Lord! If the papers would 
 only suspend publication for one month, I d 
 guarantee to put the whole State in my vest 
 pocket. They re always butting in to spoil the 
 organization s honest profits. How are the 
 crowds in the galleries behaving?" 
 
 "They re quiet," answered Williams uneas 
 ily. "Too quiet. That s what bothers me.
 
 HORRIGAN "GETTING NEXT" TO MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS BY PHONE. 
 
 Page 177.
 
 The New Mayor. 177 
 
 They seem to be waiting for the Borough bill 
 
 
 "If they raise any row, rush a motion 
 through to clear the galleries," ordered Horri- 
 gan. 
 
 "Nothing short of the police could clear 
 away that big crowd." 
 
 "Then we ll have the police in to help." 
 
 "But," argued Williams, "that would mean 
 a riot and a lot of people would get hurt. All 
 the newspapers to-morrow would 
 
 "Never mind that. Go ahead and do as 
 you re told. At the first sign of disapproval 
 from the galleries have the motion passed and 
 turn the police loose. Understand?" 
 
 "All right," acquiesced Williams dubiously, 
 and withdrew. 
 
 Wainwright opened his mouth to protest, 
 but Horrigan was already busy at the tele 
 phone. 
 
 "Hello!" he called "I want 900 F 900 F. 
 Yes yes. Is that the captain?" he went on, 
 a moment later. "Then send him to the phone. 
 Tell him Mr. Horrigan Hello, captain," 
 after another short pause. "Yes, it s Horrigan. 
 At City Hall. In the Aldermanic Chamber 
 there s a mob and we re likely to need the police 
 to quiet em. Yes. No, not diet them, you 
 fool! Quiet them. Yes. Send us a squad at
 
 178 The New Mayor. 
 
 double-quick, and let the sergeant report to 
 Williams. Let the boys bring their night 
 sticks, and tell em they re to take no back talk 
 and not to be afraid to slug, if it comes to 
 that and I guess it will. Pick out the right 
 sort to send. Yes. Of course I ll back up 
 anything they do. Sure! Rush em. Good- 
 by!" 
 
 "But " began Wainwright as Horrigan 
 
 hung up the receiver. The Boss cut him short : 
 
 "I ll let that gallery crowd see it ain t safe to 
 interfere with my work." 
 
 "But," protested Wainwright, "surely it will 
 not be necessary to 
 
 "To break heads? It probably will. Why 
 not?" 
 
 "I d rather use diplomatic tactics." 
 
 "Diplomacy s a game I never took the 
 trouble to learn." 
 
 "But those people you re about to antago 
 nize control votes 
 
 "Yes, the people may control the votes, but 
 we count them. See the difference?" 
 
 "But doesn t the law permit the public to at 
 tend these meetings?" 
 
 "Only so long as they behave themselves. 
 If a few of em get clubbed they won t be so 
 ready next time to butt in where they aren t 
 wanted. Thev "
 
 The New Mayor. 170 
 
 The tinkle of the telephone bell cut short the 
 Boss s public-spirited remarks. Horrigan un- 
 slung the receiver. 
 
 "Hello!" he hailed. "Who s- Oh, 
 
 Roberts, eh?" 
 
 "Is it Roberts?" cried Gibbs excitedly. 
 
 "No," snarled Horrigan in ponderous sar 
 casm. "It s the Czar of Russia telephoning to 
 borrow a nickel. I called him Roberts just 
 to flatter him. Go on, Roberts ! What s that? 
 Yes, this is Mr. Horrigan. Want to see me, 
 do you? What for? No, there isn t," he went 
 on angrily, after a moment s listening. "You 
 and I settled all that. Come and do your share 
 
 of the Yes, I tell you it s up to you to 
 
 make good." 
 
 Another pause, during which Gibbs and 
 Wainwright glanced at each other in suspense. 
 Then the Boss continued, in a louder voice, 
 over the wire: 
 
 "Well, come to my room in the City Hall, 
 then, if you ve got to see me. But there s no 
 need for it. It s all settled and there s noth 
 ing more to be said. I ll be here. Don t keep 
 me waiting. I- What s that? No! I 
 won t come to you! You ll come to me, and 
 you ll come on the double-quick! Jump now! 
 
 If you don t No that s all. Hurry 
 
 up!"
 
 180 The New Mayor. 
 
 "Wouldn t it be wiser," suggested Gibbs, 
 "to humor the man by going to him, as he sug 
 gests? Then- 
 
 "No, it wouldn t!" retorted Horrigan as he 
 kept the telephone. "If I d gone on the prin 
 ciple of humoring folks, I d still be working 
 at eighteen per, selling ferry tickets. Take my 
 tip, friend: Never go to a man. Make him 
 come to you. That s business. And it gives 
 you a 90 per cent, better chance with him. 
 Now then," pulling a paper from his pocket, 
 "I told you about the report I had Morris & 
 Cherrington dig out, showing up Bennett s 
 old man. Here it is. Like to look it over 
 while we re waiting?" 
 
 "Little enough good it seems to have done!" 
 returned Wainwright as the three heads bent 
 over the document. "He s still fighting us, 
 tooth and nail." 
 
 "Yes," agreed Horrigan grimly; "but it s 
 a satisfaction to know it isn t only us he s fight 
 ing. He s cutting his own throat, too."
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 LOVE AND POLITICS. 
 
 THE first committee room that lay to the 
 right of Horrigan s office (in the same relation 
 to it as the antechamber to the left) was usual 
 ly given over to dry offical business, and its 
 musty walls must almost have experienced 
 a distinct shock about this time as Dallas 
 Wainwright entered from the corridor behind. 
 She was accompanied by Perry and by Phelan, 
 who, passing through the corridor toward the 
 Aldermanic Chamber, had collided with the 
 brother and sister at the committee-room door. 
 
 "Here s a good sight for sore eyes, Miss 
 Wainwright," the Alderman was saying with 
 his best air. "But is it fair to ask what brings 
 such a bunch of sunshine into an old political 
 shell like this? I d as soon think of seeing Hor- 
 rigan at mass as to find you here." 
 
 "I want to attend the Aldermen s meeting," 
 exclaimed Dallas. "I have a special reason. 
 So I made Perry bring me. But at the door 
 
 181
 
 182 The New Mayor. 
 
 they told us the gallery was so crowded that 
 we couldn t 
 
 "Never you mind the gallery, miss," inter 
 rupted Phelan. "It isn t meant for the likes 
 of you, anyway. You just sit here a few min 
 utes and I ll catch an attendant somewhere 
 and make him hustle up a couple of good 
 chairs for you on the main floor, where you 
 can pipe everything just like you were in your 
 own op ra box coppin off a swad of high C s." 
 
 "Thank you so much, Alderman," replied 
 Dallas. "I hope we re not putting you to too 
 much trouble?" 
 
 "No trouble at all. And even if it was I d 
 come a-runnin to meet it. I m the original 
 trouble-eater. Besides, the best in the house is 
 none too good for the lady who was so int rest- 
 ed in my outings. So long! I ll be right 
 back." 
 
 "What a queer chap he is!" mused Perry, 
 as Phelan hastened away on his mission. "If 
 I could take a six-weeks course in slang and 
 hot air from that man I d be able to sew but 
 tons on the whole English language." 
 
 "I don t think you need very much tuition," 
 observed Dallas. "But it was kind of Mr. 
 Phelan to look after us. I like him be 
 
 "Because he s standing by Bennett so pluck- 
 ily in this fight?"
 
 The New Mayor. 183 
 
 "Mr. Bennett is nothing to me." 
 
 "No?" asked Perry in innocent amaze. 
 "Then I wasted a lot of good cigarette money 
 cabling to you about his campaign when you 
 were across the Big Wash last summer. For 
 a man who was nothing to you you sure took 
 large swads of intelligent interest. Look here, 
 little girl," he went on less flippantly, "what s 
 the matter? Has anything 
 
 "No!" she broke in with a miserable effort 
 at courage; "nothing s the matter. I m per 
 fectly happy. Why shouldn t I be? An en 
 gaged girl is always 
 
 "An engaged girl!" he shouted in high glee. 
 "You don t mean to say you and Alwyn 
 
 "Of course not! I am engaged to Mr. 
 Gibbs." 
 
 "Good Lord!" gasped the lad in honest dis 
 may. "If that s meant for a joke it s the punk- 
 est ever! Did 
 
 "It isn t a joke, Perry, and it s very rude 
 of you to talk so. I am engaged to Mr. Gibbs, 
 and- 
 
 "But how when did the atrocity come ofl, 
 and- 
 
 "I became engaged to him the night of the 
 Administration Ball. I didn t want to tell you 
 yet, because I knew vou don t like him. I m 
 I m "
 
 184 The New Mayor. 
 
 "You re happy?" 
 
