第62章

"I've thought that over, and it seemed possible that I might do Happy more good by giving his case to some other lawyer.""No, sir!" exclaimed the proprietor of Beaver Beach, loudly."They've begun their attack;they're bound to keep it up, and they'd manage to turn it to the discredit of both of ye.Besides, Happy wouldn't have no other lawyer; he'd ruther be hung with you fightin' fer him than be cleared by anybody else.I b'lieve it,--on my soul I do!

But look here," he went on, leaning still farther forward; "I want to know if it struck ye that this morning the Tocsin attacked ye in a way that was somehow vi'lenter than ever before?""Yes," replied Joe, "because it was aimed to strike where it would most count.""It ain't only that," said the other, excitedly.

"It ain't only that! I want ye to listen.Now see here: the Tocsin is Pike, and the town is Pike--I mean the town ye naturally belonged to.Ain't it?""In a way, I suppose--yes.""In a way!" echoed the other, scornfully."Ye know it is! Even as a boy Pike disliked ye and hated the kind of a boy ye was.Ye wasn't respectable and he was! Ye wasn't rich and he was!

Ye had a grin on yer face when ye'd meet him on the street." The red-bearded man broke off at a gesture from Joe and exclaimed sharply: "Don't deny it! _I_ know what ye was like! Ye wasn't impudent, but ye looked at him as if ye saw through him.Now listen and I'll lead ye somewhere! Ye run with riffraff, naggers, and even"--Mr.Sheehan lifted a forefinger solemnly and shook it at his auditor--"and even with the Irish! Now I ask ye this: ye've had one part of Canaan with ye from the start, MY part, that is; but the other's against ye; that part's PIKE, and it's the rulin' part--""Yes, Mike," said Joe, wearily."In the spirit of things.I know.""No, sir," cried the other."That's the trouble:

ye don't know.There's more in Canaan than ye've understood.Listen to this: Why was the Tocsin's attack harder this morning than ever before? On yer soul didn't it sound so bitter that it sounded desprit? Now why? It looked to me as if it had started to ruin ye, this time fer good and all!

Why? What have ye had to do with Martin Pike lately? Has the old wolf GOT to injure ye?" Mr.

Sheehan's voice rose and his eyes gleamed under bushy brows."Think," he finished."What's happened lately to make him bite so hard?"There were some faded roses on the desk, and as Joe's haggard eyes fell upon them the answer came."What makes you think Judge Pike isn't trustworthy?" he had asked Ariel, and her reply had been: "Nothing very definite, unless it was his look when I told him that I meant to ask you to take charge of things for me."He got slowly and amazedly to his feet."You've got it!" he said.

"Ye see?" cried Mike Sheehan, slapping his thigh with a big hand."On my soul I have the penetration! Ye don't need to tell me one thing except this: I told ye I'd lead ye somewhere;haven't I kept me word?""Yes," said Joe.

"But I have the penetration!" exclaimed Mr.

Sheehan."Should I miss my guess if I said that ye think Pike may be scared ye'll stumble on his track in some queer performances? Should Imiss it?""No," said Joe."You wouldn't miss it."

"Just one thing more." The red-bearded man rose, mopping the inner band of his straw hat.

"In the matter of yer runnin' fer Mayor, now--"Joe, who had begun to pace up and down the room, made an impatient gesture."Pshaw!" he interrupted; but his friend stopped him with a hand laid on his arm.

"Don't be treatin' it as clean out of all possibility, Joe Louden.If ye do, it shows ye haven't sense to know that nobody can say what way the wind's blowin' week after next.All the boys want ye;Louie Farbach wants ye, and Louie has a big say.

Who is it that doesn't want ye?"

"Canaan," said Joe.

"Hold up! It's Pike's Canaan ye mean.If ye git the nomination, ye'd be elected, wouldn't ye?""I couldn't be nominated.""I ain't claimin' ye'd git Martin Pike's vote,"returned Mr.Sheehan, sharply, "though I don't say it's impossible.Ye've got to beat him, that's all.Ye've got to do to him what he's done to YOU, and what he's tryin' to do now worse than ever before.Well--there may be ways to do it; and if he tempts me enough, I may fergit my troth and honor as a noble gentleman and help ye with a word ye'd never guess yerself.""You've hinted at such mysteries before, Mike,"Joe smiled."I'd be glad to know what you mean, if there's anything in them.""It may come to that," said the other, with some embarrassment."It may come to that some day, if the old wolf presses me too hard in the matter o' tryin' to git the little man across the street hanged by the neck and yerself mobbed fer helpin' him! But to-day I'll say no more.""Very well, Mike." Joe turned wearily to his desk."I don't want you to break any promises."Mr.Sheehan had gone to the door, but he paused on the threshold, and wiped his forehead again.

"And I don't want to break any," he said, "but if ever the time should come when I couldn't help it"--he lowered his voice to a hoarse but piercing whisper--"that will be the devourin' angel's day fer Martin Pike!"