They say
it cost Hickman forty-five thousand dollars."
"But do you KNOW that?" cried the other.
"Know it, Sammy? Why everybody in town knows it. It was a rotten
steal, on the face of it."
Samuel was staring at him. "I can't believe it!" he exclaimed.
"Nonsense!" laughed the other. "Ask round a bit!" And then he added
quickly, "Why, see here--didn't you tell me you knew Billy Finnegan--
the barkeeper?"
"Yes, I know him."
"Well, then, you can go right to headquarters and find out. His boss,
John Callahan, was one of the supervisors--he got the dough. Go and
ask Finnegan."
"But will he tell?" exclaimed Samuel.
"I guess he'll tell," said Charlie, "if you go at him right. It's no
great secret--the whole town's been laughing about it."
Samuel was almost too shocked for words. "Do you suppose Dr. Vince
knows it?" he cried.
"He don't know much if he doesn't," was the other's reply.
"A member of his church!" gasped the boy.
"Oh, pshaw!" laughed the other. "You're too green, Sammy! What's the
church got to do with business? Why, look--there's old Wygant--another
of the vestrymen!"
"Miss Gladys' father, you mean?"
"Yes; old Lockman's brother-in-law. He's the other trustee of the
estate. And do you suppose there's any rascality he doesn't know
about?"
"But he's a reformer!" cried the boy wildly.
"Sure!" laughed Charlie. "He made a speech at the college commencement
about representative government; I suppose you read it in the Express.
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