 "Certainly I am!" she retorted defiantly. 
 "So happy that I- 
 
 "That you are having a fight to keep from 
 crying this blessed minute!" he finished. "Say, 
 Dallas, it breaks me all up to have you so mis 
 erable. I think a whole lot of you. More n 
 of any one else but Cynthia. And I want to 
 help you out of this measly mix-up. Won t 
 you- 
 
 " There is nothing any one can do," she mur 
 mured sadly. "I have chosen my course, and 
 j " 
 
 "Cheese it!" whispered Perry in hurried ad 
 monition. "Here comes Bennett, and Phelan s 
 with him." 
 
 The young Mayor came in, talking to the 
 Alderman as he came. 
 
 "This room s disengaged," he was saying. 
 
 "I ll write it here and give it to Oh, I 
 
 beg your pardon," he broke off, recognizing 
 Dallas and Perry. "I didn t know 
 
 "I ve got two good seats for you," an 
 nounced Phelan. "Right where you can see 
 and hear the whole shootin -match. An I 
 guess before the meetin s over it s liable to get 
 as int restin as a double Uncle Tom show in a 
 tent. I ll show you the way as soon as you re
 
 The New Mayor. 185 
 
 ready. There s no rush. Things ain t begun 
 to sizzle up yet." 
 
 Bennett had crossed to where Dallas stood 
 irresolute, and under cover of Phelan s talk 
 with Perry, said to her with a certain un 
 conscious stiffness: 
 
 "I fear I was too taken aback by your an 
 nouncement the other evening to remember to 
 congratulate you. But please believe me when 
 I say I wish you every happiness in the new 
 life you have chosen." 
 
 "Thank you very much," faltered Dallas. 
 
 There was an awkward pause. Then she 
 said: 
 
 "You came in here to write something. I m 
 afraid we are detaining you. You must be 
 busy with your fight against the Borough bill. 
 You are quite determined to continue it to the 
 end?" 
 
 "To the bitter end!" he answered miserably; 
 "even though that end can hold nothing but 
 bitterness for me." 
 
 The set anguish in his face moved Dallas 
 more than she dared confess even to herself. 
 
 "I am sorry," she said softly. 
 ."It is the course I have chosen," he answered 
 with a shrug, "and if it leads to eternal dark 
 ness, instead of the sunlight I expected, I must 
 follow it none the less,"
 
 186 The New Mayor. 
 
 "That is sheer obstinacy," she cried, battling 
 against her own heart s passionate plea. "You 
 have laid out a plan to ruin Mr. Gibbs, to de 
 prive Perry and me of my own fortune, to en 
 rich yourself by selling Borough stock short 
 and then vetoing the bill so that the stock 
 would collapse. You have done all this and 
 yet you talk of following your abominable 
 course to the end!" 
 
 "Dallas," he said very quietly, "you don t 
 understand and you have refused to trust me 
 to explain. So I can say no more. But one 
 day you may learn the cruel mistake you are 
 making." 
 
 "Mistake?" 
 
 "I don t mean that you are mistaken in 
 choosing Gibbs instead of me, but that you are 
 wrong in your judgment of what I am doing. 
 I hope you will understand some day. It will 
 be too late to change anything then, but at 
 least I shall be set right in your eyes. And 
 that means more to me than you can ever 
 know. Good -by." 
 
 He left the room abruptly, and Dallas 
 stared after him, her brain awhirl with con 
 flicting thoughts. 
 
 "There s a man in ten million, miss," volun 
 teered Phelan. breaking in on her reverie; "and 
 from the looks of that brand-new dinky three-k
 
 The New Mayor. 187 
 
 spark on your finger I guess you re wise to 
 the fact." 
 
 "I am engaged to Mr. Gibbs," replied Dal 
 las coldly. 
 
 "What the gasped Phelan, checking 
 himself just in time; "I m sure sorry for you, 
 miss," he went on with a sincerity that pre 
 cluded any offense. "For friend Gibbs is go 
 ing to have something so heavy fall on his 
 bank-roll by the time we re through with this 
 Borough bill that he ll be able to use his wad 
 for a book-mark without crinklin any of the 
 leaves. Why, he ll- 
 
 "Come, Perry," interrupted Dallas; "shall 
 we go to the meeting now?" 
 
 Confused, she turned to the door leading 
 into Horrigan s room instead of that opening 
 on the corridor, and found herself face to face 
 with her uncle, the Boss, and Gibbs. 
 
 "I beg your pardon," she began, surprised. 
 "I didn t know- 
 
 "Dallas!" exclaimed Gibbs and Wainwright 
 in the same breath. Horrigan scowled at the 
 interruption, as all three men rose to their 
 feet. 
 
 "What brings you to a place like this?" 
 asked Wainwright in displeasure. 
 
 "Perry and I," indicating her brother, who
 
 188 The New Mayor. 
 
 had followed her into the room, "are going to 
 attend the meeting of the Board of Aldermen." 
 
 "But," protested her uncle disapprovingly, 
 "it is hardly the sort of 
 
 "My fortune and Perry s and that of the 
 man I am to marry are all bound up in the Bor 
 ough bill," she answered fearlessly. "I have 
 a right to be present when that bill s fate is 
 decided." 
 
 "Good nerve!" applauded Horrigan. 
 "You re a thoroughbred. If there were more 
 women like you 
 
 "Mr. Horrigan," reported Williams, hurry 
 ing in from an antechamber, "the police have 
 come, and " 
 
 "All right," answered the Boss. "Give the 
 sergeant his orders." 
 
 "I I hardly like the responsibility," mut 
 tered Williams; "and " 
 
 "But you ll take it. I m backing you. By 
 the way, get seats for Miss Wainwright and 
 her brother. Get them close to the anteroom 
 door, so if there s a row she can come back 
 here. If there are no vacant seats there, clear 
 a couple of people out and make place for 
 
 "But we have seats," protested Dallas, as 
 Williams sped on his errand. "Alderman 
 Phelan- 
 
 " Alderman Phelan will have trouble finding
 
 The New Mayor. 189 
 
 a seat in this city when I m done with him!" 
 snarled Horrigan. "Better take the seats I 
 offer, Miss Wainwright. They re safer." 
 
 "But," protested Wainwright, "if there s to 
 be any danger she mustn t be there. I can t 
 have- 
 
 "I will be on hand to help her, if there is," 
 Gibbs answered him. 
 
 "H m!" grunted Horrigan in somewhat un 
 complimentary doubt. 
 
 "I will, too!" spoke up Perry. 
 
 Horrigan nodded approval. 
 
 "You ll be all right, then," said he; "and 
 now 
 
 "You spoke of the police being in the Alder- 
 manic Chamber," said Dallas. "What for?" 
 
 "To check any trouble the gallery may 
 make," answered Horrigan. "This man Ben 
 nett s stirred the people up with a lot of his 
 anarchistic reform ideas till they re crazy. 
 Some one s liable to get a broken skull, and 
 then Bennett will have himself to thank. May 
 be when the police have hammered a little sense 
 into folks heads with their nightsticks the vic 
 tims will begin to understand just what sort 
 of a man Alwyn Bennett is. Remember, now, 
 Gibbs, and you, too, young Wainwright, if 
 there s any sign of a row bring Miss Wain 
 wright back here at once."
 
 190 The New Mayor. 
 
 "All right," agreed Perry, a little rueful at 
 the prospect of missing a free fight. "Let s 
 go in there now. I ve never been to an Al 
 dermen s meeting before ; but I ran up against 
 a car strike riot once, so I guess I m on to most 
 of the subtle rules of elegance that govern 
 such shows. Come on, people, if you re com- 
 ing." 
 
 "Your niece is a thoroughbred," repeated 
 Horrigan, with rare approbation, as the ante 
 room door closed behind Dallas and her two 
 escorts. "So she s to marry Gibbs, is she? I m 
 sorry for them both." 
 
 "Why?" asked Wainwright sharply. 
 
 "Because it won t take her a year to find out 
 that he s a yellow cur. And when she does 
 she ll either kick him out or lead him around on 
 a chain. Now the fellow a girl of that sort 
 ought to have married is Bennett. He s an 
 obstinate fool, but he s a man. I thought you 
 said once he was stuck on her." 
 
 "He washe still is." 
 
