CHAPTER VII
THE COMPACT
Lemuel Fogg was very much astonished when he received a call fromSibyl Dudley, who invaded the privacy of his room without taking thetrouble to announce her coming. Fogg did not know much about Mrs.Dudley, except that she was a friend and patron of Sloan Jasper'spretty daughter, and lived in Denver. He had once remarked to anacquaintance, as she passed, that she was "a stunning woman." And hewas not ready to withdraw that opinion now, when he saw her beforehim. Having sallied forth to conquer, she had not neglected anythingthat would add to her attractiveness in masculine eyes.
It did not take Sibyl long to acquaint Fogg with the nature of hererrand. She was tactfully frank, for she knew how to reach such a man.
"Mr. Fogg, I'm horribly in debt," she announced, looking him in theface without the quiver of an eyelash. "I must have money, fivethousand dollars, to be paid to me if I prevent Justin Wingate fromgiving his vote to the man the irrigationists want for United Statessenator."
He stared at her. How handsome she was! And what nerve she displayed!Not one woman in a thousand would have made such a confession, or comeat him in that manner. Her idea appealed to him, if there was anythingin it.
"Why, what can you do?" he asked. He smoothed his limp mustache, andwondered if his collar set just right; he knew he had forgotten toturn his reversible cuffs that morning! "What can you do, Mrs. Dudley?Everything has been done that can be done already. I've begged him,argued with him, prayed with him; and every man on our side who issupposed to have the least influence with him has done the same thing.We have even threatened him. Promises, threats, bribes, nothing willmove him."
Sibyl smiled at him across the little table. She had beautiful teeth.
"It can be done," she said, with sweet conviction.
So singular and confident was her expression that he was almosttempted to look into her ungloved right hand to see if she clasped aponiard. He saw only the flash of her rings.
"Why, what would you do;" he cried, in sudden amazement; "knife him?"
She gave him a glance of scorn, which melted at once into acaptivating smile.
"How absurd you are! Who ever dreamed of such a thing? This isn't theBack of Beyond."
"What would you do?"
"Is it worth five thousand dollars to you if Justin Wingate does notvote against the cattlemen's candidate for senator?"
He regarded her thoughtfully, and jingled the watch chain that layacross his round stomach.
"Yes," he admitted, "it's worth every cent of it."
"Will you agree to pay me that sum if I do keep him from casting thatvote? I am in debt and must have money; five thousand dollars islittle enough; but if you will satisfy me that you will give me thatmuch money I will prevent that vote."
"Tell me how you're going to do it."
"If I told you I should render my services valueless. You will have totrust everything to me."
"You want me to sign a note, or promise; I couldn't do that. Itwouldn't be good politics."
"Then you will have to pay me something in advance. I must be securedin some manner."
Lemuel Fogg had never yet bought a pig in a poke, and he did notintend to begin that doubtful practice now. He questioned SibylDudley's ability to do what she said. She was a very charming woman;he admired her very much; but beautiful women had never the power tomake Lemuel Fogg cut his purse-strings. So he refused, very tactfullyand graciously, as becomes a man who has to refuse anything to apretty woman. She saw that it was a refusal, and final.
"What will you do, then?" she asked. "If Justin casts that vote youlose your senator. I can keep him from casting it."
"If you will be quite frank with me, we'll get on faster, Mrs.Dudley," Fogg urged. "You could perhaps tell me something of yourplans; I don't ask to know too much. But five thousand dollars is abig sum of money."
"It's a small sum, Mr. Fogg, for what I propose to do. You don'tbelieve I can prevent Justin from voting against your man. I can seeyou don't."
"Well, I'll say this much--nobody else could! Everything has beentried that could be thought of. The fellow is a fool, and it'simpossible to reason with a fool."
"Justin is anything but a fool, but he has an uncomfortable lot ofqueer notions. I think he must have obtained them from that doctor hehas been living with down in Paradise Valley. I chance to knowsomething of the character of Doctor Clayton; and while he is, Isuppose, one of the best men in the world, so far as pure goodnessgoes, he is as foolish and illogical as a cat, or a woman."
