The Spider's Web

term in office. The District-Attorney, whose habitual disparagement of his post did not dull his desire to r

alf-hour that they dared spare from their legal tasks; they were hard driven and worn to the nerves; yet the news of the wreck of the Manhattan & Niagara Railway, immediately within the city'

-estate operators forthwith plotted ten or a dozen towns, and white-and-yellow suburbs leaped up like mushrooms. They were peopled by

ne near Buffalo. One serious wreck had preceded that at the North Bridge, but had not been followed by the improvements the company had promised. The patrons had protested with all the vigor Americans exhibit when they feel that a public-service corporation is cheating them, and had stopped as far on the discreet side of a

no paper could belittle the culpability of the management: the bridge had been recently examined and pronounced safe by state inspectors, yet all reports agreed that it was constructed of the very lightest material, and the earliest evidence showed

re paragraph that hinted at the real ownership of the road, his cheeks, now so generally pale, reddened, and the hand that held the paper trembled. Something of his old indignation and purpose woke in him

is face was drawn with the long worry of his campaign; he had been

many Democrats," he said as he hurried by. "I've just had a talk

ld up h

awful thin

"Oh, the North Bridge wreck? Yes, isn't it? When Ell

" Luke persisted. His manner was the sleepy manner that had gr

we couldn't prove it." He looked at his watch. "Don't forget," he concluded, "you're to head off anybod

Luke's office-boy anno

from the latest editi

T. Rollins?

he owned the Stock Exchange," he said.

y laid asid

ll, brin

aightway reopened the do

an effort to keep his thick lips drawn in a firm line. He so much resembled the pictures of t

Rol

lation. He nodded. He stood erect in the attitude of one accustomed to r

d a chair bes

t d

to be ordered out of it at the next moment. Both hands now clutched

ee Mr. Leighton?

ns co

s,

new idea that was growing in his brain; but Leighton, like the good politician that he was, had always given strict orders tha

nity; his words succeeded, but hi

ss is impo

immed

s,

I can attend t

shook

see the Distr

m his as

ow. But this is

n to lose

told you, I'm sorry,

only the sharpness of an underling; but, because Rollins himself was an underling, the visitor resented it, and this re

e said. "I came here to give him

ney's office, and every sort was certain it could purge the city or re-elect Leighton. Luke lost his temper. He spoke with

come here to place the blame

aught in Rol

ou know?"

startled. Luke recognized the distinction and instantly resolved to p

torneys of New York," he drawled. "I would advise you to act on

to the aid of his timidity. "No," he

lawyer, therefore, resorted to an old stratagem that he had learned when he first entered the District-Attorney's office: on the bare chance that the evidence might be documentary and

me those papers that you've

s; "no; they're f

them o

're m

over," said Luke lazil

got no r

ve yourself trou

won

ed. With a flash of inspiration, the lawyer guessed something of

iles, if that's what you're scared about," he s

as visibl

e your word

now: let's see

a rich man,

e showed h

't buy a pig in a poke. Give me those papers. If they're worth anything, I'll take you into the

t he said. He believed, moreover, th

a man that always had to return such letters after he's read them. The other letter is the

ess how,"

s of paper, that were headed on top simply by an embosse

e r

fide

BERT M.

ware

alo,

MR.

sation with you last week. In view of the favors that you have done me in the past, I think it fair to tell you, for your own use only, that my friends have decided that they and I ought to do what you thought they might

, in which they say that the grade I suggested might not wear well. I think their use of the word 'dangerous' is absurdly exaggerated. We have used

olders. With that in mind, I should state, what you have probably already gathered,

the signature th

resigned, and these letters have been in our office ev

e calm, but his heart seemed to beat against his ribs, dem

, and Leighton was alone. Apparently the conference had been satisf

lazy movement of his hand-"is a secretary in the employ of the person to whom thes