 "And she took Gibbs instead?" cried Hor 
 rigan, a world of incredulity in his rough voice. 
 "Women are a queer lot! Why d she shake 
 Bennett, if it is a fair question?" 
 
 "I let her see Gibbs was a heroic martyr," 
 said Wainwright with quiet significance, "and 
 that Bennett was "
 
 The New Mayor. 191 
 
 "Oh, I see!" chuckled Horrigan. "Still there 
 might be something made out of Bennett s love 
 for her even yet." 
 
 "What do you mean?" 
 
 "I m not quite sure. I ll have to think it 
 over." 
 
 "Roberts has come!" exclaimed Williams, 
 entering from the corridor; "he s asking for 
 you. Shall I bring him in here?" 
 
 "Yes," replied Horrigan. "By the way," 
 he added to Wainwright as Williams depart 
 ed, "I ll have to ask you to clear out for a few 
 minutes. I ve got to see Roberts alone. Now 
 for the tussle that ll decide the whole fight!"
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 THE BATTLE OF WILLS. 
 
 WILLIAMS entered with Roberts in tow. 
 The latter wore a haggard, troubled look, and 
 his natural nervousness had visibly deepened. 
 So much so that he had not even noted Phelan s 
 appearance in the corridor as he passed into 
 Horrigan s private room. 
 
 "Good-evening, Alderman," said Kerrigan 
 civilly. 
 
 "Good-evening, sir," answered Roberts, pal 
 pably ill at ease. 
 
 "I understand there s a full meeting to-day. 
 Even Ellis came back from the South to be 
 here. You re the only man missing." 
 
 "I couldn t get here sooner. I 
 
 "I see. That s all, Williams. You needn t 
 wait. Robei-ts and I want a little talk before 
 he goes in. Now, then," went on the Boss with 
 a complete change of manner, as Williams left 
 the room, "what s the matter with you?" 
 
 "I I can t- 
 
 192
 
 The New Mayor. 193 
 
 "Can t what? Speak out, man! Don t stand 
 there and mumble at me!" 
 
 "I can t vote for the Borough Franchisebill." 
 
 "Can t, hey?" roared Horrigan. "Why; 
 not?" 
 
 "Because because faltered Roberts. 
 Then, with a rush of hysterical emotion that 
 blotted out his fear, he cried: 
 
 "Have you heard what that man Bennett has 
 done? He organized a voters committee in 
 my ward and sent them to ask me, at my own 
 house, what I was going to do about that bill. 
 They had been stirred up by Bennett till they 
 looked on me as a crook and on the bill as a 
 personal robbery. They told me if I voted for 
 it they d know I was a dirty thief and grafter 
 and that they d kick me out of the ward." 
 
 "Well, w r ell!" rumbled Horrigan soothing 
 ly, as though trying to calm a fractious drunk 
 ard. "What do you care? When they ve for 
 gotten all about the bill, you ll still have the 
 dough, won t you? Folks won t ask How d 
 he get it? All they ll care to know is Has he 
 got it? " 
 
 "That isn t all!" Roberts blundered on, 
 scarcely heeding the interruption. "Bennett s 
 next step was to organize a committee of vot 
 ers wives, and they came to see my wife this 
 morning when I was out and told her they d
 
 194 The New Mayor. 
 
 heard I was going to sell myself and vote for 
 a dishonest bill. My wife my wife thinks 
 I m the squarest, noblest man on earth. Oh, 
 you needn t sneer! Her trust means every 
 thing to me. She told the women I wouldn t 
 stoop to any deed that wasn t honest, and they 
 answered: Our husbands believe Mr. Roberts 
 is a crook. If he is really honest he ll vote 
 against that bill as he did before. Then, on 
 my way home this noon, I met my little boy. 
 He was crying. I asked him what the matter 
 was. He said some boys had told him I was 
 a grafter. I tell you," his voice rising almost 
 to a scream, "Bennett s made my life a hell. 
 I m no crook. I m honest, and 
 
 "Sure you re honest!" Horrigan exclaimed, 
 as though to a cross child. "Honest as the 
 day. That s why you re voting for our bill. 
 Because the crooked clauses have been cut out 
 of it, and in its present form it s a benefit to 
 the city." 
 
 "That isn t why I promised to vote for it," 
 contradicted Roberts with a despairing flash 
 of courage. "It was because I because 
 
 "Never mind why, then; but just go ahead 
 and do it." 
 
 "I won t! Idarenot- 
 
 " You ll do it, I say!" stormed Horrigan. 
 "You can t welch on me at this stage of the
 
 The New Mayor. 195 
 
 game. Those Sturtevant Trust Company 
 notes of yours were sent to you and " 
 
 "And I won t take them!" declared Roberts, 
 slamming two slips of paper down upon the 
 table. "There! take them back!" 
 
 "What do I want of them?" argued Horri 
 gan craftily. "They belong to you." 
 
 "They don t. I won t keep them." 
 
 "You ll have to. I keep you to your prom 
 ise." 
 
 "What promise?" asked a voice behind them. 
 
 Bennett, hastily summoned by Phelan, had 
 entered the room unobserved by either of the 
 excited men. 
 
 "What promise?" he asked again. "A prom 
 ise to " 
 
 "What are you doing here?" bellowed Hor- 
 rigan in fury. "You called me down once for 
 coming into your private office without knock 
 ing. What do you mean by coming into 
 mine?" 
 
 "Yours?" queried Alwyn. "I had an idea it 
 was the city s. The time is past when the words 
 Horrigan and city meant the same thing. 
 Well, Roberts, how are you going to vote? I 
 
 want to believe you honest, and Why, 
 
 what s all this?" his eyes falling on the for 
 gotten notes on the table. 
 
 "Nothing of yours!" shouted Horrigan,
 
 196 The New Mayor. 
 
 making a futile, furious grab for the documents 
 which Alwyn was picking up. "Drop them! 
 Drop them, I say, or you ll 
 
 "Why should I?" asked Bennett calmly, his 
 quick eye taking in the nature of the slips of 
 paper, even as his alert brain grasped in full 
 the meaning of the transaction in which they 
 figured. "Do they belong to you?" 
 
 "They don t belong to you, anyway," re 
 torted Horrigan, "and if vou dare read 
 them- 
 
 "I ve already read them. Roberts," he add 
 ed in a kinder voice, turning to the shaking 
 Alderman, "these were to have been your bribe, 
 weren t they, for voting for the Borough bill?" 
 
 His quietly compelling tone and glance 
 forced from Roberts a frightened "Yes," be 
 fore Horrigan could intervene. 
 
 "I thought so. Be quiet, Horrigan!" he 
 commanded, as the infuriated Boss sought to 
 speak through his choking wrath. "This is 
 between Roberts and I. Now, then " 
 
 "I returned the notes to him!" pleaded Rob 
 erts in panic. "Honestly, I did! Just before 
 you came in. I could have kept them, and he 
 couldn t have prevented me, even if I voted 
 against the bill. But I m square and 
 
 "You are square!" affirmed Bennett, grip 
 ping the Alderman s cold, moist hand in friend-
 
 The New Mayor. 197 
 
 ly reassurance. "I knew all along you were 
 honest at heart. Horrigan wanted to bribe 
 you and you wouldn t be bribed. Now I want 
 you to go into the Council room and vote as 
 your manhood tells you to." 
 
 Roberts, comforted, yet still trembling, 
 obeyed, not venturing a second look at Hor 
 rigan. 
 
 "Now, my friend," said Bennett pleasantly, 
 when he and the Boss were alone together, 
 "what are you going to do about it? It seems 
 to me your game is up." 
 
 "I want those notes!" panted Horrigan, 
 finding coherent speech with an effort through 
 his red mist of rage. 
 
 "Why? They re not yours. They aren t 
 made over to you, and there is no cancellation 
 stamp on them. They are the property of the 
 Sturtevant Trust Company and" I ll send them 
 back there to-morrow after I ve had them 
 photographed." 
 
 "You ll give them to me!" shouted Horrigan, 
 his mighty body vibrating with fury, "or you ll 
 never leave this room alive!" 
 
 "You are a fool, Horrigan!" remarked Ben 
 nett with condescending calm; "for you oV)n t 
 even know the right man to bully." 
 
 He gazed unflinchingly into the maddened 
 little eyes of the Boss, and so for a moment
 
 198 The New Mayor. 
 
 they stood Patrician and Proletariat in the 
 world-old struggle of the two for supremacy. 
 
 Kerrigan s face was scarlet, distorted, mur 
 derous; Bennett s pale, cold, deadly in its re 
 pose. 
 
