The Cleverdale Mystery; or, The Machine and Its Wheels: A Story of American Life
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CHAPTER VIII.
AFFAIRS AT CLEVERDALE.
Cleverdale is a flourishing village of about eight thousand inhabitants.Enjoying transportation facilities both by rail and canal, it containsseveral large factories, which in turn enable a bank to do a great dealof business and cause money to circulate freely. Churches and schools,not excepting a young ladies' finishing school, abound, and there is nolack of the rum-shops that in towns so large are always demanded by oneclass of inhabitants.
Like all other towns, Cleverdale had its local causes of dispute, andits differences between classes, yet so proud of Senator Hamblin wasthe town that when, two or three days after Willie's death, a littlewhite hearse moved slowly from the Senator's door it was followed to thecemetery by representatives of every class and interest in the town,even the red head of Paddy Sullivan being prominent in the procession.Paddy was dressed in his Sunday suit of black. On his head he wore ahigh white hat with a narrow black band around it, and in his face wasan expression of grief that undoubtedly was honest.
One of the Senator's bids for prominence had been the erection of themost imposing monument in the village cemetery, although he had notat the time buried any member of his family. This monument had givenhis eye much comfort, but when little Willie was laid in its shadow,the ambitious politician was too much absorbed in grief to notice thestately stone at all. For a few days his nobler sentiments had himso completely in possession that he fairly forgot even his publicinterests; although Miller called and reported that he had faithfullycarried out all the wishes of his chief, no further orders were givenhim.
"Wait a day or two, Miller," said the Senator. "I am too much overcomefor business or politics now," were his words.
But time cures grief, and great burdens soon fall from shouldersaccustomed to other burdens. A few days passed and the doors of theHamblin mansion were again opened, and Senator Hamblin at his banklooking after his large business enterprises. His political interestsalso began to receive attention. In this direction he found that histemporary withdrawal from affairs had been utilized by his opponents,who made a vigorous push. Of course Miller had not been idle, havingworked hard--even kept Rawlings in line; in fact, no attempt had beenmade of late to win the _Investigator's_ editor to Daley's side.
But an ugly paper had been privately circulated, charging SenatorHamblin with having made admission before a former clerk of the CanalCommittee, of which Hamblin was chairman, of a character not consistentwith a man of honor. The paper accused him of boasting, during his twoyears of chairmanship, of making more than a hundred thousand dollarson bills that his committee had approved. Fortunately a copy of thepaper fell into the hands of Miller, who went to work to prevent furthercirculation. He had even called on young Sargent, making threats tointimidate him, but without obtaining satisfaction. He knew Sargent wasgreatly incensed against Senator Hamblin for throwing him out of hisberth and fat salary, and also knew Daley and his friends paid well forthe information they were using.
Senator Hamblin gave Miller full power to treat with Sargent and makehim recant. Miller was a good worker, and not afraid to face any one.Had he been going to die, he would not have hesitated to call on Satan,if that were possible, and he would have done it in the full belief thatsome satisfactory arrangement for the future could be made.
He called promptly on Sargent, who received him with great cordiality.
"Well, Sargent, how are you?" said Miller, extending his hand to greetthe ex-clerk.
"All right, Miller. Take a seat."
The visitor at once stated his business.
"Sargent, what in the world possessed you to make such a charge againstthe Senator? Of course the shot may temporarily injure the man it isfired at, but, my dear fellow, just think how it will injure you.Hamblin is powerful and rich and stands high among the business menof the State. He is a leading man in politics, and his influence canbe used to crush a young man like you. He will be renominated, andthat means re-elected: then all the men backing or helping Daley willbe crushed. That is as sure as fate, for when the convention meets hewill have at least three quarters of the delegates. His election isan assured fact, and can you, a young man, afford to go down with thewreck? I have always found, in politics, a man is safest when stickingto the machine."
