I reckon I know, son; and I'm not saying a word. If you weren't a
Blount, I might ask if you haven't learned that one of the first rules
in the book of politics is the one that says we mustn't hang the dirty
clothes out where everybody can see 'em, but I know better than to say
anything like that to you."

The young man's heart sank within him. It seemed evident that his father
was still unsuspecting, still unconscious of the dreadful consequences
to himself. Only utter frankness could avail now.

"I can't discuss the question of expediency with you," he said hastily,
"any further than to say that I'd cheerfully give ten years of my life
to be able to consider it. Let me be perfectly plain: This evidence I am
speaking of involves you personally. If the papers are put into Judge
Hemingway's hands there will be a searching investigation, prompt
indictments, criminal proceedings, and all the disgrace that the widest
publicity can bring upon the men who are responsible for the present
desperate state of affairs."

The senator had laid his pipe aside and was staring soberly into the
fire. "Go on, son," he said quietly; "let's have the rest of it."

"You know what has led up to the present wretched involvement--my
involvement," Blount went on. "When I took the railroad job, I did it in
good faith and went about preaching the gospel of the square deal for
everybody, including the corporations. But in a very short time I
discovered that my own people were not keeping faith with me; had no
intention of keeping it. Later on, a number of corporation officials and
managers, men who had formerly made corrupt deals with the railroad
company, and are to this day profiting by them, became frightened.
Assuming that I was the chief broker for the railroad company in the
present campaign, these men wrote me letters which were in the highest
degree incriminating."

The big man who was staring into the heart of the fire nodded
thoughtfully.

"I remember; you told me something about that before, didn't you?"

"Yes, and we needn't go into the details again. I meant to use those
letters as a club to hammer a little honesty into my own employers. Up
to that time I had been trying to believe that the machine--your
machine--and the railroad lawbreakers were not one and the same thing."

"But you changed your mind about that?"

"I had to, after I found out that you had corrupted one of my clerks and
had sent one of your thugs to dynamit