Part 40 (1/2)
”That's what I mean. Apparently O'Farrell _did_ say something about more corpses smuggled out last week.”
”Mr. Ellis,” said the Doctor, annoyed at his slip, ”I am not on the witness stand.”
”Dr. Surtaine,” returned the other in the same tone, ”when you undertake an investigation for the 'Clarion,' you are one of my reporters and I expect a full and frank report from you.”
”Bull's-eye for you, my boy. You win. They did run those cases out.
Before we're through with it they'll probably run more out. You see, the Health Bureau has got it in for O'Farrell, and if they knew there was anything up there, they'd raise a regular row and queer things generally.”
”What _is_ up?”
”Honestly, I don't know.”
”Nor even suspect?”
”Well, it might be scarlet fever. Or, perhaps diphtheria. You see strange types sometimes.”
”If it's either, failure to report is against the law.”
”Technically, yes. But we've got it fixed to clean things up. The people will be looked after. There's no real danger of its spreading much. And you know how it is. The Rookeries have got a bad name, anyway. Anything starting there is sure to be exaggerated. Why, look at that chicken-pox epidemic a few years ago.”
”I understand n.o.body who had been vaccinated got any of the chicken-pox, as you call it.”
”That's as may be. What did it amount to, anyway? Nothing. Yet it almost ruined Old Home Week.”
”Naturally you don't want the Centennial Home Week endangered. But we don't want the health of the city endangered.”
”'We.' Who's we?”
”Well, the 'Clarion.'”
”Don't work the guardian-of-the-people game on me, my boy. And don't worry about the city's health. If this starts to spread we'll take measures.”
By no means satisfied with this interview, McGuire Ellis left the Certina plant, and almost ran into Dr. Elliot, whom he hailed, for he had the faculty of knowing everybody.
”Not doing any doctoring nowadays, are you?”
”No,” retorted the other. ”Doing any sickening, yourself?”
Ellis grinned. ”It's despairing weariness that makes me look this way.
I'm up against a tougher job than old Diogenes. I'm looking for an honest doctor.”
”You fish in muddy waters,” commented his acquaintance, glancing up at the Certina Building.
”There's something very wrong down in the Twelfth Ward.”
”Not going in for reform politics, are you?”
”This isn't political. Some kind of disease has broken out in O'Farrell's Rookeries.”