's face

I told you I had some pers

an impulse o

he said, "I believe you'll find t

, but when he saw the signature to the more importan

hese?" He flung the

behind Luke, as if seeking his

n the office-fi

hem," said

f you're going to

r so he says. The only question

an the declaration that he was a thief. Leighton, however, inter

s is real enough. I

t?" Luke wa

turned upon Rollins with a resumption of his cros

his hat upo

ght to be worth a good de

ou five hund

ns was deprecating. "

u want, the

uld be nearer val

was the part of the b

ousand and not a cent

imself now in a c

aid with the nearest approach

ed the letters to Luke. "Put these in your s

with rage, disappointment, and fear. "You wouldn't do that. T

d dollars,"

ked up to it from office-boy. I could any time have sold tips along the st

ed your boss. Well

was because this w

what

ing e

forefinger into th

t el

s jump

nd there's a mortgage on my little house in Roseville, and

g back in his chair and c

ive hundred for your family'

e letters safely buttoned in an inside pocket of his co

he best you can d

h was attached to his desk by an arm that could be lengthened or shortened at the user's will. "Now, then, you

s surr

ur price," he said. "But it's

elephone, quickly swung his legs

ody'll ever know where

tain

toward Luke's s

. Huber

tur

promised you t

d faintly as h

two thousand five hundred in loose

w nothing humorous any

own," Leighton continued. "I don't suppose," he said t

, if Luke could not

will still be there. They know me. I can get them to let me in the side door, and I know they'll do me

have returned to stay. "Then hurry back here-alo

. Returning, he found Leighton walk

strict-Attorney. His face wa

hut th

ght his hand down on Luke's sh

se letters and then sit back and fold our arms and attend to office business. Politics? These two pieces of paper will play all the politics we need, and more besides. I could shout, Huber; I could sing a regular Song of

n with which to shatter the forces of wrong; even at this time it was only reasonable that his first thought should be of his immediate political opponents; but the weapon was put int

ghton's had done. "We must keep the letters dark till it's in session, and then produce them. We can give them to the paper

s face changed. His en

alking about?"

zed-"about these l

green enough to waste th

as standing close to Leighton's desk, and he put

be it's better not to risk any more lives by waiting. You're going to force this crowd to put down a dece

His manner became that of an employer trying to be

ll of an index finger-"they're not actually morally responsible for the conduct of the M. & N., but they'll know the publication of these letters would make the public think they were. They'll know the publication would wreck the road they're still interested in, smash all their other stocks and depreciate all their other interests, start a panic that might swamp even them, and maybe begin a public row that would send them close to jail, on general principles, legal evidence or no legal evidence. To stop that, they'd be w

d clasped his hand

He was ashamed of his master; he was ashamed of himself for ever having served such a master. But he was not crushed. As his chief proceeded, Luke's soul rose through indignation to red revolt. By the time that Leigh

e signal man rattled," he said: "the rail flattened, and the

ook himself

g to be humor

is road were directly responsible for its operation. I mean that the men who authorized that letter, and i

his side, so that the District-Attorney did not know the meaning of his

times when moral evidence goes ahead of legal evidence

ghton, "I don't.

d, it might be worth while to do no more than scare them, at least if you don't c

the regulation of the road

But co

inly I

ey'd got their letters bac

was angry. He faced Luke, who

riends, and you've done good work f

s," sa

come when you'd better understa

his chief; and then ad

tell you that if you don't act a

d his list

p your mind to do th

t if you'll onl

thing about

es

se of these fellows' mo

n politics. It

ng to try to use

It's my ow

ney is blood-mo

re a

u that I'm worried about.

olut

ders. He began to move

hton sharply. "Wh

cely look

o write my r

tled, but he trie

. But don't be too fast: you ma

ver to have heard the wor

ended his hand for the papers that he had given Luke during the intervi

met Leight

inctness, "are two that are my property. I bought them with

face grew purple. His brows met in a kno

hat? You-- Give them here this minute; they're mine! They'

d him from the summit of the hopes to which, that afternoon, he

ion of a superior strength that scarcely showed itself, the ass

y letters,"

he imprisoning grip; but he wren

man. "I merely wanted to protect myself and

still contorted,

I went at you that way; but you know w

"to the man that can mak

e can yo

e than you s

brought h

a th

ng to restore them to

rha

nically. "So that's what yo

rha

an that. Anyhow, you know, I onl

n, "belong to the man that ca

g by you, Huber, if you

er of the letters can do

forward and be

ll do for you politica

k you,"

ear of loss, appeared to capitulate-"give them ba

s eyes probe

lieve you,"

drove Leighton back

ere stolen from. If you try that, I'll show you up, and if you try anything else with those people, they'll bury you so deep nobody ever can dig down far enough to find you. Do you know who you're up against when you buck that crowd? The