a far country-第84章

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him　extremely；　brought　them　in　his　good…natured　way　to　the　knowledge　of
Mr。　Gregory；　the　district　attorney；　suggesting　that　he　investigate。　　Mr。
Gregory　smiled；　undertook；　as　delicately　as　possible；　to　convey　to　Mr。
Greenhalge　the　ways　of　the　world；　and　of　the　political　world　in
particular；　wherein；　it　seemed；　everyone　was　a　good　fellow。　　Mr。
Greenhalge　was　evidently　a　good　fellow；　and　didn't　want　to　make　trouble
over　little　things。　　No；　Mr。　Greenhalge　didn't　want　to　make　trouble；　he
appreciated　a　comfortable　life　as　much　as　Mr。　Gregory；　he　told　the
district　attorney　a　funny　story　which　might　or　might　not　have　had　an
application　to　the　affair；　and　took　his　leave　with　the　remark　that　he　had
been　happy　to　make　Mr。　Gregory's　acquaintance。　　On　his　departure　the
district　attorney's　countenance　changed。　　He　severely　rebuked　a
subordinate　for　some　trivial　mistake；　and　walked　as　rapidly　as　he　could
carry　his　considerable　weight　to　Monahan's　saloon。。。。　　One　of　the　things
Mr。　Gregory　had　pointed　out　incidentally　was　that　Mr。　Greenhalge's
evidence　was　vague；　and　that　a　grand　jury　wanted　facts；　which　might　be
difficult　to　obtain。　　Mr。　Greenhalge；　thinking　over　the　suggestion；　sent
for　Krebs。　　In　the　course　of　a　month　or　two　the　investigation　was
accomplished；　Greenhalge　went　back　to　Gregory；　who　repeated　his　homilies；
whereupon　he　was　handed　a　hundred　or　so　typewritten　pages　of　evidence。

It　was　a　dramatic　moment。

Mr。　Gregory　resorted　to　pleading。　　He　was　sure　that　Mr。　Greenhalge　didn't
want　to　be　disagreeable；　it　was　true　and　unfortunate　that　such　things
were　so；　but　they　would　be　amended：　he　promised　all　his　influence　to
amend　them。　　The　public　conscience；　said　Mr。　Gregory；　was　being　aroused。
Now　how　much　better　for　the　party；　for　the　reputation；　the　fair　name　of
the　city　if　these　things　could　be　corrected　quietly；　and　nobody　indicted
or　tried！　　Between　sensible　and　humane　men；　wasn't　that　the　obvious　way？
After　the　election；　suit　could　be　brought　to　recover　the　money。　　But　Mr。
Greenhalge　appeared　to　be　one　of　those　hopeless　individuals　without　a
spark　of　party　loyalty；　he　merely　continued　to　smile；　and　to　suggest　that
the　district　attorney　prosecute。　　Mr。　Gregory　temporized；　and　presently
left　the　city　on　a　vacation。　　A　day　or　two　after　his　second　visit　to　the
district　attorney's　office　Mr。　Greenhalge　had　a　call　from　the　city
auditor　and　the　purchasing　agent；　who　talked　about　their　families；which
was　very　painful。　　It　was　also　intimated　to　Mr。　Greenhalge　by　others　who
accosted　him　that　he　was　just　the　man　for　mayor。　　He　smiled；　and　modestly
belittled　his　qualifications。。。。

Suddenly；　one　fine　morning；　a　part　of　the　evidence　Krebs　had　gathered
appeared　in　the　columns　of　the　Mail　and　State；　a　new　and　enterprising
newspaper　for　which　the　growth　and　prosperity　of　our　city　were
responsible；　the　sort　of　〃revelations〃　that　stirred　to　amazement　and
wrath　innocent　citizens　of　nearly　every　city　in　our　country：　politics　and
〃graft〃　infesting　our　entire　educational　system；　teachers　and　janitors
levied　upon；　prices　that　took　the　breath　away　paid　to　favoured　firms　for
supplies；　specifications　so　worded　that　reasonable　bids　were　barred。　　The
respectable　firm　of　Ellery　and　Knowles　was　involved。　　In　spite　of　our
horror；　we　were　Americans　and　saw　the　humour　of　the　situation；　and
laughed　at　the　caricature　in　the　Mail　and　State　representing　a　scholar
holding　up　a　pencil　and　a　legend　under　it；　〃No；　it's　not　gold；　but　it
ought　to　be。〃

