the three barkeepers. "Is Dennis inside?" he asked.

"Yes, Misther Stirling. The regulars are all there."

Peter passed through the room, and went into another without knocking.
In it were some twenty men, sitting for the most part in attitudes
denoting ease. Two, at a small table in the corner, were playing
dominoes. Three others, in another corner, were amusing themselves with
"High, Low, Jack." Two were reading papers. The rest were collected
round the centre table, most of them smoking. Some beer mugs and
tumblers were standing about, but not more than a third of the twenty
were drinking anything. The moment Peter entered, one of the men jumped
to his feet.

"B'ys," he cried, "here's Misther Stirling. Begobs, sir, it's fine to
see yez. It's very scarce yez been lately." He had shaken hands, and
then put a chair in place for Peter.

The cards, papers, and dominoes had been abandoned the moment Dennis
announced Peter's advent, and when Peter had finished shaking the hands
held out to him, and had seated himself, the men were all gathered round
the big table.

Peter laid his hat on the table, threw back his Newcastle and lit a
cigar. "I've been very short of time, Dennis. But I had my choice this
evening before going uptown, of smoking a cigar in my own quarters, or
here. So I came over to talk with you all about Denton."

"An' what's he been doin'?" inquired Dennis.

"I saw him to-day about the Hummel franchise that comes up in the Board
next Tuesday. He won't vote for it, he says. I told him I thought it was
in the interest of the city to multiply means of transit, and asked him
why he refused. He replied that he thought the Hummel gang had been
offering money, and that he would vote against bribers."

"He didn't have the face to say that?" shouted one of the listeners.

"Yes."

"Oi never!" said Dennis. "An' he workin' night an' day to get the Board
to vote the rival road."

"I don't think there's much doubt that money is being spent by both
sides," said Peter. "I fear no bill could ever pass without it. But the
Hummel crowd are really responsible people, who offer the city a good
percentage. The other men are merely trying to get the franchise, to
sell it out at a profit to Hummel. I don't like the methods of either,
but there's a road needed, and there'll be a road voted, so it's simply
a choice between the two. I shouldn't mind if Denton voted against both
schemes, but to say he'll vote against Humme