a far country-第75节

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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　become　Mr。　Greenhalge　if；　instead　of　hiring　an　unknown
lawyer　thirsting　for　notoriety　to　cook　up　charges；　he　had　called　the
attention　of　the　proper　officials　to　the　matter；　etc。；　etc。　　The　Pilot
alone；　which　relied　on　sensation　for　its　circulation；　kept　hammering　away
for　a　time　with　veiled　accusations。　　But　our　citizens　had　become
weary。。。。

As　a　topic；　however；　this　effective　suppression　of　reform　was　referred　to
with　some　delicacy　by　my　friends　and　myself。　　Our　interference　had　been
necessary　and　therefore　justified；　but　we　were　not　particularly　proud　of
it；　and　our　triumph　had　a　temporarily　sobering　effect。　　It　was　about　this
time；　if　I　remember　correctly；　that　Mr。　Dickinson　gave　the　beautiful
stained…glass　window　to　the　church。。。。

Months　passed。　　One　day；　having　occasion　to　go　over　to　the　Boyne　Iron
Works　to　get　information　at　first　hand　from　certain　officials；　and　having
finished　my　business；　I　boarded　a　South　Side　electric　car　standing　at　the
terminal。　　Just　before　it　started　Krebs　came　down　the　aisle　of　the　car
and　took　the　seat　in　front　of　me。

〃Well；〃　I　said；　〃how　are　you？〃　　He　turned　in　surprise；　and　thrust　his
big；　bony　hand　across　the　back　of　the　seat。　　〃Come　and　sit　here。〃　　He
came。　　〃Do　you　ever　get　back　to　Cambridge　in　these　days？〃　I　asked
cordially。

〃Not　since　I　graduated　from　newspaper　work　in　Boston。　　That's　a　good　many
years　ago。　　By　the　way；　our　old　landlady　died　this　year。〃

〃Do　you　mean？〃　　〃Granite　Face；〃　I　was　about　to　say。　　I　had　forgotten
her　name；　but　that　homesick　scene　when　Tom　and　I　stood　before　our　open
trunks；　when　Krebs　had　paid　us　a　visit；　came　back　to　me。　　〃You've　kept　in
touch　with　her？〃　I　asked；　in　surprise。

〃Well；〃　said　Krebs；　〃she　was　one　of　the　few　friends　I　had　at　Cambridge。
I　had　a　letter　from　the　daughter　last　week。　　She's　done　very　well；　and　is
an　instructor　in　biology　in　one　of　the　western　universities。〃

I　was　silent　a　moment。

〃And　you；you　never　married；　did　you？〃　I　inquired；　somewhat
irrelevantly。

His　semi…humorous　gesture　seemed　to　deny　that　such　a　luxury　was　for　him。
The　conversation　dragged　a　little；　I　began　to　feel　the　curiosity　he
invariably　inspired。　　What　was　his　life？　　What　were　his　beliefs？　　And　I
was　possessed　by　a　certain　militancy；　a　desire　to　〃smoke　him　out。〃　　I　did
not　stop　to　reflect　that　mine　was　in　reality　a　defensive　rather　than　an
aggressive　attitude。

〃Do　you　live　down　here；　in　this　part　of　the　city？〃　I　asked。

No；　he　boarded　in　Fowler　Street。　　I　knew　it　as　in　a　district　given　over
to　the　small　houses　of　working…men。

〃I　suppose　you　are　still　a　socialist。〃

〃I　suppose　I　am；〃　he　admitted；　and　added；　〃at　any　rate；　that　is　as　near
as　you　can　get　to　it。〃

〃Isn't　it　fairly　definite？〃

〃Fairly；　if　my　notions　are　taken　in　general　as　the　antithesis　of　what　you
fellows　believe。〃

〃The　abolition　of　property；　for　instance。〃

〃The　abolition　of　too　much　property。〃

〃What　do　you　mean　by　'too　much'？〃

〃When　it　ceases　to　be　real　to　a　man；　when　it　represents　more　than　his
need；　w