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Star (Christchurch), Issue 9319, 20 August 1908, Page 4

"'What do you want?' ho asked, gruffly, still looking for the labour delegate. ' " ' Lit'l business, M'sr G'ogan,' saitl the Chines^; and Ihen, with a sly little laugh, ' lit'] 'lection business.' "Grogan stared at the man in amazement. Of course he and every ono else knew that two precincts in hi& ward \yer-e in Chinatown, «nd that . something over two hundred Ch.' >se, being native-born and on the election registrar, were entitled to vote, but no one ever counted on the Chinese vote, b-canse, as wo all know, any dealing with them would queer a candidate if it became known, and, besides, no oho had ever devised any way of getting the Chinese to vote solidly. Conse^ quently, their suffrages were always ab-ufe evenly divided, and cut no figure either way. " Well, as I was 6aying. Grogan stared and the Mongolian smiled. "'You come see d'lgate,' he said ; 'me d'lgate. I rep'sent Chinee laun'ry man union. I rep'sent two hunert vote. I come see you, you sabe?' ana the yellow diplomat looked at Grogan aid let one of his insinuating smiles slide over hjs face. That was tho only i time in his life, so far as anyone knows, j that Grogan was speechless. He just looked at tho Chinaman and swallowed hard. Two hundred votes from the Chinatowr precincts would elect Grogan, and ■• » Itne'-v it Ths Chinaman wasn't a jiffy in seeing that Tim needed the votes. " ' Two hunert vote velJy good, M'sr G'ogan,' he said, with another leer. * 'Lection velly quick now. You come see mo; talk-ec lit'l business. Here my card.' " Grogan went back to headquarters like • a terry-boat in a tog. He ; hated that Chinaman because h© j was a Chinaman ; he hated, him because of his 6mile, but he hated him most because he had what Grogan needed badly. Grogan called him a string of names that never had a speaking acquaintance with Noah Webster, and swore he'd quit the fight ! rather than accept help from a Chinaman. Then he took the card with the address out of his waistcoat pocket and. put it carefully in his inside waistcoat j pocket." j The chairman threw away his cigar ' "It wasn't an hour," he continued, " before Mike Reardon — the same man who was superintendent of streets l.i&c term — came in with the news th>t Grogaa's third precinct club had disbanded in a row that started ever whether to hire Casey's invincibtes or Martin's brass band to serenade Grogan aiter election. "'Fifty votes lost,' pondered Grogan;^ fifty, and I can't spare one.' Ho took out the card and put it back quickly. 'Curse the Chinaman! I'll not go, he said; but he was still fingering the card. You see, Grogan's conscience was still nagging him, and " " You're the only man I ever heard accuse Grogan of using a conscience in or out of politics," interrupted the secretary. f " Grogan uses his conscience like the weather prophet uses his barometer," the chairman responded, thoughtfully. " If it pricks him too hard he. knows it's time tor storm signals and gets scruples soon enough to save himself. But the two hundred votes were too much for Grogan, and he found himselfl turning into Jackson Street still, saying, ' I'Jl not go.' "In a little room, up «. dark flight of stairs as nasty as his temper, Grogan found tho Chinese labour delegate ami nis Tanoalismjr grin. The yellow gentleman's remark that he had been quite; sure Grogan would visit him didn't soothe the latter's temper. But Grogan had to have those votes. He ' stifled his desire to twist the fellow's ' neck and opened negotiations. I "' As I understand it,' began our ■' 111 .11 II „! | j

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mayor-elect, clearing his throat and falling into bis best oratorical attitude, ' the laundrymen's union you represent, has selected you to report upon the comparative merits of the two supervisorial candidates in this ward.' j "'Jusso, jusso,' said the delegate, half shutting his almond eyes and refraining from helping Grogan on. " ' And. you have come to me to learn upon what principles my candidacy ia based,' continued Grogan, trying to awe his audience with language and a display of dignity. But it didn't work. ' 'No, no, M'sr G'ogan, 1 said the smiling Mongolian. ' You come see me tly-get ray two hunert vote.' " Then he laughed, and Grogan saw that it was time for what Kipling calls v ' straight talk ' "'What does your union want?' he asked. " ' Want you to plomise stop ten-, 'clock law ' putting the accent where* it would do the most good. "'But I don't know that I can have the ordinance closing the laundries repealed. I ' " Right there the Chinaman interrupted Gro^an'e objections by suggesting that the promise