Aunt Jane's Nieces at Work
Burke.
"That isn't criminal, sir."
"No, indeed. The criminal act is their false registration, so far," said
the detective, blandly.
"But mark you, sir; if an attempt is made to vote those men tomorrow, I
shall arrest you, as well as Mr. Hopkins and Dr. Squiers."
"This is preposterous, sir!" blustered the manager. "There will be no
attempt made to vote them."
"I am quite sure of it," was the reply. "You may thank Mr. Forbes for
warning you in time. He wished to save you, and so sent me here."
"Oh, he did!" Mr. Marshall was evidently surprised. "May I ask how you
discovered all this?" he added.
"I am not at liberty to give you the details. But I may say the exposure
of the plot occurred through Mr. Hopkins's own carelessness. I've seen
lots of crooked politicians, Mr. Marshall, but this man is too reckless
and foolish ever to be a success. He deserves to be defeated and he will
be."
The manager was thoughtful.
"This is all news to me," he declared. "I needed these extra men to help
me fill a contract on time, and so employed them. I had no idea Hopkins
and Squiers would try to vote them tomorrow."
This was a palpable falsehood, but Mr. Burke accepted the lame excuse
without question.
"You are a valuable man in this community, Mr. Marshall, and Mr. Forbes
seemed to think the Hopkins people were trying to get you into trouble.
Of course it would have caused trouble had these men voted."
"Of course, Mr. Burke. I'm much obliged to Mr. Forbes for warning me."
"You'll find the next Representative a very agreeable man to get along
with, Mr. Marshall. Good day, sir."
"Good day, Mr. Burke."
When the detective had gone Mr. Marshall sat in a brown study for a few
moments. Then he summoned his superintendent and said:
"Please ask the men to assemble in the yard before they go home. I want
to have a word with them."
The request came just in time, for the men were already beginning to
stream out of the mill. They waited good-naturedly, however, grouping
themselves in the big yard.
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There was once an honest journeyman tailor, by name Labakan, who learned his trade with an excellent master in Alexandria. It could not be said that Labakan was unhandy with the needle; on the contrary, he could make excellent work: moreover, one would have done him injustice to have called him lazy. Nevertheless, his companions knew not what to make of him, for he would often sew for hours together so rapidly that the needle would glow in his hand, and the thread smoke, and that none could equal him.
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