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Show the smoothest of 'em. And be learned it so quick, too. Ooti 1" "Artie, that kind of a man li a thief and that'a all yon can make out of It," said Miller, with severity. Mebbe that ain't no lie, neither. He wouldn't go out with a rod or do any o' that strong-arm work, but If Jimmy saw a guy pottln dough Into hi pocket he wouldn't let on. Ton wouldn't have to feed blm no knockout knock-out drops to make blm take the coin, I guess. "But th nerv o' th boy. fie wont never let on that be' bandied any crooked money. When he wa staked to the office he didn't have a thin dime except what was tied up In a bum little grocery store. Now be' got too strong to tend store and bla brother-in-law's runnln' It He won't do a thing In the world except travel around with some more o' them handy boys and Jay for Jackpots. "And the talk he gives you I Baby 1 He's better 'n any shell-worker 1 ever saw. W'y, he can set down and show yoo dead easy that be done all that funny votln' because It was a good thing for the workln' boys. Sure I That's why lie want to stay In, too so the tax payers won't got the short I 1HHHaI it I I ARTIE I ! i Hi Adventure ia Love.Lif and th Pursuit i of Happines i By GEORGE ADE Artie) Need Bankroll AFTPIt hurried luncheon at on of the places where patrons help themselves. Miller and Artie took walk on th sunny aide of the street. Artie was not as talkative a usual, and, a Miller seldom did more than encourage conversation once started, the two sauntered for several minutes In silence. Then Artie spoke abruptly. "Miller," aid he. "I got a ben on." "What Is itr "It's Ilk this. Would yon dully with politics If you thouRht you stood to win some easy jack?" "That depends. Tou're not going Into In-to politics, are your "They've got me entered, but I don't know whether I'll start or not. I'm leary of It; I don't mind tellln' you that" "What do you meanf "Well, mebbe you don't understand. 1 don't like to feature myself, but In that precinct where I hang out I'm pretty strong. I'm good mixer and I've kind o' got next to the live ones, and If I do say It myself, I think there's a lot of the boys that'd vote my way If I went after 'em bard. Do yon know Jim London!" "Who Is he?" "He's Ihe heavy boss In our ward, or anyway he used to be. lie's one o' the nldermen, and he's out for It agnln, but good and scared that he enn't win. He come to. me last night at Hoover's cltiar store end give me a big tulk. What he wants is for me to come to the front for blm strong. end of it. On the square, if I had his nerve I'd sturt sellln' oil heaters In Brazil." "You don't mean to toy he has any chance of being elected again?" "Oh, he's got chance all tight He'll have some of the bootlegger and beer runners rootln' fur blm, and, then, of course, there's a lot more o' people sny: 'Oh, well, Jim's a good fellow and he's been white with me, and even if he doc snnd bag a few o' them rich blokles, what's the difT?' I think he's got a chance, all right." "Artie, if yon take my advice you'll keep out of It What do you want with a political Job?" "Well, for one thing, I want to get bankroll as soon as I can and this place he's holdln' out pays good money." "Yes, and even If you got It you'd be out agnln In a few years end worse "He's Better n Any Shell-Worker I Ever Saw." lie knows I've got a drag In my pre- cinct, and he says If I'll Jump In and do what I can for blm he'll see that I get a good job In the hall, where 1 can cop about twice what I'm gettln' now. Of course, I'm out for the Important Im-portant sugar but I don't know about this deal." "Does be stand a good chance of being be-ing elected?" "That's what keeps me guessln'. Four years ago he won In a walk, but this time be bad to do ail kinds o' funny work to win the primary. There's a lot o' people In the ward that's knockln him all they can." "What's the matter with blm, any-woy?" any-woy?" "Oh, they kind o think he's done too well. Four years ago he was on his uppers and now he's got money to burn. There's some o" them guys out In our ward can't make out how It Is that Jimmy can afford to buy big apartment buildings when his salary wouldn't hardly pay a Janitor of one. They say they cant stand for that kind o' work, and so there's a lot o' 'em that boosted him two years ago that's out now to slough him. They've put op a new guy against him and he's tnakln" a nasty fight." "I don't understand yet what they've off than ever. Besides, I wouldn't help elect a man who sold his Influence." Influ-ence." Miller spoke with considerable feeling. ; "As for that," resumed Artie, "you needn't think I like Jim Landon's way o' gettln coin. It's Just like this, though. He's gone out of hts way two or three times to do things for me and, of course, them things count. Everybody's Every-body's slinkln' him down this spring, and If he gets the gaff be'll be flat on his back. If I didn't know him I'd he against blm bard. But you dont like to throw a man that's treated you rlfht. do you?" "I've never been In politics, but I should say that no young man could have any excuse for voting for a grafter." "Say, now listen. It comes election day, see? I go in the place and vote for the stranger. Then I come out and meet Jimmy, tie puts out the hand and I go and get a cigar with him and do the friendship act Wouldn't that be purty coarse work?" "It wouldn't be any worse than bis promising to be honest and then turning turn-ing nut to be a crook," said Miller. "Well, 1 guess I'll pass up the whole thing. Come to size tt up, for a man that don't wont to be a rum hound, ... ... L. ,1,.- I. J!.)-., tktnk It's too much tike work. I didn't think you'd O. K. the scheme. I'll Just tell Jimmy that I'm out of It That's an awful wise nitve. too. I guess an easier eas-ier way to set that roll'd be to borrow a nice kit o' tools and go 'round blowln' safes." ( (fflby Qeorse Ade.J . . ( got against your man. "W'y, theyYe crazy at him. Too see four years ago he made the play that if they put blm In he was goln' down to the City hall and change the whole works. He was goln' to clean the streets and Jack up the coppers and build some more srhool-hnuses. Jimmy says to 'em: Throw things my way and I'll see that everything's on the level.' This talk was so good it went. "Well, you know what happened to Jimmy when he got down ther with those highbinders and begin to see easy money. He hadn't been In on the whack-up six weeks till he bought a bus that looked like the bridal suite on the Leviathan and sat at the City hall waitin' for the easy marks to come along and throw up their hands." "I see. He turned out to be a graft er, eh?" "I don't see no way of gettln' past It I like Jimmy. He's one o' them hoys that never has cold feet and there's nothin' too good for a friend, but I guess when it comes to doln' a nice, genteel knock-off be belongs with |