Part 22 (1/2)

I wish you would take your meals at the hotel for a few days, or a week or two--till you hear from me again.

There was no address written at top of the sheet, and no signature at the bottom. There was nothing that could afford even a ground for conjectural explanation. There was nothing that could call for a reply--perhaps there was nothing that could warrant a reply or excuse its impertinence. Nevertheless Guilford Duncan sent, by the hands of his negro servitor, an answer to the strange note. In it he wrote:

I have told you of my love. I tell you that again, with all of emphasis that I can give to the telling. I have asked you to be my wife. I ask it again with all of earnestness and sincerity, with all of supplication, that I can put into the asking. Oh, Barbara, you can never know or dream or remotely imagine how much these things mean to me and to my life.

I shall take my meals at the hotel--or not at all--until you bid me come to you for my answer.

Then, with resolute and self-controlled mind, Guilford Duncan set himself to work. He prepared his report upon the proposed railroad extension, condemning it and giving adequate reasons for his condemnation.

He was still indignant that Napper Tandy should have offered him a bribe, and in the first draft of his report he had made a statement of that fact as an additional reason for his adverse judgment. But upon reflection he rewrote the report, omitting all mention of the bribe offer. Then he wrote to Tandy--a grievous mistake--telling him that he had sent in an adverse report, and that he had omitted to mention Tandy's offer in it.

This gave Tandy the opportunity he wanted and Guilford Duncan was not long in discovering the fact. A week later Captain Will Hallam said to him:

”So you've been quarreling with Napper Tandy?”

”Yes,” answered Duncan. ”He offered to bribe me to make a false report in the railroad extension matter.”

”Why didn't you tell me about it?”

”Oh, I didn't want to bother you with a whining. I rejected the bribe, of course, and told him what I thought of him, and that seemed to me enough.”

”Well, it wasn't. You ought to have told me. Then we could have made him put his offer into writing, or make it in my presence. As it is, he's got you where the hair is uncommonly short.”

”How do you mean?”

”Why, he has written to the financiers, telling them that as soon as they employed you, you went to him and demanded a payment of ten thousand dollars as an inducement to you to make a favorable report; that he refused, and that consequently your report was adverse. They will refuse to build the railroad, but they have written to ask me as to your integrity.”

”The infernal scoundrel! How----”

”It doesn't pay to call him names. We must think out a way to meet this thing.”

”I'll horsewhip him on the street!” exclaimed Duncan.

”No, don't! That would only advertise the matter and do no good. A man of your physique has no occasion for fear in horsewhipping a man like Napper Tandy, and can show no courage by doing it. The only result would be that people would say there must be something in his accusation, else you wouldn't be so mad about it. You have made a good many enemies, you know, and they will take pleasure in repeating Tandy's accusations.

Really, Duncan, you ought to have been more discreet. You ought to have taken a witness with you, when you went to his house for consultation.

As it is, the financiers have so far believed in you as to reject his scheme on your report, and in face of his accusation, but he'll do you a mighty lot of damage in Cairo and elsewhere. I don't know what to do.”

”I do,” answered Guilford Duncan resolutely. ”A year ago you and Ober wanted to make me mayor of this town. I explained to you that I was ineligible then, not having been long enough a resident of the State. I am eligible now, and I shall announce myself to-day as a candidate.”

”What good will that do?”

”It will give the people of the city a chance to pa.s.s upon my integrity--to say by their ballots what they think of me; and, incidentally, it may give me an opportunity to say what I think and know of Napper Tandy.”

”I don't know so well about that. You see, people don't always express their opinions by their votes. They let their politics and their prejudices have a say, and you know you have made a good many enemies.

Then again, what good will it do you to tell the public what you think of Tandy? That won't convince a living soul who isn't convinced already.

The rest will say that you are naturally very angry with the man who found you out--the man from whom you unsuccessfully tried to extort a bribe. You see there were no witnesses present when your interview with Tandy occurred. That was a capital mistake on your part. Then, too, you went to his house for this business, and people will say that that, too, looks bad. You have destroyed the invitation he sent you, and so you have nothing to show that you didn't go to his house, as he says you did, without invitation, in order to extort a bribe. It's a bad mix-up, but for you to go into politics would only make it worse. We must find another way out. Keep perfectly still, and leave the matter to me. I'll plan something.” Then suddenly a thought flashed into Captain Will Hallam's mind.

”By Jove! I've got it, I believe. Go down to our bank and ask the cas.h.i.+er, Mr. Stafford, how many shares we can control in the X National--Tandy's bank; he's president, you know.”