picted an' looked up to? Ain't he layin' by a tidy little
fortin' for Mary, just by aldermannin', when he's dead an' gone?' 'How
is that, Mary?' I asked. 'He doesn't get much of a salary as alderman,
does he? How can he support his six children and lay up a fortune?'
'Oh, well, ma'am, it ain't the salary as does it,' returned the woman.
'It's the plooms; ef it wasn't for the plooms, he couldn't afford to
lave his groceryin' an' his little corner saloon. But it's the plooms as
make it worth while, he says.' 'What do you mean by "plums," Mary,' I
asked, 'perquisites?' 'Why, ma'am, them that wants railroads an' saloons
an' other privileges must pay the aldermin for thim. Why,' says she,
'would you believe it--Tim put a thousan' dollars in the bank in me
naice's name the day he voted the franchise for the new street railroad,
or that is--well, Mis,' did you say blue thim waists or not?' and not
another word could I get out of her, although I quizzed her carefully as
long as I dared to. I told Rudolph about it last night and he said,
'Aha!' and whistled; and then he told me to tell nobody else in the
world, but you. So I've come. Rudolph will support you. I always said
so. He seems to think,--at least he said--'this may open up a pretty
deep question for Miss Van Deusen.'"

"As indeed, it does," replied Gertrude, thoughtfully. "Tim Mathews, you
said was the man?"

"Yes," said the fluffy lady, "but Rudolph said if that story was so,
undoubtedly there are others."

"Undoubtedly," replied Gertrude. "Thank you, Bella, for coming to me.
And you'll say nothing of this to anyone else?"

"O, no; and Rudolph thought it better that I should not be known in
this. So you must promise, Gertie, not to let it be known that I told
you. I might lose a very excellent laundress if you did."

Gertrude laughed. "What a very feminine point of view!" she said. "But
you may have rendered the city a very good service, and I heartily
thank you."

When her visitor had gone Gertrude Van Deusen sat alone for some time.
She had caught only at a straw,--but it might indicate which way a very
strong wind had blown or might now be blowing. Was this the reason the
board of aldermen were so opposed to her proposed bill? Evidently, there
was need of a secret and courageous study of the situation. Corruption
was in the very air; she had known it was there for a long time; but
this was the first real evidence of it in definite shape. And yet,--the
story m