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Pleat. "You would simply lay down your present office forth with and step into your new one during- the course of a day or two. Of course your successor would take over all your duties." Hewett knew what was com ing. "For instance, you would prob ably be willing to recall your re port of ye'sterday upon the sur vey of White street, which will not be acted on officially until the next meeting of the survey board?" Hewett rose up. '"You can't buyme ttiat way or any other way, Mr. Pleat," he an swered, taking his hat, and he saw Pleat's face grow pUrple. For a moment the financier hesitated. Then he came forward with the agility of a boy. He was trem bling, foo. . "For $20,000 he whispered, and began plucking at his sleeve. "Come here! It's in my desk! Don't be a fool and cut yotir own throat, young man. Who's back ing you in this? My Godx it will cost me a quartenof a million if that report goes through. Your last chance! and Til make it $30,000, $40,000, any price within reason. Look here! It's all in bills and gold. Come and let me show you !" SdmehpwHewett escaped from the room. His last view was of the bid man standing before his desk and tossing great bundles of bills hither and thither like an in furiated child. Men came to see Hewett that afternoon and the next day and tlie next, and, in guarded lan-r guage, unioiaea various proposi tions to the effect that he should r make peace with Pleat. Hewett, showed them to the door,. On the J third day the indemnity com pany served him with a fore- closure notice. Then he told Mary- everything. P You have- done right, dear,' r she said. "You couldn't have done otherwise. And I'm proud, of you. I couldn't live here hap-1 pily if you had sold your soul to Pleat. We'll make another home somewhere but one can never make honor of dishonor." They packed their things and engaged a couple of rooms in. a poorer part of the city. Hewett knew that his occupation was gone. He did not even go down to his office But that afternoon, 1 going to the convention from his i new abode, with the reek of new paint in his nostrils and his heart weighed down with bitterness, he made his last speech for Benton. ' It was the last day of the ses sion and the nomination would ; be made that afternoon. As Hew- ' ett mounted the platform he be- , came aware that there was an in definable, unrest in the air. The delegates were watching him and whispering together; something " was brewing, someone had moot- -ed something everyone in the hall knew it except Hewett. He did not know how bitterly he spoke) nor the impassioned na ture of his plea for purer politics, a cleaner civic spirit. He thought that he was urging Benton's elec- , tioh on these grounds, but in real-