"That may be," said Sargent, "but Hamblin played a mean trick when heshoved me out of the berth I held. I worked for him faithfully, andjust because Jim Warren was backed up by Paddy Sullivan and the factorybosses I had to slide. I say it was a dirty trick, and I mean to geteven with him."
"See here, Sargent, didn't the Senator say he would see you providedfor? Now look here, man; there is need of another clerk in the bank,as the cashier's health is poor and young Alden unable to do the workalone. That place was to be given you, but when you got your back up and'went' for the Senator, _his_ Ebenezer rose, and you lost a better placethan a temporary position on a committee."
"Why, I didn't know that," said Sargent in a surprised tone.
"Well, it is a fact; maybe it is too late now, after all you havedone to injure yourself; but see here, Sargent, can't you recall thatstatement, if by so doing you can benefit yourself? Of course, if youpersist, we shall meet the paper and break its damaging points; you willbe ruined with it, for you must know Senator Hamblin will not hesitateto kill so grave a charge against his integrity. Come, Sargent, think itover. I don't know what I can do for you, but assure me you will recallthe words and I will try and place you in a position where you will betaken care of. As you are now, when the polls close on election night,your reputation will be blasted and Daley and his friends powerless tohelp you. I tell you, Sargent, every young man should remember the loafof bread he is cutting to-day may be turned to stone to-morrow."
Miller's words made a deep impression on Sargent, who rested his headon his hand a moment and then replied: "But how can I recall the words?That's what bothers me."
"I can fix that. Of course you will have to follow your first paper witha second, acknowledging your error in publishing the first--but pshaw!who cares for that? If you get a thousand-dollar position, that will fixyou--eh, old fellow?" and Miller playfully hit Sargent in the ribs withhis cane.
"Wait and let me think it over. I cannot decide now. I don't thinkanything very bad can result from it, for in politics everything ishonorable. Queer thing is politics. Eh, Miller?"
"Yes, Sargent, but you might better freeze to a live man's heritage thanwalk, with your eyes open, into a dead man's grave."
The door-bell rang and Sargent recognized the voice of Daley, inquiringfor him. He heard him approaching the room, and quickly turning the keyin the lock and pointing to a closet, whispered to Miller:
"Quick! hide in there!"
As Miller entered the closet and closed the door, Sargent turned the keyand admitted Daley greatly excited.
"Are you alone, Sargent? Eh? yes? Well, all right. That infernalMiller is raising the deuce with my canvass. Now see here, Sargent,the caucuses have been called in most of the towns in the county fornext Saturday. Miller has succeeded in buying back the Strong Millgang. Last week the whole lot were red-hot for me, but this morning theforeman informed me that he and his men should vote at the caucus forHamblin delegates. The caucus is to be held in the evening, somethingunprecedented in town politics, so the factory hands can gag the voiceof people of intelligence. The new military company has also been boughtup for Hamblin by Miller, with a seven hundred and fifty dollar set ofcolors, and the devil is to pay generally. Of course _you_ will stick tome, and when our caucus is held we must spring a mine on the whole gang.By the Eternal! I am going to beat the scoundrels. Yes, sir, beat 'em!"and he walked the room like a lion at bay.
"All right, Daley, but I am not well to-day, I have a wretched headache,and you must excuse me this morning. Call to-morrow and we will talk itover. Excuse me now. Excuse--"
His further remarks were cut short by a crash in the closet, when thedoor flew open, Miller falling headlong on
the floor, prostrate at thefeet of Daley.
Miller rose from the floor, which was covered with broken glass, boxes,and books precipitated upon his head by a chance movement of his ownas he had crouched listening at the key-hole. As Miller regained hisfeet, the three men stared at one another for an instant; then Daleyexclaimed:
"Miller! you are the very evil one himself. Where in the world did youdrop from?" Then turning to Sargent, he said:
"And you too have turned against me. Well, who _is_ to be trusted?"
Seizing his hat, he hastily left the room, muttering words in suchdirect conflict with the third article on the table of stone deliveredto Moses on Mount Sinai, that they must be omitted here.