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Mollenhauer pulled a long breath through his cigar, and blew it out in a rolling steel-blue cloud.
He studied the tapestry on the opposite wall but said nothing.
"There is one thing sure," continued Senator Simpson, after a time, seeing that no one else
spoke, "and that is, if we do not begin a prosecution on our own account within a reasonable
time, some one else is apt to; and that would put rather a bad face on the matter. My own
opinion would be that we wait until it is very plain that prosecution is going to be undertaken by
some one else--possibly the Municipal Reform Association--but that we stand ready to step in
and act in such a way as to make it look as though we had been planning to do it all the time.
The thing to do is to gain time; and so I would suggest that it be made as difficult as possible to
get at the treasurer's books. An investigation there, if it begins at all--as I think is very
likely--should be very slow in producing the facts."
The Senator was not at all for mincing words with his important confreres, when it came to vital
issues. He preferred, in his grandiloquent way, to call a spade a spade.
"Now that sounds like very good sense to me," said Butler, sinking a little lower in his chair for
comfort's sake, and concealing his true mood in regard to all this. "The boys could easily make
that investigation last three weeks, I should think. They're slow enough with everything else, if
me memory doesn't fail me." At the same time he was cogitating as to how to inject the
personality of Cowperwood and his speedy prosecution without appearing to be neglecting the
general welfare of the local party too much.
"Yes, that isn't a bad idea," said Mollenhauer, solemnly, blowing a ring of smoke, and thinking
how to keep Cowperwood's especial offense from coming up at this conference and until after
he had seen him.
"We ought to map out our program very carefully," continued Senator Simpson, "so that if we
are compelled to act we can do so very quickly. I believe myself that this thing is certain to come
to an issue within a week, if not sooner, and we have no time to lose. If my advice were followed
now, I should have the mayor write the treasurer a letter asking for information, and the
treasurer write the mayor his answer, and also have the mayor, with the authority of the
common council, suspend the treasurer for the time being--I think we have the authority to do
that--or, at least, take over his principal duties but without for the time being, anyhow, making
any of these transactions public--until we have to, of course. We ought to be ready with these
letters to show to the newspapers at once, in case this action is forced upon us."
"I could have those letters prepared, if you gentlemen have no objection," put in Mollenhauer,
quietly, but quickly.
"Well, that strikes me as sinsible," said Butler, easily. "It's about the only thing we can do under
the circumstances, unless we could find some one else to blame it on, and I have a suggestion
to make in that direction. Maybe we're not as helpless as we might be, all things considered."
There was a slight gleam of triumph in his eye as he said this, at the same time that there was a
slight shadow of disappointment in Mollenhauer's. So Butler knew, and probably Simpson, too.
"Just what do you mean?" asked the Senator, looking at Butler interestedly. He knew nothing of
the sixty-thousand-dollar check transaction. He had not followed the local treasury dealings very
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