Life — November 7, 1907 — page 34: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

gill eves “Well, what’s the trouble?” Hendricks asked. “What can I do for you?” “You can do most anything you're a mind to, Sinator. That’s it; I’m afraid you ain’t a mind to—or I’d never been forgot so soon.” The lawyer waited patiently. “Yes,” continued Casey, in an aggrieved tone, after three or four puffs on his cigar. “Well, you never can tell about a man when he gets into office; some that seems good Dimocrats turns out to be worse than Republicans; and went in as Republicans develops a kin “Iyou'll tell me what’s gone wrong” Hendricks, in an assiduous voice. shook his head. “Tim Murphy was askin’ me only last night about Rawb’ns’n—him that owns the ice-houses. ‘Pve got nothing again Rawb'ns’n,’ says I, “except that he’s a Republican. And I don’t know as that’s always enough to damn a man.” Hendricks stiffened himself against the demand that he felt to be coming. Robinson was the rival candidate for election to the Senate in a contest which was proving desperately close “T've always been loy'l to the party,” con- tinued Casey, cheerlessly. “But some in the party take advantage of a man’s loy'lty. They don’t think he needs to be took care As I says to Murphy last night, it might be a good thing for some of us to introduce some variety into our votin’ this year.” “You're not satisfied with your job?” asked Hendricks. “I recommended you to the Street Department, and I understood you had been given a good berth “A good berth, is it?” cried Casey, derisively. “Subforeman it is that I still am, now goin’ on two years; subforeman only, mind ye, and not yet a foreman at all! Me that controls and de livered to ye two years ago thirty-three votes the Fift? Sinatorial District! Me subfi workin’ no more than on the level or only lians and Dagoes! For a year I kept sayin’, ‘The Sinator won't forget me; he’s findin’ me a better place.’ But now come home to me that I was wrong, and that the ator had forgot.” “When I got you your job, you were glad to ; you seemed perfectly satisfied. I never d to be able to do more for you than I But Casey above of a gang of “Ah, that’s all very well for ye to say now, Sinator. But, of course, there was understand- ings. And you could have done it if you'd wanted to; you could have done it, Sinator.” “Done what?” jot me the place of a foreman. Now, Sinator, Task ye, is the job of a subforeman in the Street Cleanin’ Department one to support a growin’ mily? Why, Sinator, it’s no less than morti- yin’ to my friends to see me in such a job—me that controls and delivers at this next election no less than thirty-three votes in the Fift’ Sinatorial District! It’s more than mortifyin’ to them—for I've got no chance to show them my friendship. If I was a foreman I could fire the whole gang of Dagoes and hire in some good men like Murphy and O'Neil and Hooley; but a subforeman’s got no rights, none at all.” “Mr. Starr, the Superintendent of Streets, ap- points the foremen; J have no influence with him in such a matter.” “Ah, you could do it, Sinator; you could do it You're in the city machine and Jimmy Starr’s in the city machine, and what the machine says goes. You could do it, Sinator. You could get me a place as subforeman; and now, after two years of hard and faithful service, you could get me raised to a foreman.” “T don’t mind trying,” Hendricks said. “But I’m afraid I won’t have any influence with the Superintendent of Stre He makes his ap- pointments to the responsible positions without any hints from me, and he'll probably tell me to mind my own business. But I’ll risk that on the chance of getting a favor done for an eld friend. Only I don’t want you to feel too hopeful, Casey.” “You can do it, Sinator,” Casey assured him. And as he rose, he added, in a fateful voice: “There’s thirty-three votes in the Fift’ Sinatorial District that ucan do it. P'll be droppin’ in maybe to-morrow to hear the good word.” That afternoon the Senator visited the Super- intendent of Streets—a little, peppery, red-haired man whose chin projected forbiddingly. “What!” cried he, “that mealy-mouthed Mick that can’t bend his back wanting to be a foreman! Not on your life! I'd like to do you a good turn, Harry, but ask me something easy.” He has quite a following out my w observed Hendricks. “And it’s a close scrap, Jimmy.” “Well, that’s too bad. I’d like to help you— but it wouldn’t be