CHAPTER 8. THE HONORABLE THOMAS B. PELTON
It was next morning that Steve came into Ridgway's offices with a copyof the Rocky Mountain Herald in his hands. As soon as the president ofthe Mesa Ore-producing Company was through talking with Dalton, thesuperintendent of the Taurus, about the best means of getting to thecage a quantity of ore he was looting from the Consolidated propertyadjoining, the treasurer plumped out with his news.
"Seen to-day's paper, Waring? It smokes out Pelton to a finish. They'vemoled out some facts we can't get away from."
Ridgway glanced rapidly over the paper. "We'll have to drop Pelton andfind another candidate for the Senate. Sorry, but it can't be helped.They've got his record down too fine. That affidavit from Quinton putsan end to his chances."
"He'll kick like a bay steer."
"His own fault for not covering his tracks better. This exposuredoesn't help us any at best. If we still tried to carry Pelton, weshould last about as long as a snowball in hell."
"Shall I send for him?"
"No. He'll be here as quick as he can cover the ground. Have him shownin as soon as he comes. And Steve--did Harley arrive on theeight-thirty this morning?"
"Yes. He is putting up at the Mesa House. He reserved an entire floorby wire, so that he has bed-rooms, dining-rooms, parlors,reception-halls and private offices all together. The place is policedthoroughly, and nobody can get up without an order."
"I haven't been thinking of going up and shooting him, even though itwould be a blessing to the country," laughed his chief.
"No, but it is possible somebody else might. This town is full ofignorant foreigners who would hardly think twice of it. If he had askedmy advice, it would have been to stay away from Mesa."
"He wouldn't have taken it," returned Ridgway carelessly. "Whateverelse is true about him, Simon Harley isn't a coward. He would have toldyou that not a sparrow falls to the ground without the permission ofthe distorted God he worships, and he would have come on the nexttrain."
"Well, it isn't my funeral," contributed Steve airily.
"All the same I'm going to pass his police patrols and pay a visit tothe third floor of the Mesa House."
"You are going to compromise with him?" cried Eaton swiftly.
"Compromise nothing, I'm going to pay a formal social call on Mrs.Harley, and respectfully hope that she has suffered no ill effects fromher exposure to the cold."
Eaton made no comment, unless to whistle gently were one.
"You think it isn't wise?"
"Well, is it?" asked Steve.
"I think so. We'll scotch the lying tongue of rumor by a strictobservance of the conventions. Madam Grundy is padlocked when we reducethe situation to the absurdity of the common place."
"Perhaps you are right, if it doesn't become too common commonplace."
"I think we may trust Simon Harley to see to that," answered his chiefwith a grim smile "Obviously our social relations aren't likely to bevery intimate. Now it's 'Just before the battle mother,' but once thebig guns begin to boor we'll neither of us be in the mood for functionssocial."
"You've established a sort of claim on him. It wouldn't surprise me ifhe would meet you halfway in settling the trouble between you," saidEaton thoughtfully.
"I expect he would," agreed Ridgway indifferently as he lit a cigar.
"Well, then?"
"The trouble is that I won't meet him halfway. I can't afford to bereasonable, Steve. Just suppose for an instant that I had beenreasonable five years ago when this fight began. They would have boughtme out for a miserable pittance of a hundred and fifty thousand or so.That would have been a reasonable figure then. You might put it now atfive or six millions, and that would be about right. I don't want theirmoney. I want power, and I'd rather fight for it than not. Besides, Imean to make what I have already wrung from them a lever for gettingmore. I'm going to show Harley that he has met a man at last he can'teither freeze out or bully out. I'm going to let him and his bunch knowI'm on earth and here to stay; that I can beat them at their own gameto a finish."
"Did it ever occur to you, Waring, that it might pay to make this alimited round contest? You've won on points up to date by a mile, butin a finish fight endurance counts. Money is the same as endurancehere, and that's where they are long."
Eaton made this suggestion diffidently, for though he was a stockholderand official of the Mesa Ore-producing Company, he was not used tooffering its head unasked advice. The latter, however, took it withouta trace of resentment.
"Glad of it, my boy. There's no credit in beating a cripple."
To this jaunty retort Eaton had found no answer when Smythe opened thedoor to announce the arrival of the Honorable Thomas B. Pelton, veryanxious for an immediate interview with Mr. Ridgway.
"Show him in," nodded the president, adding in an aside: "You betterstay, Steve."
Pelton was a rotund oracular individual in silk hat and a Prince Albertcoat of broadcloth. He regarded himself solemnly as a statesman becausehe had served two inconspicuous terms in the House at Washington. Hewas fond of proclaiming himself a Southern gentleman, part of whichstatement was unnecessary and part untrue. Like many from his section,he had a decided penchant for politics.