 And then waged the battle of wills; both 
 men standing motionless, tense, vibrant with 
 dynamic force. 
 
 Slowly, little by little, Horrigan s eyes 
 dropped. He moved awkwardly to one side 
 from his position in front of the door. And 
 Bennett, without so much as a backward 
 look, passed out. 
 
 The Boss, like a man in a daze, sank heavily 
 into a chair and gazed straight ahead of him, 
 his usually red face gray and pasty. 
 
 But he was not to enjoy even the scant boon 
 of solitude. From the anteroom Gibbs strolled 
 in. 
 
 "They re going over some unimportant pre 
 liminary business," remarked the broker, "so 
 I came out for a breath of fresh air. How are 
 things going?" 
 
 "We re beat!" grunted Horrigan, not look 
 ing up. 
 
 "Beat?" screamed Gibbs, ashen and inert at 
 the news. "You don t mean it! You can t 
 mean it! Great Heaven!"
 
 The New Mayor. 199 
 
 The sight of the other s cowardly emotion 
 seemed to rouse Horrigan from his apathy. 
 
 "If I can stand it, you can!" he snarled. 
 You only lose your percentage on the deal, 
 while I- 
 
 "A percentage!" echoed Gibbs, too panic- 
 stricken to heed his own indiscretion. "Every 
 cent I had in the world ! I 
 
 He checked himself an instant too late. 
 
 "So?" drawled Horrigan, his keen little eyes 
 searing the other with boundless contempt. 
 "So it was you who was secretly buying up the 
 stock and tailing in on to our game, hey?" 
 
 "I m ruined! Broke! And- 
 
 "And you ve got it coming to you, you whin 
 ing traitor! The man who goes back on his 
 partners deserves all the kicking he gets." 
 
 "I I didn t mean any harm!" mumbled the 
 crushed Gibbs. "It couldn t hurt you people 
 to have me buy Borough stock for myself, and 
 I d have cleared up a million and more. Oh, 
 don t glower like that, Horrigan, but try to 
 think out some way of : 
 
 "Of what, you cur?" 
 
 "Isn t there any way, even now, to make 
 Bennett let up on his fight?" 
 
 "If there was you couldn t be of use to us. 
 So why should I talk about it to you?"
 
 200 The New Mayor. 
 
 "But I d do anything in the world any 
 thing- " 
 
 "You would?" cut in Horrigan sharply. 
 
 "Yes ! yes ! Only give me a chance. Fd " 
 
 Horrigan considered; then said reflectively: 
 
 "No chance is too slight to take at a time 
 like this, and nobody s too rotten to be of use. 
 I ve found there are three things, one of which 
 will always buy any man : A woman, ambition 
 or cash. We ve tried Bennett on ambition. 
 He doesn t need money. So only the first of 
 the three remains." 
 
 "A woman? I don t understand." 
 
 "Miss Wainwright." 
 
 "But- 
 
 "Listen here: Bennett s in love with Wain- 
 wright s niece. You ve cut him out. Go and 
 tell him if he ll let our bill alone you ll smash 
 the engagement and leave her free to marry 
 him. See?" 
 
 "I can t! I hold on, though! Afterward 
 I could deny the whole thing, couldn t I ? It d 
 be his word against mine, and she d never be 
 lieve I could do such a thing. I I might try!" 
 
 "Yes," growled Horrigan, "you might. A 
 cur that s lost all his nerve can try things that 
 even an ordinary crook would balk at." 
 
 But Gibbs did not hear. He had returned 
 to the corridor in search of Bennett. The man
 
 The New Mayor. 201 
 
 scarcely deserved the opprobrium heaped on 
 him by Horrigan. A brilliant, daring opera 
 tor, he was, unknown to himself, a rank coward 
 at heart. For the first time in his life the cow 
 ardice had cropped out, and to do Gibbs jus 
 tice, it had driven him temporarily insane. In 
 his normal senses he would never have stooped 
 to the plan he was now so eager to carry out. 
 It was a putrid bit of jetsam at which a finan 
 cially drowning man did not scruple to clutch. 
 
 Horrigan followed him from the room, his 
 own splendid nerve quite recovered from the 
 crushing blow his hopes had received. He had 
 staked heavily on the deal. Moreover, its fail 
 ure, as he knew, meant the wreck of the mighty 
 political prestige he had so long and weari 
 somely built up. It might even, if Alwyn ful 
 filled his threat about the notes, lead to graver 
 personal consequences. Yet the bulldog pluck 
 that had carried this man of iron from the 
 gutter to the summit of political power, did not 
 desert him ; nor did he show the loss of one iota 
 of his own customary monumental calm. 
 
 Scarcely had Horrigan quitted the room 
 when Perry and Dallas entered it. 
 
 "You could cut the atmosphere in there with 
 a cheese knife," Perry was saying. "Wilh ams 
 doesn t think the Borough bill will come up 
 for half an hour or so. We d better spend the
 
 202 The New Mayor. 
 
 time till then in here than to stay there and 
 turn our lungs into a microbe zoo." 
 
 Dallas did not answer. She sat down by the 
 table and rested her head dejectedly on one 
 little gloved hand. The sight of Bennett his 
 grave, hopeless appeal to her the calm, utter 
 despair of his brave face all these had affect 
 ed her deeply. Perry noticed with brotherly 
 concern her look and attitude. 
 
 "Feeling faint?" he asked. 
 
 "No; I m all right, thanks." 
 
 "You look pretty near as blue as Alwyn. 
 He- 
 
 "Don t let s talk of him, please," she begged. 
 
 "Why not? He s the whitest chap this side 
 of Whiteville." 
 
 "That s what I used to think. But I know 
 better now." 
 
 "Then, miss," broke in a voice from the door 
 way, "you re entitled to another know. 
 
 Phelan, who, passing down the corridor, had 
 heard her last words as he reached the threshold, 
 turned into the room. 
 
 "Excuse me for buttin in on a fam ly chat," 
 he remarked, coming forward; "but I m pretty 
 well posted on His Honor s character, and 
 when I hear any one knocking him, it s me to 
 the bat. What have you got against Mr. Ben 
 nett? None of your measly business., says
 
 The New Mayor. 203 
 
 you. Quite so, says I ; an , that bein the case, 
 let s hear all about it." 
 
 Something that underlay the seeming im 
 pertinence of the Alderman s bluff speech 
 touched Dallas. On impulse she spoke : 
 
 "Mr. Bennett," said she, "is opposing the 
 Borough bill, knowing we shall be paupers if 
 he defeats it. He also sold Borough stock 
 short before he announced his veto. What 
 can one think of a man who enriches himself 
 at the expense of his friends?" 
 
 "Gee!" cried Perry; "that s a terrible thing! 
 Bennett s the original Man Higher Up, I m 
 afraid. I wonder he isn t afraid to wear the 
 clothes of such a wicked geezer as himself!" 
 
 "Oh, Perry! Don t joke about it," begged 
 Dallas. "Can t you see the serious side of 
 anything? We shall be penniless and depend 
 ent on " 
 
 "Fear thou not, sister mine!" declaimed 
 Perry in his best melodramatic manner. 
 "Paupers, sayest thou? Far be it so! Little 
 Brother Perry will guard thee from the cold, 
 shivery swats of a wintry world. Maybe we 
 can sell violets or start a fight club or 
 
 "Don t!" she urged, jarred by his flippancy. 
 "You don t understand. I 
 
 "As for that story of His Honor s sellin 
 stock short and makin a pile of cash on his own
 
 204 The New Mayor. 
 
 veto," put in Phelan, genuinely worried, "Har- 
 rigan s looked it up and got enough facts to 
 make him think he can prove it. He s goin 
 to make Williams tell the whole story to the 
 Aldermen to-night. It s a lie, of course, but 
 it ll hurt His Honor a lot. And the worst of 
 it is Bennett refuses to deny it." 
 
 "He does, eh?" remarked Perry. "Then I ll 
 do some talking about it. I ll have to fracture 
 a promise I made Alwyn, but I guess it s 
 worth while." 
 
 "What do you mean?" queried Dallas in 
 wonder. 
 
 "I mean Bennett lent me the money to sell 
 enough stock short to make up for what you 
 and I would lose if the bill was quashed. And 
 he gave me a letter to his own broker. We 
 carried it through and now you and I stand 
 pat to win whichever way the cat jumps. 
 We re on velvet, thanks to Alwyn." 
 
 "He did this for us?" gasped Dallas in 
 amaze. "But why didn t you tell me? Why 
 did you let me misjudge him?" 
 
