ust never get a chance to accept."

Bolles looked at Martin. McQuade saw the look, and, interpreting it,
laughed.

"These are no dime-novel days. We don't kill men to get 'em out of the
way. We take a look into their past and use it as a club."

"I begin to see," said Martin. "Warrington must be side-tracked before
the convention. Good. That'll be simple."

"Not very," McQuade admitted. "It's going to be a devilish hard job.
You, Bolles, pack up and go to New York. I want some information
regarding this young fellow's past in New York. It's up to you to get
it. No faking, mind you; good substantial evidence that can be backed
up by affidavits. Get the idea? Five hundred and expenses, if you
succeed; your expenses anyhow. Five hundred is a lot of money these
days. But if you go on a bat, I'll drop you like a hot brick, for good
and all. Think it over. Pack up to-night, if you want to. Here's a
hundred to start with. Remember this, now, there must be a woman."

"A woman?"

"Yes. A man has no past, if there isn't a woman in it."

"I can land that five hundred," Bolles declared confidently. "I can
find the woman. I'll write you every other day."

"Well, then, that's all. Good luck. No boozing while you're on the job
Afterward I don't care what you do. By-by."

Bolles took his dismissal smilingly. Five hundred. It was easy.

"If it's possible, he'll do it," said Martin. "But what's your
campaign?"

"Donnelly must remain another term. After that, oblivion. There'll be
bids this fall. If Henderson's man wins, there'll be new aldermen.
These bids of mine must go through and gas must be kept at a
dollar-fifty. I'm a rich man, but at present I'm up to my neck in
southern contracts that aren't paying ten cents on the dollar.
Herculaneum's got to foot the bill."

"How'd you find out about Henderson's coup?"

"One of the waiters at his club said he had some information. I gave
him ten dollars for something I'd have given ten hundred for just as
quickly. If Henderson had sprung Warrington in September, we'd have
been swamped. Now we have a good chance to hang on."

"Force him to back down and withdraw?"

McQuade nodded.

"It's simply got to be done. I didn't give Henderson credit for so
clever a move as this. A new man, famous and wealthy, under no
obligations to his party; the voters would follow him just for the
novelty of the thing. Besides, there are other reasons, but I'm
keeping them to myself. How about th