"Yet you are a woman!"
Fogg was beginning to be comfortable again. He would not have toadvance money to Mrs. Dudley, and having safely weathered thatdangerous cape he felt better.
"All women are not cats or fools. For instance, I am not so foolish asnot to know the value of money, and the value of the ability I happento have. You say you won't advance me anything; what will you do?"
Fogg looked at her and jingled his watch chain.
"Mrs. Dudley, I'm willing to be as generous as you can expect,conditionally. If that money should be paid I'd have to take a bigpart of it out of my own pocket. The rest I could probably raise amongmy friends. I will promise you, as faithfully as a promise can be madethat is not put in writing, that if by any means you can induce orforce Justin Wingate to vote for our man for United States senator, oreven to withhold his vote from the opposition, you shall have the fivethousand dollars you named. We could win with his vote, and if herefused to vote at all I think we still could win. Will that promisedo?"
"Five thousand dollars is not enough, if I am to have no money inadvance. I shall charge you interest; a thousand dollars in interest."She laughed lightly. "Give me your promise that if Justin refuses tocast his vote for United States senator, or votes for your man, I maydraw on you for six thousand dollars through any bank if you do notpay the money at once, and I will demonstrate my ability to controlhim. Six thousand dollars if I succeed, and not a cent if I fail. Thatis fair."
Fogg twisted uneasily in his chair, which was almost too small for hisbig body.
"You're trying to drive a hard bargain. Remember that I shall probablyhave to pay the most of that money myself, if you succeed."
"If you're as shrewd as I think you are you will not have to pay acent of it; you can twist it out of men who are interested in thismatter. I feel sure that your candidate for senator, together with hisfriends and the cattlemen, would raise ten thousand dollars, and notsay a word against it, if this thing could be guaranteed. I've studiedthe papers, Mr. Fogg."
She laughed again lightly.
"Yes, if it could be guaranteed."
"This is the same; the money can be raised conditionally; you can getit together in some bank, with the understanding that it is to bereturned to those who contribute, every cent, if the thing is notaccomplished. And another thing, Mr. Fogg; it will be as well not tomention my name in the matter. Political secrets must be kept close,when so many newspaper men are around. If Justin should once get theidea into his head that a deliberate attempt is being made to controlhim everything would be lost."
"Yes, I agree with you there." He put his fat hands on the arms of hischair and settled back heavily. He was running over the list of menfrom whom money might be secured. "And I think I can raise the money,if necessary. Six thousand dollars to you if Justin Wingate does notvote, or votes for our man; and you can draw on me for it the dayafter a United States senator is elected, if I fail to pay it. It's abargain; and I hope I shall have to pay it."
"You will have to pay it. Pardon me if I say to you that I didn't comehere on a fool's errand. I have your promise, and I shall consider itas binding as a note."
She arose, still looking at him. For a moment she hesitated, then putout her ungloved hand. He had scrambled out of his chair, and he tookthe hand, giving it a warm pressure.
"Mr. Fogg, now that we know each other, we can help each other!" Shefixed her clear dark eyes upon his. On her upturned face he observed asi
ngle rouge spot, hastily applied, but it did not trouble him; histhought was that she was very beautiful. The touch of her warm handtingled in his large one. "And I hope," she hesitated in a mostattractive manner, "that we can be very good friends!"
"I should like to, Mrs. Dudley, I should like to; and I'll get youthat money. You needn't be afraid that I'll fail in that. You shallhave the whole of it, if I have to pay it myself. I'm very glad thatyou came to see me in this manner, privately. You're a woman to know."
He laughed coarsely.
But when she was gone, when her personality no longer enthralled, andhe sat down to think of her visit in cold blood, Lemuel Fogg began tofeel that it might not be a good thing for his bank account if he knewMrs. Dudley too intimately.
"But I'm glad she came," he thought, as he settled back in his chair,put his feet on the table for comfort, and struck a match to light hiscigar; "we must have that note; or at least we must get it away fromthe opposition, if it can be done. I'll begin a hustle for that moneyto-morrow. But I wonder how she expects to control him? By smiling onhim, as she did on me?"
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