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re similarly representative of the ‘‘rank and file'' and; rather; of the petty officers who managed the rank and file and voted it and told it what to think and what not to think; in exchange taking care of the needy sick; of the aged; of those out of work and so on。  Martin Hastingsthe leading Republican citizen of Remsen City; though for obvious reasons his political activities were wholly secret and stealthywas the leading spirit in the Lincoln Club。  Jared Olds Remsen City's richest and most influential Democrat; the head of the gas company and the water company was foremost in the Jefferson Club。  At the Lincoln and the Jefferson you rarely saw any but ‘‘gentlemen'' men of established position and fortune; deacons and vestrymen; judges; corporation lawyers and the like。  The Blaine and the Tilden housed a livelier and a far less select classthe ‘‘boys''the active politicians; the big saloon keepers; the criminal lawyers; the gamblers; the chaps who knew how to round up floaters and to handle gangs of repeaters; the active young sports working for political position; by pitching and carrying for the political leaders; by doing their errands of charity or crookedness or what not。  Joe House was the ‘‘big shout'' at the Tilden; Dick Kelly could be found every evening on the third or ‘‘wine;'' or plottingfloor of the Blaine found holding court。  And very respectful indeed were even the most eminent of Lincoln; or Jefferson; respectabilities who sought him out there to ask favors of him。

The bosses tend more and more to become mere flunkeys of the plutocrats。  Kelly belonged to the old school of boss; dating from the days when social organization was in the early stages; when the political organizer was feared and even served by the industrial organizer; the embryo plutocrats。  He realized how necessary he was to his plutocratic master; and he made that master treat him almost as an equal。  He was exacting ever larger pay for taking care of the voters and keeping them fooled; he was getting rich; and had as yet vague aspirations to respectability and fashion。  He had stopped drinking; had ‘‘cut out the women;'' had made a beginning toward a less inelegant way of speaking the language。  His view of life was what is called cynical。  That is; he regarded himself as morally the equal of the respectable rulers of societyor of the preachers who attended to the religious part of the grand industry of ‘‘keeping the cow quiet while it was being milked。''

But Mr。 Kelly was explaining to Martin Hastings what he meant when he said that there was ‘‘hell to pay'':

‘‘That infernal little cuss; Victor Dorn;'' said he ‘‘made a speech in the Court House Square to…day。  Of course; none of the decent papersand they're all decent except his'nwill publish any of it。  Still; there was about a thousand people there before he got throughand the thing'll spread。''

‘‘Speech?what about?'' said Hastings。  ‘‘He's always shooting off his mouth。  He'd better stop talking and go to work at some honest business。''

‘‘He's got on to the fact that this strike is a put…up jobthat the company hired labor detectives in Chicago last winter to come down here and get hold of the union。  He gave namesamounts paidthe whole damn thing。''

‘‘Um;'' said Hastings; rubbing his skinny hands along the shiny pantaloons over his meagre legs。  ‘‘Um。''

‘‘But that ain't all;'' pursued Kelly。  ‘‘He read out a list of the men told off to pretend to set fire to the car barns and start the riotthose Chicago chaps; you know。''

‘‘I don't know anything about it;'' said Hastings sharply。

Kelly smiled slightlyamused scorn。  It seemed absurd to him for the old man to keep up the pretense of ignorance。  In fact; Hastings was ignorantof the details。  He was not quite the aloof plutocrat of the modern school; who permits himself to know nothing of details beyond the dividend rate and similar innocent looking results of causes at which sometimes hell itself would shudder。  But; while he was more active than the conscience…easing devices now working smoothly made necessary; he never permitted himself to know any unnecessary criminal or wicked fact about his enterprises。

‘‘I don't know;'' he repeated。  ‘‘And I don't want to know。''

‘‘Anyhow; Dorn gave away the whole thing。  He even read a copy of your letter of introduction to the governorthe one youaccording to Dorngave Fillmore when you sent him up to the Capitol to arrange for the invitation to come after the riot。''

