The Argosy, August 1905 — page 118: what you’re looking at

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

A ee _——. . +: by certain alumni who had the welfare of their athletics at heart. That is ancient history, however. When Burke heard the stories of the new district attorney getting after Graham Doelger, the private car brought him home to Denborough faster than it ever had before. He reached the city in time to be present in court at his father’s examl- ion! ig was terrible. To think that that white-haired old man, who looked so blichted now, should be brought on such a charge before the court of the eity which he had practically governed. Doeleer had allowed his name to be used by his henchmen; money had been looted from the city treasury; if Canniff could proye this, the old man’s wealth could not save him, for a wave of re- form opinion was sweeping the State. “J knew you'd come, Burke!” gasped Graham Doelger, as the big fellow shd into the seat between him and_ his lawyer and took the old man’s hand. “Come? You bet Pd come—from Hades, dad!” growled Burke, his eyes fiashing. “Who’s doing this? What does it mean? ” “It is that Canniff. I-—don’t—just —understand—it,” faltered the old man, hanging his head. ‘Does he really mean to try to indict you?” muttered Burke. “Tm—tl’m afraid so. He says he isn’t after money.” “It’s a dirty political trick!” gasped Burke. “ He’s trying to make himself solid for the gubernatorial nomination.” “{T—] don’t know,” stammered his father. “ By God, if he does this Il] have his hfe!” Burke burst out, and there were many who heard him. The court session—the first scene of a drama bound to be intensely interest- ing to Denborough—droned on. In- fluenced as he was by party prejudice and by the knowledge that he was ex- pected to stand up for the “ hoss,” the magistrate was finally forced by the astute district attorney to hold Graham Doelger for trial. By the time the fight over the hail was over it was growing dusk in the corridors of the court-house. THE ARGOSY. As Eben Canniff, stern-faced, taci- turn, clear-eyed as ever, came out of the court-room after most of the crowd and the prisoner himself had gone, he was suddenly confronted by a huge figure whose pallid face and blazing eyes were those of a madman. “You scoundrel!” hissed Burke in the attorney’s face. “If you don’t drop this you'll be the sorriest man who ever wore boots!” The district attorney did not change the expression of his hatchet-like countenance. He brushed by the young giant, and, without hastening his pace in the least, went down the steps and entered the old building a short dis- tance along the street in which he had his office. Several loungers had noted the en- counter in the hallway of the court- house. They had marked Burke Doelger’s attitude and noted his words. And perhaps Eben Cannili took the threat seriously, too. When he reached his office, after putting his papers in the safe, he sat down in his hat and coat before his desk and rang up Judge Blaine. Judge Blaine was the senior justice of the county, a man of irreproachable character, a man with whom Canniff had advised before taking this first step in the punishment of the boodling ring. “Tam threatened,” he said over the *phone to the judge. “They are mad enough. to do some foolish thing, no doubt. But you have the combination of my safe, and the papers are all there. I have nothing personal against poor old Doelger; he was merely a catspaw. But his son Burke thinks I have.” That was all he said. Judge Blaine remembered it clearly afterward. Sore men in the street had seen the lawyer enter and walk up the single flight to his office. THis shadow had crossed the drawn blind once or twice. Then a bulkier shadow had darted into the doorway and disappeared in the darkness of the stair flight. By and by the eleetrie light which had been turned on in Canniff’s offiee when he entered was extinguished. No- body saw either the lawyer or the big- ger figure which had followed him come out of the building. * al ~ comicbooks.com —