 "He made me promise not to let you know 
 a thing about it. And 
 
 "Say, youngster!" broke in Phelan, tingling 
 with excitement, "you come chasm along with 
 me into the Aldermen s meetin . I ll have you 
 get up there an tell what you know, It ll
 
 The New Mayor. 205 
 
 knock that lie of Williams s and Horrigan s 
 so high it ll forget to hit ground again. Come 
 on, son! There s sure liable to be hot doin s 
 in this meetin in about eleven seconds. Come 
 along!"
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 THE EAVESDROPPER. 
 
 DALLAS, left alone in Horrigan s private 
 room, sat at the big table, making no effort to 
 follow her brother and Phelan. A messenger, 
 searching for Horrigan, bustled in, looked in 
 quiringly at the motionless, white-faced girl, 
 then passed on to the committee room beyond, 
 and on again in his search, until the sound of 
 his footsteps died. And still Dallas sat, inert, 
 dumb. 
 
 Little by little she was piecing together the 
 facts of the long, miserable complication, in the 
 light of what Perry had just told her. It was 
 absurdly easy now that she held the key of 
 the situation. She could understand every 
 thing: how Wainwright had put her fortune 
 into Borough stock to influence Bennett; how, 
 failing to move the latter, he had used Alwyn s 
 knowledge of the fact as a weapon against the 
 young man; how Bennett had sought to save 
 her fortune and why he had forbidden Perry, 
 
 206
 
 The New Mayor. 207 
 
 to bias her feelings by telling of the generous 
 act. 
 
 "From first to last," she murmured in un 
 happy contrition, "he has acted honorably and 
 as he thought I would have wanted him to, and 
 for my happiness. And I like the wretched 
 little fool I was couldn t understand and pub 
 licly humiliated him. Oh, if only it wasn t too 
 late to- 
 
 A vision of Gibbs flashed before her mind, 
 and she shuddered, realizing all that her rash 
 steps had entailed. 
 
 "It is too late!" she confessed to herself, 
 fighting back the hot tears that seared her eyes. 
 "But at least I can tell him I know, and beg 
 his forgiveness and thank him." 
 
 The sound of voices in the corridor roused 
 her from her bitter reverie. She sprang up 
 hastily, unwilling that any one should see her 
 tear-stained face. But the speakers, though 
 they drew near, did not enter Horrigan s of 
 fice. Instead, they stepped into the adjoining 
 committee room. The messenger had left a j ar 
 the door between the two rooms. Realizing 
 this and not wishing to be seen, Dallas shrank 
 back toward the wall, fearful of detection. 
 Then the voices of one of the speakers sud 
 denly arrested her notice. 
 
 "Well," Bennett was saying in no especially
 
 208 The New Mayor. 
 
 civil tones, "you said you wished to speak to 
 me in private. What have you to say? Be 
 brief, for I am busy." 
 
 Finding herself the unwilling witness to 
 what promised to be a confidential talk, Dal 
 las stole toward the door leading to the corri 
 dor. But Horrigan, as was his custom, had 
 locked it on going out. She dared not enter 
 alone the crowded anteroom in her present 
 state; so, hesitatingly, she paused, forced to 
 remain where she w T as. The sound of another 
 voice chained her to the spot, and, unconscious 
 of eavesdropping, she stood spellbound, hear 
 ing every word distinctly through the half- 
 open doorway. 
 
 "I I hardly know how to begin," Gibbs 
 was replying to Bennett s curt demand. "It is 
 a delicate subject, and 
 
 "Then the sooner it is treated to open air the 
 better. Is- 
 
 "You ve won the Borough bill fight," began 
 Gibbs. 
 
 "Is that all you have to say to me?" 
 
 "No. You ve won. But you ve lost far 
 more. You ve lost Dallas Wainwright." 
 
 "I hardly need to be reminded of that," re 
 torted Bennett; "and it is a subject I don t 
 care to discuss." 
 
 "But, listen!" pleaded Gibbs, as the Mayor
 
 BENNETT REFUSES GIBBS 5 OFFER. Page 210.
 
 The New Mayor. 
 
 made a move as though to leave the room. 
 "One minute! I say you ve won the Borough 
 fight. I ve won Dallas. Can t we 
 
 "Well, what?" asked Bennett, with ominous 
 quiet, as he paused in his departure. 
 
 "Can t we strike some sort of bargain?" 
 said Gibbs tentatively. 
 
 "Explain, please," ordered Bennett, with 
 that same deceptive calm. 
 
 "Why," went on Gibbs, emboldened at the 
 other s seeming complacence, "suppose you 
 give up this Borough fight and I give up Dal 
 las ? I won her by a trick. She doesn t really 
 love me. It is her pride, not her heart, that 
 made her throw you over and accept me. It 
 is you she loves, and I ve known it all along. 
 And you are in love with her." 
 
 "What then?" 
 
 "Just this," returned Gibbs, wondering at 
 Bennett s quiet reception of the strange offer: 
 "She will marry me because she isn t the sort 
 of girl to go back on a promise, especially since 
 she looks on me as a sort of high-minded mar 
 tyr to your oppression. So if I hold her to her 
 word she will not back down. Now, if you, 
 even now, withdraw your opposition, the Bor 
 ough bill will go through. Let it go through 
 and I will break my engagement to Dallas 
 Wainwright and leave her free to marry you."
 
 210 The New Mayor. 
 
 "You promise that?" 
 
 "Yes," cried Gibbs elated. "I promise on 
 my word of honor. Is it a bargain?" 
 
 "Gibbs," replied Alwyn slowly, "I didn t 
 think there was so foul a cur as you in all the 
 world! I thought I understood how utterly 
 rotten you were, but I didn t believe there was 
 a man living who could debase himself as 
 you ve just done." 
 
 "But " began Gibbs in bewilderment. 
 
 "Now, you ll listen to me for a moment," cut 
 in Bennett, silencing the interruption. "You 
 say I m in love with Miss Wainwright. It is 
 true. I love her in a way a dog like you could 
 never understand if he tried for a lifetime. I d 
 give my life for one word of love from her. 
 But I d sooner go forever without that word 
 than to win it by a dishonest deed that would 
 prove me unworthy of her. I asked her love 
 as a free gift, and tried to deserve it. She re 
 fused. And I won t try to buy what she won t 
 give me. Especially since the price would 
 make me as unworthy of her as you yourself 
 are." 
 
 "But you take the wrong view of it. You 
 see, if 
 
 "I see this much: I ll have to speak plainer 
 to get my view of the case into your vile mind. 
 If ever again you meet me, stand out of my
 
 The New Mayor. 211 
 
 way. Don t speak to me or come where I am ; 
 for if you ever cross my path again I ll treat 
 you ten thousand times worse than when I 
 thrashed you in that football game. That s 
 all." 
 
 Bennett, restraining his wrath with a mighty 
 effort, turned on his heel and strode off into 
 the corridor, leaving Gibbs staring after him 
 in dumb, impotent despair. 
 
 When the broker had recovered himself suf 
 ficiently to start from the room, Dallas Wain- 
 wright stood before him, barring his exit. Her 
 face was dead-white; her big dark eyes ablaze. 
 
 "Wait!" she commanded. "I must speak to 
 you for the last time!" 
 
 "Dallas!" gasped the desperate man, his 
 drawn face turning positively yellow. "You 
 were you you heard?" 
 
 "Mr. Bennett just now called you the foul 
 est cur in all the world/ " said Dallas, her voice 
 scarcely louder than a whisper, yet every syl 
 lable stinging as a whip-lash. "He put it top 
 mildly." 
 
 "But, sweetheart 
 
 Miss Wainwright, please! I heard you 
 offer to sell me to him in exchange for his con 
 science. If my own brother had told me such 
 a thing I would not have believed him. But
 
 212 The New Mayor. 
 
 I, myself, heard it. And I heard his splendid 
 answer." 
 
 "But you know I was joking! That it was 
 just a trick to 
 
 "Just such a trick that made me promise to 
 be your wife? Yes. But this time you had to 
 do with a man a man in a million. Not with 
 a poor credulous little idiot like me. And he 
 answered you as I should have answered you 
 had my eyes been opened in time. I 
 
 "Dallas!" groaned Gibbs, "for Heaven s sake 
 don t look at me like that. I can t bear it. I 
 love you! And I 
 
 "And I, in my criminal folly, promised to 
 marry you!" she stormed. "I let you kiss me! 
 My lips are degraded forever by that touch of 
 yours. I let you speak words of love to me. 
 I broke a brave man s heart for your worthless 
 sake. Oh, the shame the horrible shame of 
 it all! But I shall thank God on my bended 
 knees that I have found out the truth before it 
 was too late!" 
 