Hastings knew that the boss was deliberately ‘‘rubbing it in'' because Hastingsthat is; Hastings' agents had not invited Kelly to assist in the project for ‘‘teaching the labor element a much needed lesson。''  But knowledge of Kelly's motive did not make the truth he was telling any less truethe absurd mismanagement of the whole affair; with the result that Dorn seemed in the way to change it from a lesson to labor on the folly of revolt against their kind and generous but firm employers into a provoker of fresh and fiercer revolt effective revoltpolitical revolt。  So; as Kelly ‘‘rubbed;'' Hastings visibly winced and writhed。

Kelly ended his recital with:  ‘‘The speech created a hell of a sensation; Mr。 Hastings。  That young chap can talk。''

‘‘Yes;'' snapped Hastings。  ‘‘But he can't do anything else。''

‘‘I'm not so sure of that;'' replied Kelly; who was wise enough to realize the value of a bogey like Dorn its usefulness for purposes of ‘‘throwing a scare into the silk…stocking crowd。''  ‘‘Dorn's getting mighty strong with the people。''

‘‘Stuff and nonsense!'' retorted Hastings。  ‘‘They'll listen to any slick tongued rascal that roasts those that are more prosperous than they are。  But when it comes to doing anything; they know better。  They envy and hate those that give them jobs; but they need the jobs。''

‘‘There's a good deal of truth in that; Mr。 Hastings;'' said Kelly; who was nothing if not judicial。  ‘‘But Dorn's mighty plausible。  I hear sensible men saying there's something more'n hot air in his facts and figgures。''  Kelly paused; and made the pause significant。

‘‘About that last block of traction stock; Mr。 Hastings。  I thought you were going to let me in on the ground floor。  But I ain't heard nothing。''

‘‘You ARE in;'' said Hastings; who knew when to yield。  ‘‘Hasn't Barker been to see you?  I'll attend to it; myself。''

‘‘Thank you; Mr。 Hastings;'' said Kellydry and brief as always when receipting with a polite phrase for pay for services rendered。  ‘‘I've been a good friend to your people。''

‘‘Yes; you have; Dick;'' said the old man heartily。  ‘‘And I want you to jump in and take charge。''

Hastings more than suspected that Kelly; to bring him to terms and to force him to employ directly the high…priced Kelly or Republico…Democratic machine as well as the State Republico…Democratic machine; which was cheaper; had got together the inside information and had ordered one of his henchmen to convey it to Dorn。  But of what use to quarrel with Kelly?  Of course; he could depose him; but that would simply mean putting another boss in his placeperhaps one more expensive and less efficient。  The time had been when heand the plutocracy generallywere compelled to come to the political bosses almost hat in hand。  That time was past; never to return。  But still a competent political agent was even harder to find than a competent business managerand was far more necessary; for; while a big business might stagger along under poor financial or organizing management within; it could not live at all without political favors; immunities; and licenses。  A band of pickpockets might as well try to work a town without having first ‘‘squared'' the police。  Not that Mr。 Hastings and his friends THEMSELVES compared themselves to a band of pickpockets。  No; indeed。  It was simply legitimate business to blackjack your competitors; corner a supply; create a monopoly and fix prices and wages to suit your own notions of what was your due for taking the ‘‘hazardous risks of business enterprise。''

‘‘Leave everything to me;'' said Kelly briskly。  ‘‘I can put the thing through。  Just tell your lawyer to apply late this afternoon to Judge Lansing for an injunction forbidding the strikers to assemble anywhere within the county。  We don't want no more of this speechifying。  This is a peaceable community; and it won't stand for no agitators。''

‘‘Hadn't the lawyers better go to Judge Freilig?'' said Hastings。

‘‘He's shown himself to be a man of sound ideas。''

‘‘NoLansing;'' said Kelly。  ‘‘He don't come up for re…election for five years。  Freilig comes up next fall; and we'll have hard work to pull him through; though House is going to put him on the ticket; too。  Dorn's going to make a hot campaignconcentrate on judges。''

‘‘There's nothing in that Dorn talk;'' said Hastings。  ‘‘You can't scare me again; Dick; as you did with that Populist mare's nest ten years ago。''

That had been Kelly's first ‘‘big killing'' by working on the fears of the plutocracy。  Its success had put him in a position to buy a carriage and a diamond necklace for Mrs。 Kelly and to make first payments on a large block of real estate。  ‘‘It was no mare's nest; Mr。 Hastings;'' gravely declared the boss。  ‘‘If I hadn't '

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