“By ——­, yer right,” said Blunkers.

“That’s too good a name to use that way,” said Peter, but more as if he were stating a fact than reproving.

Blunkers laughed good-naturedly.  “Yer’ll be gittin’ usen to close up yet, Mister Stirling.  Yer too good for us.”

Peter looked at him.  “Blunkers,” he said warmly, “no man is too good not to tell the truth to any one whom he thinks it will help.”

“Shake,” said Blunkers.  Then he turned to the men at the tables.  “Step up, boys,” he called.  “I sets it up dis time to drink der health of der feller dat don’t drink.”

The boys drank

CHAPTER XXI.

A POLITICAL DINNER.

Peter had only a month for work after reaching his own conclusions, before the meeting of the convention, but in that month he worked hard.  As the result, a rumor, carrying dismay to the party leaders, became current.

“What’s this I hear?” said Gallagher’s former interviewer to that gentleman.  “They say Schlurger says he intends to vote for Porter, and Kennedy’s getting cold?”

“If you’ll go through the sixth you’ll hear more than that.”

“What do you mean?”

“There was a torchlight last night, of nearly every voter in the ward, and nothing but Stirling prevented them from making the three delegates pledge themselves to vote for Porter.  He said they must go unbound.”

The interviewer’s next remark is best represented by several “blank its,” no allusion however being intended to bed-coverings.  Then he cited the lower regions to know what it all meant.

“It means that that chap Stirling has got to be fixed, and fixed big.  I thought I knew how to wire pull, and manage men, but he’s taken hold and just runs it as he wants.  It’s he makes all the trouble.”

The interviewer left the court, and five minutes later was in Stirling’s office.

“My name’s Green,” he said.  “I’m a delegate to the convention, and one of the committee who has the arranging of the special train and accommodations at Saratoga.”

“I’m glad you came in,” said Peter.  “I bought my ticket yesterday, and the man at headquarters said he’d see that I was assigned a room at the United States.”

“There’ll be no trouble about the arrangements.  What I want to see you for, is to ask if you won’t dine with me this evening?  There’s to be several of the delegates and some big men there, to talk over the situation.”

“I should like to,” said Peter.

The man pulled out a card, and handed it to Peter.  “Six o’clock sharp,” he said.  Then he went to headquarters, and told the result of his two interviews.  “Now who had better be there?” he asked.  After consultation, a dinner of six was arranged.