merald Pat' for that," answered Gilgan,
with honeyed compliment. "I never would. But no one is askin' ye to
lose your seat in council and be run out of the Democratic party.
What's to hinder you from electin' yourself and droppin' the rest of
the ticket?" He had almost said "knifing."

Mr. Kerrigan smiled. In spite of all his previous dissatisfaction with
the Chicago situation he had not thought of Mr. Gilgan's talk as
leading to this. It was an interesting idea. He had "knifed" people
before--here and there a particular candidate whom it was desirable to
undo. If the Democratic party was in any danger of losing this fall,
and if Gilgan was honest in his desire to divide and control, it might
not be such a bad thing. Neither Cowperwood, McKenty, nor Dowling had
ever favored him in any particular way. If they lost through him, and
he could still keep himself in power, they would have to make terms
with him. There was no chance of their running him out. Why shouldn't
he knife the ticket? It was worth thinking over, to say the least.

"That's all very fine," he observed, dryly, after his meditations had
run their course; "but how do I know that you wouldn't turn around and
'welch' on the agreement afterward?" (Mr. Gilgan stirred irritably at
the suggestion.) "Dave Morrissey came to me four years ago to help him
out, and a lot of satisfaction I got afterward." Kerrigan was referring
to a man whom he had helped make county clerk, and who had turned on
him when he asked for return favors and his support for the office of
commissioner of highways. Morrissey had become a prominent politician.

"That's very easy to say," replied Gilgan, irritably, "but it's not
true of me. Ask any man in my district. Ask the men who know me.
I'll put my part of the bargain in black and white if you'll put yours.
If I don't make good, show me up afterward. I'll take you to the
people that are backing me. I'll show you the money. I've got the
goods this time. What do you stand to lose, anyhow? They can't run you
out for cutting the ticket. They can't prove it. We'll bring police
in here to make it look like a fair vote. I'll put up as much money as
they will to carry this district, and more."

Mr. Kerrigan suddenly saw a grand coup here. He could "draw down" from
the Democrats, as he would have expressed it, twenty to twenty-five
thousand dollars to do the dirty work here. Gilgan would furnish him
as much and more--the situati