"Have you seen the infamous libel in that scurrilous sheet of thegutters the Herald?" he demanded immediately of Ridgway.
"Which libel? They don't usually stop at one, colonel."
"The one, seh, which slanders my honorable name; which has thescoundrelly audacity to charge me with introducing the mining extensionbill for venal reasons, seh."
"Oh! Yes, I've seen that. Rather an unfortunate story to come out justnow."
"I shall force a retraction, seh, or I shall demand the satisfactiondue a Southern gentleman.
"Yes, I would, colonel," replied Ridgway, secretly amused at the vainthreats of this bag of wind which had been punctured.
"It's a vile calumny, an audacious and villainous lie."
"What part of it? I've just glanced over it, but the part I read seemsto be true. That's the trouble with it. If it were a lie you couldexplode it."
"I shall deny it over my signature."
"Of course. The trouble will be to get people to believe your denialwith Quinton's affidavit staring them in the face. It seems they havegot hold of a letter, too, that you wrote. Deny it, of course, then lielow and give the public time to forget it."
"Do you mean that I should withdraw from the senatorial race?"
"That's entirely as you please, colonel, but I'm afraid you'll findyour support will slip away from you."
"Do you mean that YOU won't support me, seh?"
Ridgway locked his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair."We've got to face facts, colonel. In the light of this exposure youcan't be elected."
"But I tell you, by Gad, seh, that I mean to deny it."
"Certainly. I should in your place," agreed the mine-owner coolly. "Thequestion is, how many people are going to believe you?"
Tiny sweat-beads stood on the forehead of the Arkansan. His manner wasbecoming more and more threatening. "You pledged me your support. Areyou going to throw me down, seh?"
"You have thrown yourself down, Pelton. Is it my fault you bungled thething and left evidence against you? Am I to blame because you wroteincriminating letters?"
"Whatever I did was done for you," retorted the cornered mandesperately.
"I beg your pardon. It was done for what was in it for you. Thearrangement between us was purely a business one."
The coolness of his even voice maddened the harassed Pelton.
"So I'm to get burnt drawing your chestnuts out of the fire, am I?You're going to stand back and let my career be sacrificed, are you? ByGad, seh, I'll show you whether I'll be your catspaw," screamed thecongressman.
"Use your common sense, Pelton, and don't shriek like a fish-wife,"ordered Ridgway sharply. "No sane man floats a leaky ship. Go todrydock and patch up your reputation, and in a few years you'll comeou
t as good as new."
All his unprincipled life Pelton had compromised with honor to gain thecoveted goal he now saw slipping from him. A kind of madness of despairsurged up in him. He took a step threateningly toward the seated man,his hand slipping back under his coat-tails toward his hip pocket.Acridly his high voice rang out.
"As a Southern gentleman, seh, I refuse to tolerate the imputations youcast upon me. I demand an apology here and now, seh."
Ridgway was on his feet and across the room like a flash.
"Don't try to bully ME, you false alarm. Call yourself a Southerngentleman! You're a shallow scurvy impostor. No more like the realarticle than a buzzard is like an eagle. Take your hand from under thatcoat or I'll break every bone in your flabby body."
Flabby was the word, morally no less than physically. Pelton quailedunder that gaze which bored into him like a gimlet. The ebbing color inhis face showed he could summon no reserve of courage sufficient tomeet it. Slowly his empty hand came forth.
"Don't get excited, Mr. Ridgway. You have mistaken my purpose, seh. Ihad no intention of drawing," he stammered with a pitiable attempt atdignity.
"Liar," retorted his merciless foe, crowding him toward the door.
"I don't care to have anything more to do with you. Our relations areat an end, seh," quavered Pelton as he vanished into the outer once andbeat a hasty retreat to the elevator.
Ridgway returned to his chair, laughing ruefully. "I couldn't help it,Steve. He would have it. I suppose I've made one more enemy."
"A nasty one, too. He'll stick at nothing to get even."
"We'll draw his fangs while there is still time. Get a good story inthe Sun to the effect that I quarreled with him as soon as I discoveredhis connection with this mining extension bill graft. Have it in thisafternoon's edition, Steve. Better get Brayton to write it."
Steve nodded. "That's a good idea. We may make capital out of it afterall. I'll have an editorial in, too. 'We love him for the enemies hehas made.' How would that do for a heading?"
"Good. And now we'll have to look around for a candidate to put againstMott. I'm hanged if I know where we'll find one."
Eaton had an inspiration.
"I do?"
"One that will run well, popular enough to catch the public fancy?"
"Yes."
"Who, then?"
"Waring Ridgway."
The owner of the name stared at his lieutenant in astonishment, butslowly the fascination of the idea sank in.
"By Jove! Why not?"