The Grafters

cFarlane's court had been the even fortnight in session in Gaston, when Kent's attention wa

e the local representative. "Hawk has been chasing around getting affidavits; for what purpose I don't know, though Lesher tells

Mr. Semple Falkland's private car stopped over here two weeks ago, from three o'clock in the afternoon till midnight of the same day. Jason, of the Clar

r thoughtfully, and later on to

of nothing a year ago. The woman was put off one of our trains because she was trying to travel on a scalper's ticket. She didn't care to fight about it; but wh

" said

got a continuance, and we choked it off in the same way at the succeeding term.

' again?" asked t

nod

ur most important witnesses are missing. They

lancing over

t business, and the Falk

Hawk is sharp enough not to let us know if he were baiting a tra

bject abruptly. "Sit down," he said; and when Kent had fo

ouse Bill Twenty-nine. He was known to the corporations' lobby as a legislator who would sign a

es for, this time? Or was it

," said the general manager. "Not to put too fine an edge up

t?" Kent as

-glasses absently with the

t what it was he had for sale. He talked vaguely about an impending crisis and a man who had some information to d

his opinio

d us up; and Duvall is willing to sell out hi

y notion of

hook h

yesterday, and Hendricks passed it without a word. As I was coming out of the secretary's office I met Bucks. We were pretty nearly open

ning in itsel

ty that the ring is cinching the other companies right and left. Some one was saying at the Camelot last night that the O

le was a wor

e not in the list of subscribers to the conditional fund

ks has a long memory; and just now the fates have given him an arm to match. I am fortifying everywhere

or Duvall. Is it worth while t

-the bargain and sale plan-and I know you ar

other and more important things to think of. So, on the Friday, when the case was reached on Judge MacFarlane

ions. The judge heard his argument, the old and well-worn one of the absence of important witnesses, with perfect

. Hunnicott was waylaid by a court officer as he was leaving the room; and a moment later, totally unprepared, he was in th

judge was naming three o'clock of the following afternoon as the time which h

rejoinder to this petition-to allegations of such astounding gravity?" he

already had a full measure of delay on the original petition. Yet I am wil

t and did not make the attempt. Instea

mpany, your Honor. But in such a grave and important charge as this amen

med competent to conduct the case in behalf of the defendant. I am unwilling to work a hardship to any

way down to the station with it when it occurred to him that it would never do to trust the incendiary thing to the wires in plain English. There was a little-used cipher code in his desk provided for just such emergencies, and back he went to labor s

despatcher's office, was a person who considered the company wires an exclusive appanage of the train service department. At the moment of Hunnicott's assault he was taking an order for Number 17; and observing t

n of messages waiting to be transmitted, to the end that he might give precedence to the most important. And when he came to Hunnicott's cipher with the thrice-underlined "RUSH" writ

ral counsel-tried and failed. For, to make the chain of mishaps complete in all its links, Kent and Loring were spending the evening at Miss Portia Van Brock's, having been bidden to meet a man they were both willin

" he gasped; and Loring sat on

nator Duvall was trying to sell us," he said quietly, w

espite, and was settling into the collar in a way

he sense of a pack-mule I should have been on the lookout for

. "'Received, 3:45, P.M.; Forwarded, 9:17, P.M.'

t high it wasn't Hawk's fault that this message came through with no more than

le Kent walked the floor

he kept repeating, until Loring pulle

o do, David. I am a lit

with a blank cartridge. Hawk meant to take a snap judgment. He counted on throwing the whole thing up against Hunnicott,

one end of his co

d. "Do we have to disprove

id Kent; then, as a great doubt laid hold of him and shook him: "Yo

f your man Hunnicott. Doesn't it occur to you that he is in just about a

hat we have to send to Bo

r our Trans-Western reorganization would be complete, and we could swea

ain, but now the strength of

'll do what we can here. Could you get me t

es

clock to-morrow to prepare.

he in-fighting," said the general manager;