fair to the department. Casey on the bum; you've got to have some sort of a man for a foreman. “All right; I appreciate your point of view. Sorry to have bothered you. I guess I can fix it up with him, anyhow.” Hendricks swung out of the room good- naturedly, and in the busy happenings of the day soon forgot about C: But Casey did not forget, and the next day called on the Senator. I'm mighty sorry, Casey,” said Hendricks, “but that man Starr is like a rock. I couldn’t doa thing with him. When I suggested his taking you on asa foreman, he went right up in the “You and the machine could fix it,” C declared, doggedly. sbody can fix Jimmy Starr. When he gets his mind made up, he’s a rock. I’m sorry.” “You could have fixed it if you'd wanted to, Sinator,” Casey repeated. He sat for a moment in gloomy silenc “Maybe you'll think better of it and decide to fix it,” he said, at last. “I'll keep droppin’ in to find out.” “It won't be of the least use,” Hendricks re- plied; “I’ve done everything I can do. “If you keep at him, you can fix it,” Casey responded. ‘‘T’il keep remindin’ you.” It annoyed Hendricks to feel that Casey’s threat of persistence and dark hint of reprisal could have power to trouble him, Yet it did trouble him. Casey was a boss in a small way, and probably did control thirty votes. And there was every prospect that the election would be so close as to make thirty votes valuable. Two days later Casey came again to Hen- dricks’s office. ‘Any news for me, Sinator?” he inquired. “No, none.” “Have you been to see Jimmy Starr again, Sinator?” “T haven’t had time.” Casey shook his head with sorrowful regret. “Murphy and O'Neil and Hooley won’t like to hear that you said that to me,” he remarked, as he took his departure. “But,” he added, for- givingly, “I'll be in again, Sinator.” That afternoon Hendricks had a thought that caused him to smile broadly. He put on his hat and went to the office of the Superintendent of Streets. “Jimmy,” he said, sitting down by the official’s desk, “you still don’t see your way to doing any- thing for that man Casey I spoke to you about?” “Sorry,” Starr answered, curtly. “No use to talk, Harry.” “Well, I thought I’d.ask once more about it he’s such a nuisance. But I don’t want to take up your time. Jimmy, you always like to save money for the city, don’t you?” “That’s always a good thing to do, if it’s possible.” “And if you could do it and at the same time doa favor toa friend, you would, wouldn’t you?” “Sure.” “Well, I was thinking. Why wouldn’t it be a good idea to save the city a subforeman’s wages for a ccuple of weeks?” Starr looked at him blankly; then compre- hension dawned in his eyes, and he gave vent to a subdued chuckle. “Why not?” he said. morrow.”” The next morning it was an agitated Casey who asked to see Senator Hendricks, and who on being admitted ejaculated at once, “My God, Sinator, I’m fired!” “What!” cried Hendricks. “You must be joking. They haven’t fired you!” Casey nodded his head sadly. “My God, Sinator, but I’m up against it. And Jimmy Starr—I went to him and I told him I’m a good Dimocrat and control thirty-three votes in the Fift’ Sinatorial District; and all he says was, ‘We have got to cut down expenses.’” “Why, but this is a perfect outrage!” ex- claimed Hendricks, rising from his chair and pacing indignantly to and fro. “To save ex- pense! What's a few dollars more or less to the city? And I suppose it’s mighty important to “We'll begin to- y z, Sinator; so help me, I’ve not got ahead what will keep the children a week. Oh, Sinator, if you could only get me back my job!”” Hendricks shook his head sadly. “That man Starr is a terror,” he said. “I’ve got no influence at all with him. He’s a raving, tearing lion. If this would help you out any”—— He took out his pocketbook and handed Casey a five-dollar bill. “I'll do everything I 3 I'll talk to him till I’m blue in the face—why, it’s the most abominable way for Jimmy Starr to treat one of my frienc hank ye, Sinator; if ye only will, I know ye can inflooence him; I’m sure ye can. Will you be going to see him at once, please, Sinator?”” “T will that,” declared Hendricks, putting on his hat. “If it was anybody but Starr I could feel pretty confident of fixing things up—but he’s such an obstinate devil. But I’ll work with him, Casey; we won’t give up. Come in again to- morrow and I'll tell you how the thing looks.” This story continued on page s60 comicbooks.com