"Isn't Mr. Kittredge trying to find him, too?"

"Yes. And I think Kittredge played it rather low down on the poor
beggar. They had a deal of some sort, and when Gryson put his price on
the job--"

"I know," she interrupted. "Mr. Kittredge ought to have paid him and let
him go."

Gantry's smile was a tribute to superior genius.

"You've got me going," he said; "you always have me going. With the
election only three days off, I can't tell yet what you and the senator
are trying to do."

"The senator, at least, has never made any secret of his object," she
smiled back at him. "He has told everybody that he is out for a clean
sweep."

"Exactly," said Gantry; "but no man living knows what he means by a
'clean sweep.' I'll bet there are a hundred men down there in the lobby
right now who would give the best year out of their lives to know. And
they can't guess--they can't begin to guess!"

"Let us leave them to their guesses, while we go back to the
certainties," she suggested. "Did you find out what I asked you to?"

"Yes; and I don't know whether I ought to tell you or not. I'm still
drawing my salary from the railroad, you know."

"And you are not sure that I am drawing mine?" she laughed. "Don't you
remember when Mr. McVickar gave me this?" touching the little
jewel-incrusted watch on her shoulder.

"Yes, I remember; also I remember that this is the first time I have
ever seen you wearing it." And then: "I'd never try to bribe you in the
wide, wide world, Mrs. Blount."

"Why not?"

"For two reasons: you are too much in love with your husband; and, if
you took a notion to fly the track, a king's ransom wouldn't be big
enough to make you stay bribed."

"I am flattered, I'm sure; but I'm still in the dark about the thing you
have come here to tell me," she reminded him.

"I presume you may as well know it, though I can tell you that it has
been kept the darkest kind of a secret. Mr. McVickar came west to-day
from Bald Butte in a new gasolene unit-car which is supposed to be
making a trial trip over the road. The car is supposed to have a bunch
of the Chicago officials on board, though not half a dozen men on this
division know that the vice-president is the only official, and that
the others are clerks and telegraphers."

"Go on," said the small person quickly.

"That gasolene special is lost. No station west of Bald Butte has yet
reported it. Strictly between us two, it left the main line at the old