Here　I　must　enter　into　a　little　secret　history。　　Any　affair　that
threatened　the　integrity　of　Mr。　Jason's　organization　was　of　serious
moment　to　the　gentlemen　of　the　financial　world　who　found　that
organization　invaluable　and　who　were　also　concerned　about　the　fair　name
of　their　community；　a　conference　in　the　Boyne　Club　decided　that　the　city
officials　were　being　persecuted；　and　entitled　therefore　to　〃the　very　best
of　counsel；〃in　this　instance；　Mr。　Hugh　Paret。　　It　was　also　thought　wise
by　Mr。　Dickinson；　Mr。　Gorse；　and　Mr。　Grierson；　and　by　Mr。　Paret　himself
that　he　should　not　appear　in　the　matter；　an　aspiring　young　attorney；　Mr。
Arbuthnot；　was　retained　to　conduct　the　case　in　public。　　Thus　capital　came
to　the　assistance　of　Mr。　Jason；　a　fund　was　raised；　and　I　was　given　carte
blanche　to　defend　the　miserable　city　auditor　and　purchasing　agent；　both
of　whom　elicited　my　sympathy；　for　they　were　stout　men；　and　rapidly　losing
weight。　　Our　first　care　was　to　create　a　delay　in　the　trial　of　the　case　in
order　to　give　the　public　excitement　a　chance　to　die　down。　　For　the　public
is　proverbially　unable　to　fix　its　attention　for　long　on　one　object；
continually　demanding　the　distraction　that　our　newspapers　make　it　their
business　to　supply。　　Fortunately；　a　murder　was　committed　in　one　of　our
suburbs；　creating　a　mystery　that　filled　the　〃extras〃　for　some　weeks；　and
this　was　opportunely　followed　by　the　embezzlement　of　a　considerable　sum
by　the　cashier　of　one　of　our　state　banks。　　Public　interest　was　divided
between　baseball　and　the　tracking　of　this　criminal　to　New　Zealand。

Our　resentment　was　directed；　not　so　much　against　Commissioner　Greenhalge
as　against　Krebs。　　It　is　curious　how　keen　is　the　instinct　of　men　like
Grierson；　Dickinson；　Tallant　and　Scherer　for　the　really　dangerous
opponent。　　Who　the　deuce　was　this　man　Krebs？　　Well；　I　could　supply　them
with　some　information：　they　doubtless　recalled　the　Galligan；　case；　and
Miller　Gorse；　who　forgot　nothing；　also　remembered　his　opposition　in　the
legislature　to　House　Bill　709。　　He　had　continued　to　be　the　obscure　legal
champion　of　〃oppressed〃　labour；　but　how　he　had　managed　to　keep　body　and
soul　together　I　knew　not。　　I　had　encountered　him　occasionally　in　court
corridors　or　on　the　street；　he　did　not　seem　to　change　much；　nor　did　he
appear　in　our　brief　and　perfunctory　conversations　to　bear　any　resentment
against　me　for　the　part　I　had　taken　in　the　Galligan　affair。　　I　avoided
him　when　it　was　possible。。。。　　I　had　to　admit　that　he　had　done　a
remarkably　good　piece　of　work　in　collecting　Greenhalge's　evidence；　and
how　the；　erring　city　officials　were　to　be　rescued　became　a　matter　of
serious　concern。　　Gregory；　the　district　attorney；　was　in　an　abject　funk；
in　any　case　a　mediocre　lawyer；　after　the　indictment　he　was　no　help　at
all。　　I　had　to　do　all　the　work；　and　after　we　had　selected　the　particular
〃Railroad〃　judge　before　whom　the　case　was　to　be　tried；　I　talked　it　over
with　him。　　His　name　was　Notting；　he　understood　perfectly　what　was
required　of　him；　and　that　he　was　for　the　moment　the　chief　bulwark　on
which　depended　the　logical　interests　of　capital　and　sane　government　for
their　defence；　also；　his　re…election　was　at　stake。　　It　was　indicated　to
newspapers　（such　as　the　Mail　and　State）　showing　a　desire　to　keep　up
public　interest　in　the　affair　that　their　advertising　matter　might
decrease；　Mr。　Sherrill's　great　department　store；　for　instance；　did　not
approve　of　this　sort　of　agitation。　　Certain　stationers；　booksellers　and
other　business　men　had　got　〃cold　feet；〃　as　Mr。　Jason　put　it；　the　prospect
of　bankruptcy　suddenly　looming　ahead　of　them；since　the　Corn　National
Bank　held　certain　paper。。。。

In　short；　when　the　case　did　come　to　trial；　it　〃blew　up；〃　as　one　of　our
ward　leaders　dynamically　expressed　it。　　Several　important　witnesses　were
mysteriously　lacking；　and　two　or　three　school…teachers　had　suddenly
decidedto　take　a　trip　to　Europe。　　The　district　attorney　was　ill；　and
assigned　the　prosecution　to　a　mild　assistant；　while　a　sceptical　jury
composed　largely　of　gentlemen　who　had　the　business　interests　of　the
community；　and　of　themselves；　at　heart　returned　a　verdict　of　〃not
guilty。〃　　This　was　the　signal　for　severely　dignified　editorials　in　Mr。
Tallant's　and　other　conservative　newspapers；　hinting　that　it　might　be
well　in　the　future　for　all　well…meaning　but　misguided　reformers　to　think
twice　before　subjecting　the　city　to　the　cost　of　such　trials；　and
uselessly　attempting　to　inflame　public　opinion　and　upset　legitimate
business。　　The　Era　expressed　the　opinion　that　no　city　in　the　United
States　was　〃more　efficiently　and　economically　governed　than　our　own。〃
〃Irregularities〃　might　well　occur　in　every　large　organization；　and　it
would　better　have