 "Too late?" he echoed in horror, his voice 
 rising almost to a scream. "Dallas! You re 
 not going to throw me over? You aren t 
 
 "Scott Gibbs," she answered quietly, a world 
 of wondering scorn in her level tones, "you 
 do not even know how vile a thing you are!
 
 The New Mayor. 213 
 
 Now leave me, please. Your presence sickens 
 me!" 
 
 He tried to speak, but something of the in 
 effable contempt in her steady eyes silenced 
 him. Without a word he slunk out of the room 
 and out of her life. 
 
 Phelan, agog with eagerness for the coming 
 struggle in the Aldermanic Chamber, bustled 
 past through the corridor. The Alderman had 
 many duties to-day ; and as the performance of 
 each brought him nearer to his longed-for re 
 venge on Horrigan, he was positively beaming 
 with righteous bliss. Dallas caught sight of 
 him. 
 
 "Alderman!" she called faintly. 
 
 Phelan halted, still in haste to fulfil his mis 
 sion. 
 
 "Could could I see Mr. Bennett?" she 
 asked, a new timidity transforming her rich 
 voice. "Do you know where I can find him?" 
 
 "Is it important? He s pretty busy." 
 
 "Very important!" she pleaded. "I must 
 see him at once." 
 
 "I ll look him up," agreed Phelan; "but I 
 warn you he s too busy to see you just yet. 
 S pose you let me take you back to the meetin ? 
 Our bill s comin up in a few minutes now, an 
 you don t want to miss it. Then I ll scare up 
 His Honor for you as soon as he s got a spare
 
 214 The New Mayor. 
 
 minute and bring you back here to him. Sorry 
 to keep you waitin ," he went on, as they start 
 ed toward the Council chamber; "but before 
 this session s over, all sorts of things is due to 
 explode an* we ain t hardly at the beginnin 
 of the excitement yet. We re goin to make a 
 Fourth of July celebration in a giant powder 
 fact ry look like a deaf-mute fun ral by the 
 time we re done !"
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 .VENGEANCE! 
 
 "For Time at last makes all things even; 
 And if we do but wait the hour 
 There never yet was human power 
 That could evade, if unforgiven, 
 The patient search and vigil long 
 Of him who treasures up a wrong." 
 
 "HE S in there!" observed Phelan in high 
 excitement, jerking his thumb toward a door 
 leading off the committee room; "an I ve sent 
 for Wainwright an Horrigan to meet Your 
 Honor here. An I ve fixed it so the Borough 
 bill won t come up for ten minutes. Now, all 
 that s left is to touch the punk to the fuse an 
 set off the whole giddy bunch of fireworks un 
 der em. Gee! but it s good to a stuck to this 
 old world just for the sake of bein here to 
 day an seein what I m due to see!" 
 
 The Alderman chuckled, but his joyous an 
 ticipation found no reflection in Bennett s 
 white, set face. The two were in the committee 
 
 315
 
 216 The New Mayor. 
 
 room, whither Phelan had repaired after de 
 positing Dallas in a chair beside her brother 
 at the meeting, and attending to one or two de 
 tails of greater import. 
 
 "Yes," went on Phelan, again nodding mys- 
 teriousty toward the further door. "He s in 
 there, trained to the minute for the blow-out. 
 There s some one else wants to see you, too. 
 Some one who ll make more of a hit with you, 
 if I m not overplayin my hand. But good 
 news can wait. There s so little of it in this 
 measly life that it gen rally has to. I " 
 
 From the corridor Horrigan stamped into 
 the committee room, Wainwright at his heels. 
 
 "Well?" cried the Boss defiantly, glaring at 
 Bennett and ignoring Phelan. "You sent for 
 us. What do you want?" 
 
 "One moment!" intervened Wainwright. 
 "We are beaten. We admit that without argu 
 ment. So we need waste no time going over 
 details." 
 
 "Have you sent for us to say what you ll sell 
 out for?" queried Horrigan coarsely. "Be 
 cause, if you have, you ve only to name your 
 price. You ve got us where you want us. 
 We ve got to pay." 
 
 "I should have thought," replied Bennett, 
 with no shade of offense, "you would know by 
 this time that I have no price,"
 
 93 
 
 I 
 P-l
 
 The New Mayor. 217 
 
 "Then what do you want?" 
 
 "Nothing from you." 
 
 "Why did you send word you wanted to 
 see us?" growled Horrigan impatiently, as he 
 and Wainwright, uninvited, seated themselves 
 at the table. 
 
 "To tell you," answered Alwyn, glancing 
 from one to the other, "that every step you two 
 have taken in this whole infamous transaction, 
 from the very first, has been carefully followed, 
 and, to use your own phrase, we ve got you 
 with the goods!" 
 
 "Same old bluff!" commented Horrigan con 
 temptuously, with a reassuring wink at the 
 somewhat less confident Wainwright. 
 
 "By to-morrow noon," resumed Bennett, 
 "you will both be indicted on a charge of brib 
 ery. Even now there are detectives on the 
 watch for you. Escape is impossible." 
 
 "Rot!" sneered Horrigan. "You ve no evi 
 dence that will indict, and you know it. Even 
 if you had, don t I control most of the Judges 
 and the District- Attorney s office besides? 
 Swell chance you ll have of getting a convic 
 tion past that bunch! Bah! You talk like a 
 man made of mud. I s pose it s the affair of 
 those Roberts notes you re counting on. That 
 don t f eaze me any. My lawyer can twist that 
 around so it ll look like a charity gift. No, no.
 
 218 The New Mayor. 
 
 youngster ! You ll have to think of something 
 better if 
 
 "And, anyhow," put in Wainwright nerv 
 ously, "you can t prove any connection on my 
 part. There s nothing against me or " 
 
 "I think there is!" retorted Bennett, wheel 
 ing about on the financier. "And even if I 
 can t nail the Roberts bribery to you I ve plen 
 ty more counts to hold you on." 
 
 "All these generalities and vague accusa 
 tions prove nothing, Bennett," answered 
 Wainwright, drawing courage from Horri- 
 gan s colossal calm, and speaking with more 
 assurance. "Mr. Horrigan and I are not 
 schoolboys to be scared by baseless threats. 
 This is all guesswork on your part. Come, 
 now! Name one specific charge you can 
 prove!" 
 
 "One will be enough to convince you?" asked 
 Alwyn. "Well, then, how about this as a first 
 guess? Mr. Horrigan s bribe of $2,000,000 
 in money and 25,000 shares of Borough stock, 
 for agreeing to put through the Borough fran 
 chise? For guesswork/ that doesn t seem to 
 me very bad." 
 
 Wainwright s hard mask of a face twitched 
 convulsively, but the steady brain that had car 
 ried him unshaken through a thousand risky 
 financial deals came at once to his rescue.
 
 The New Mayor. 219 
 
 "An excellent guess!" he agreed in splen 
 didly feigned amusement. "But unfortunate 
 ly the courts demand proof before convicting 
 a man. And there is no proof whatever 
 of- -" 
 
 "Are you sure?" queried Bennett. Turning 
 to Phelan he added : 
 
 "Please ask Mr. Thompson to come in." 
 
 The Alderman, with an expansive grin, 
 flung open the door of the further room. 
 
 At sound of his secretary s name, Wain- 
 wright had sprung to his feet, and, dum- 
 f ounded, was leaning heavily on the table, star 
 ing across the threshold of the suddenly opened 
 door. 
 
 There, framed in the dark doorway, his face 
 deathly pale, his eyes glowing with a strange 
 light as of murder, stood Cynthia s brother. 
 
 His presence in the City Hall was no mere 
 chance, but the climax of a series of conferences 
 between Bennett, Phelan and himself, dating 
 from the night of the Administration Ball, 
 when, despite his own resolve, the secretaiy s 
 hand has been forced by the inquisitive Alder 
 man and his identity revealed. 
 
 Bennett had been let into the secret next 
 day, and the trio had had a three-hour talk from 
 which Phelan had emerged with the gleeful 
 air of one who has unexpectedly found a thou-
 
 220 The New Mayor. 
 
 sand dollar bill. Thompson, too, had left that 
 conference with a look of calm, intense satis 
 faction that transfigured him. 
 
 Other conversations had followed; one of 
 them in the presence of notary, stenographer 
 and lawyers. The trap at last was ready to be 
 sprung. 
 
 The financier, for the first time in his nine- 
 year close association with the secretary, met 
 the younger man s gaze without seeing the 
 latter droop in deferential submission. Now 
 he received back look for look from his former 
 abject slave; and it was his own glance that 
 wavered before that concentrated glare of hate. 
 
 "Thompson!" he cried; and his voice bore 
 a world of incredulous reproach. 
 
 Before him stood the one man on earth in 
 whom Wainwright had ever placed implicit 
 trust ; to whom he had confided his gravest busi 
 ness secrets ; the man whom he had so shrewd 
 ly tested in countless ways and who had proven 
 stanchly incorruptible and loyal. And now, 
 Thompson apparently confronted him in the 
 role of traitor of exultant spy. 
 
 "Thompson!" he exclaimed once more, al 
 most with a groan, as the secretary advanced 
 into the room until only the width of the table 
 separated employer and employee. 
 
 Then the newcomer spoke for the first time
 
 The New Mayor. 221 
 
 in an oddly muffled voice, as though fighting 
 desperately for self-restraint. 
 
 "No!" he contradicted. " Thompson no 
 longer. Henceforth I am Garrison!" 
 
 Wainwright s face grew gray. Breathless, 
 unbelieving, he peered across at the pallid fea 
 tures of his new foe, tracing in them the like 
 ness to the old friend whose ruin and death he 
 had caused. The haunting resemblance that 
 had often vaguely occurred to him when watch 
 ing Thompson at work now returned in double 
 force. But now, as in a flash, it was explained, 
 and he knew that his secretary spoke the truth. 
 
 "Yes," went on Thompson in that same 
 choked, struggling intonation, "I am Harry 
 Garrison. You wrecked my father s life. You 
 drove him to suicide. You blasted his memory. 
 You beggared his children. I am his son 
 Harry Garrison. Now do you begin to un 
 derstand?" 
 
 "You see, Mr. Wainwright," intervened 
 Bennett, as the secretary s pent-up rage stran 
 gled the words in his throat, "my guesswork 
 has a fairly reliable backing." 
 
 But Wainwright did not hear. He still 
 stared, as one hypnotized, into the blazing eyes 
 of the man he had trusted. 
 
 "You ve you ve played me false!" he man 
 aged to gasp at length. "You have "
 
 222 The New Mayor. 
 
 "Sure he has!" cut in Horrigan. "What d 
 I tell you last summer, Wainwright? I said 
 then you were foolish to trust him so. I said 
 he d stand watching. The minute I set eyes 
 on that lantern- j awed, glum face of his " 
 
 "Played me false!" muttered Wainwright 
 again, dazed and doubting the evidence of his 
 own senses. 
 
 "Played you false?" jeered Thompson. 
 "Played you false? Why else did I become 
 your servant? What else have I been waiting 
 all these horrible years for? I ve sat at your 
 desk and listened to your orders, never ventur 
 ing to say my soul was my own. Now you ll 
 listen to me !" 
 
 "Why do you bother with the little traitor, 
 Wainwright?" scoffed Horrigan. 
 
 But the financier was standing motionless, 
 leaning on the table, his fingers spasmodically 
 gripping its edge till the knuckles grew white. 
 Ridiculously like a cowed prisoner before the 
 bar of justice, he faced his fiery-eyed young 
 judge. 
 
 "They sent for me," went on Thompson, 
 brokenly, jerkily, scarce intelligible as the sup 
 pressed hatred of a decade battled for expres 
 sion. "They sent for me. My father had 
 killed himself. My mother lay dead struck 
 down by grief. Our honored old name was
 
 The New Mayor. 223 
 
 defiled. My sister was a pauper. Who had 
 done all this? You! Oh, they hushed it up; 
 but I found out! I found out! And by my 
 murdered father s body I knelt and swore I d 
 pay you for it. I d pay you if it cost 
 me my life. I would ruin you in name and for 
 tune, as you ruined my father. And then I d 
 kill you, as you killed him. I d 
 
 With an effort that left him haggard and 
 trembling, Thompson forced himself to calmer 
 speech and continued: 
 
 "I answered your advertisement for a secre 
 tary. I had no experience. Yet out of ninety 
 applicants you chose me. That was fate. I 
 knew then that one day I should have you at 
 my feet, as now I have. Fate fought for me. 
 I made myself necessary for you. I obeyed 
 your hardest orders. I found out ways to 
 please you. I fetched and carried for you. I 
 ran to anticipate your slightest wish as though 
 I was your adoring son. It was I hope you re 
 satisfied, sir, and Let me do that for you, sir/ 
 and I am glad to work over-time for you, sir, 
 any time you wish, while every minute I had 
 to fight hard to keep from striking you dead!" 
 
 "I must go!" groaned Wainwright, shud- 
 deringly. "I can t stand this. I " 
 
 "Oh, T made you think me a paragon!" re 
 sumed the youth. "You took to testing my
 
 224 The New Mayor. 
 
 honesty and loyalty in clever ways that you 
 thought I d never discover. I stood the tests. 
 Then you trusted me. You fool! As if the 
 fact that I wasn t a crook proved I wasn t your 
 enemy ! You could see no further than dollars 
 and cents! When I didn t steal those or sell 
 the market tips you gave me you thought I 
 was incorruptible and devoted to your inter 
 ests. And all the time I : 
 
 "You were listening at the keyhole that day 
 last summer?" broke in Horrigan. "The time 
 I pulled the office door open, and " 
 
 "Then and always," answered Thompson; 
 "and," he added, his eyes returning to Wain- 
 wright s, "I copied every confidential telegram 
 or letter you sent. I took down in shorthand 
 every private interview of yours. I tracked 
 the checks that completed your deals, and when 
 they came back from the vaults as vouchers I 
 stole them. I ve got proofs, I tell you proofs 
 of every crooked transaction you have dab 
 bled in for nine years. I ve secured proofs of 
 every step in this Borough franchise bribery, 
 and I ve turned them all over to the Mayor 
 here. That evidence will send you to State s 
 prison! To State s prison, I tell you. To a 
 cell, with cropped hair and striped suit. I ll 
 send you to prison, where you ll break your 
 heart and be branded forever as a convict. And
 
 \ The New Mayor. 9 225 
 
 when your term is up I ll be waiting for you, 
 and I ll kill you! Do you hear me, you foul 
 criminal!" he shouted, screaming hysterically 
 and foaming at the mouth in his abandonment 
 of insane fury. "I m going to kill youl To 
 kill you I"
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 THE REWARD. 
 
 UNDER the maniac fury that blazed from 
 Thompson s eyes, Wainwright shrank back in 
 panic dread. 
 
 "He s he s mad!" cried the financier. 
 "Don t let him at me!" 
 
 For Thompson seemed about to hurl himself 
 at his foe. 
 
 "Go easy, son!" adjured Phelan, laying a 
 restraining hand on the secretary s shoulder. 
 
 The latter, recalled to himself by the pres 
 sure, relaxed his tense, menacing attitude and, 
 with hysterical revulsion of feeling, sank into 
 a chair, burying his face in his arms on the table 
 before him. 
 
 "Nine horrible years!" he sobbed brokenly; 
 "nine awful years of slavery, of debasement! 
 Watching hating longing to crush him ; 
 and, oh, the time has come, thank God ! Thank 
 God!" 
 
 "You re all in, lad!" muttered Phelan, pass- 
 
 226
 
 TJie New Mayor. 227 
 
 ing an arm about the shaking youth and lift 
 ing him to his feet. "Come with me. I ll send 
 out and get you a bracer." 
 
 Thompson, exhausted by his emotions, 
 obeyed mechanically; but at the further door 
 paused for a moment and again fixed his 
 wild, bloodshot eyes on Wainwright s haggard 
 face. 
 
 "Remember!" he threatened, his voice dead 
 and expressionless. "When you get out of jail 
 I ll be waiting for you! And as sure as God s 
 justice lives I ll kill you as I d kill a dog! Nine 
 years waiting and I ll murder you as you 
 murdered my " 
 
 Phelan had forced him over the threshold, 
 and the slamming of the door behind the two 
 seemed to break the strange spell that had 
 fallen on all. 
 
 Wainwright straightened himself, glancing 
 fearfully about, tried to regain his shaken com 
 posure and opened his mouth to speak. But 
 the hurried entrance of Williams prevented 
 him. 
 
 "Mr. Horrigan!" gasped the excited new 
 comer, "I ve been looking everywhere for you." 
 
 "What s wrong now?" snapped the Boss. 
 "Has- 
 
 "The Borough bill s come up at last, 
 and "
 
 228 The New Mayor. 
 
 "The gallery crowd s rough-housing the 
 place? Then- 
 
 "No; they re as quiet as death. Too quiet. 
 And they have long ropes, and they re string 
 ing them over the 
 
 "Call in the police, then!" ordered Horrigan. 
 "Now s the time for them." 
 
 "I don t dare," protested Williams. "Those 
 men in the gallery are desperate. They re dan 
 gerous. If 
 
 "The police?" interrupted Bennett sharp 
 ly. "What are you talking about?" 
 
 "My orders!" returned Horrigan. "I sent 
 for them. Tell them to 
 
 "Don t do it!" commanded Bennett in anger. 
 
 "Do as I say, Williams!" countermanded 
 Horrigan. "Have them in and 
 
 "Phelan," interposed Bennett, as the Alder 
 man, having left Thompson in other hands, 
 came into the room, "go to the sergeant in 
 charge of the police Mr. Horrigan sent for. 
 Tell him I say he must keep his men where 
 they are and take no orders except from me. 
 Understand?" 
 
 "I sure do!" grinned Phelan, with a delight 
 ed grin at the wrathful Horrigan; "and I ll 
 see they- 
 
 "You need not trouble," croaked Wain-
 
 The New Mayor. 229 
 
 wright, his throat dry and constricted with 
 fear. "The bill is withdrawn!" 
 
 "That goes!" corroborated Horrigan. "Do 
 you hear that, Williams? Mr. Wain wright 
 withdraws the Borough bill. Attend to it in a 
 rush, man. Never mind about the police." 
 
 "Well, friend Horrigan," blandly observed 
 Phelan, as Williams hastened out, "I told you 
 I d cross two sticks of dynamite under you 
 some day. Likewise I done it." 
 
 "What had you to 
 
 "To do with smashin you? Only that I put 
 His Honor on to the bill in the first place an 
 then sicked him on to Roberts, an discovered 
 Thompson an turned him over to Mr. Bennett! 
 That s about all. But I guess it s enough to 
 make your p litical career feel like it had a long 
 line of carriages drivin slow behind it, Chesty 
 Dick, my old chum!" 
 
 Horrigan had turned his back on his victor 
 ious tormentor and was facing the Mayor. 
 
 "Bennett," said he, "you forget I ve still got 
 that report about your father and 
 
 "To-morrow s papers will publish it," sup 
 plemented Alwyn. 
 
 "No, they won t!" contradicted Horrigan. 
 "That would be bad politics. The report will 
 hold over till- 
 
 "You re mistaken!" interrupted Bennett
 
 230 The New Mayor. 
 
 calmly. "I ve sent a copy of that report to 
 every paper in the city and have accompanied 
 it with a statement that I shall make good to 
 the city treasury every penny overcharged in 
 the library and aqueduct contracts. So 
 
 Horrigan was staring at him open-mouthed. 
 
 "Bennett," he muttered in genuine wonder 
 ment, "I don t know whether you re the craziest 
 fool or the cleverest politician in the State!" 
 
 "Your Honor," humbly pleaded Wairi- 
 wright, who for several minutes had been try 
 ing in vain to draw Bennett aside for a private 
 word, "I am an old man. Is there no way of 
 of showing me mercy in my 
 
 "Yes!" retorted Alwyn. "You shall receive 
 exactly the same mercy you have always shown 
 to vour own financial enemies. No more, no 
 less> 
 
 "Oh, cut out the whine, Wainwright!" 
 sneered Horrigan in high contempt, as he 
 linked his arm in the broken financier s and 
 hauled him roughly from the room. "What s 
 happened to your nerve? You re almost as 
 bad as Gibbs! You re still rich, and as long 
 as you ve got plenty of cash no law in America 
 need ever bother you. There s lots of talk 
 about indictments, and arrests, and investiga 
 tions, and prosecutions, and all that sort of
 
 The New Mayor. 231 
 
 rot. But I don t see any millionaires going to 
 jail! Come on across to my lawyer s." 
 
 The Boss and financier departed without a 
 backward look, leaving Phelan and Bennett 
 alone on the late scene of battle. 
 
 "Say, Your Honor," observed the Alder 
 man slyly, "there s one very important en 
 gagement you ve clean forgot. Sit right where 
 you are a minute and I ll send the party in 
 here and see that nobody butts in on you till 
 you want em to. Oh, but we didn t do a thing 
 to Horrigan! He ll have to watch which way 
 his toes point to see whether he s goin or corn- 
 
 in . 
 
 The Alderman sped on his mission, leaving 
 Alwyn seated alone, dejected, miserable, in the 
 deserted committee room. 
 
 Now that the crisis was past, his heart was 
 strangely heavy. He had won. But at what 
 cost ? At the loss of all he held dear. 
 
 Alwyn Bennett knew, too, that the real 
 fight was but just begun a fight that had 
 waged since the world began and must last to 
 Judgment Day the hopeless, uphill battle of 
 Decency against Evil; of Honesty against 
 Graft. 
 
 Horrigan s sneering words, "I don t see any 
 millionaires going to jail," stuck disagreeably 
 in the young Mayor s memory. Their brutal,
 
 232 The New Mayor. 
 
 bald truth jarred on his belief in the inevitable 
 triumph of Good. After all, was the dreary, 
 self-sacrificing battle against an unconquerable 
 foe worth while? Could the great god Graft 
 ever be checked in his master of the earth? 
 
 A rustle of skirts startled Alwyn from his 
 dark thoughts. 
 
 "Dallas!" he cried, unbelieving, as he sprang 
 to his feet, half dazed at the wondrous light 
 that transformed her face. 
 
 Slowly she came toward him, her glorious 
 dark eyes on his, her white hands outstretched 
 in irresistible appeal. At last she spoke: 
 
 "I love you!" she said. 
 
 THE END.
 
 RECONCILIATION OF BENNETT AND DALLAS. 
 
 "i LOVE YOU." Page 232.
 
 that you are tired of hearing and reading about the 
 Letters of this one and that one, but we desire to 
 call your attention to the fact that 
 
 THE LETTERS OF MILDRED S MOTHER TO MILDRED 
 
 are entirely different from any that you have thus far 
 read. Mildred is a girl in the chorus at one of New 
 York s famous theatres, and her mother is a woman 
 who "travels" with a friend by the name of Blanche. 
 The book is written by E. D. Price, " The Man Behind 
 the Scenes," one well qualified to touch upon the 
 stage side of life. 
 
 The following is the Table of Contents : 
 
 Mother Joins the Repertoire 
 
 Mother at the Races. 
 Mother at a Chicago Hotel. 
 Mother Goes Yachting. 
 Mother Escapes Matrimony. 
 Mother Meets Nature s 
 Noblemen. 
 
 Company. 
 Mother in the One Night 
 
 Stands. 
 Mother and the Theatrical 
 
 Angel. 
 Mother Returns to Mildred. 
 
 Read what Blakely Hall says of it : 
 
 " I don t know whether you are aware of it or not, but you 
 are turning out wonderful, accurate and convincing character 
 studies in the Mildred s Mother articles. They are as refreshing 
 and invigorating as showers on the hottest July day." 
 
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 ARE YOU IN LOVE? 
 
 If So, You Should Order at Once 
 
 THE LOVER S COMPANION. 
 
 Compiled by CHARLES NOEL DOUGLAS. 
 
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 This great book contains 160 pages and is bound in hand* 
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 "Our Right To Love." 
 
 By ANNA CHASE DEPPEN. 
 
 22mo, 275 Pages. Illustrated. Cloth Bound, $1.00. 
 
 "What the Keviewers say : 
 
 "After the dreary round of problem novels, studies ic 
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 ures and^shrill laughter, that for a time drowned the sound 
 of cursing and sobbing." 
 
 " Our Right to Love. Our right to love simply, naturally, 
 purely, with such a love as perchance the angels in heaven 
 may envy. And yet the story is not without its darker side. 
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 fabric, even as brightness and darkness, happiness and sor 
 row are woven into human life. It is no flight of romantic 
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 drama of life ; such a drama as any man and woman might 
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 against every barrier, and triumphing finally over all diffi 
 culties thrown about it by adverse fate or human male 
 volence." 
 
 " One of the strongest characters is that of Richard Allen, 
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 about the woman he truly loved, led to the altar and wedded 
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 true love if he did not live up to his engagement. The story 
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 Written down by OLIVE HARPER and ANOTHER. 
 
 12mo. 235 Pages. Bound in Cloth. With 14 Full-Page 
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 DATE DUE
 
 UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 
 
 A 000 766 921 1