his adherents wanted would be worth considerably less than ,par after election, any way, and. he really eouldn^t see that the .ability to keep it cut much figure in the discussion. " Grogan couldn't help admiring the yellow diplomat's nerve, even thoueb he suspected he'd rue it before the deal was done. He inquired politely whether there was anything but the ' promise' that the Chinese laundrymen's union wanted. "'Mebbe, flew box cigars,' said the delegate; 'one-hiinert-dollars cigars, all light.' " "Prices have gone up since then," said the secretary, winking. The chairman ignored the interruption. . "Grogan had bought ' one-hundred-dollars cigars ' on less provocation than the Chinaman offered, and he wasn't unwilling to add that much to his campaign expenses, but neither was he ready to take that tricky devil's word that those two hundred votes were on the market. " ' I'll be hero at this time to-mor-row,' said he. 'If you've really got the votes you'll be able to buy those cigars after I go.' . ' " ' You come all light/ said the Chinaman, with aggravating complacence, i " Groeah sent one of his close friends into^Chinatown that night, and'everything proved to be exactly as the yellow diplomat had represented. /He owned those two hundred votes absolutely, and so Tim Grogan paid over the one hundred ' dollars for cigars pnd pueges+ed 'to the Chinese that another fifty dollars would be forthcoming for an after-election celebration if the votes materialised in the ballot-box. Grogan, you see, had evolved a little scheme of his own that made generosity worth while, for the moment he felt sure of the two hundred votes he sent out one of his men to bet enough on himself to cover his election expenses and a little more. The Chinese deal clinched Grogan's chances, and he bet as if the votes were in and counted. All of which helped to give Tim the cold shivers when, two days before elec- j tion. the Chinaman sent for him. "Grogan lost no time in netting to Jackson Street. He took Peters, his partner, with him, for he scented trouble, and Peters always was a handy man in a fix. They found the Chinaman suave as ever, still drinking tea and still grinning. I " ' Bad tlouble, M'sr G'ogan. muchee bad tlouble/ he said, the moment his visitors opend the door. Then the old fox, without loosening his hold on bis j usual grin, explained that he had reported to his Chinese voters, giving them Grogan's promise for their welfare, also the ' one-hundred-dollars cigars.' It was while the latter were being disposed of, he said, that one of the Chinese had suggested that Grogan really ought to give a banquet. Of course the delegate said he had argued against it, but had been overruled and was now commissioned to put the wishes of his brethren before their choice for supprvisor. " Ho was lyint;, Grogan knew he was lying, and he knew that Grogan kww it,- but the Chinaman reeled off his yarn as though his tongue were oiled. " ' A-d if I don't give) the banquet:" queried Grogan. " ' Cigar money lost all light/ said the Chinaman with finality. " Grogan looked at him and laughed grimly. You have to admire a real arti«t* even in crookedness. •' ' What'll the banquet cost?' asked. Grogan. " ' Mobbe two hunert ' " ' Clear ca6e of hold-up, la there an oath below or above ground that this heathen thief will respect?' said Grogan, turning to Peters. * I've got to clinch thi6 business this time or he'll be wanting an automobile to-morrow.' " Peters told him to make the Chinaman take; the chicken-blood oath — for what a Mongolian 6ays over the blood of a freshly-killed chicken is the closest to the truth he'll ever get. "So they sent out for a hen. and up there in the Chinaman's room Givjgaxi held the fowl .while its head was chopped. Then the chuckling yellow- i skin drank the blood over a burning ! punk and vcwed to deliver three elusive two hundred votes without further ob- , .jection on the part of himself or his friends. " Can't you see our honourable mayor-elect helping to kill that bird? I'll guarantee that he fasts on Chineso ' New Year's yet on account of that day." The chairman rubbed his palms : gleefully and went on. / " Grogan was well spattered wttli ! blc<xl and the punks smoked # his j clothes until he 6melled co like a j Chinese joss-house that he was afraid to walk home for fear of meeting some of his constituents, and all the time he was fuming the Chinaman was lying ' back in his bunk laughing at the joke. "It was all done at last, and Grrgan had the Chinaman cinched as tight as words would bold him. Then the two hundred dollars were paid over. " ' Peter,' he said as the stood up, ' we've got this fellow tied up t : ght enough if he sticks to his oath. He's guaranteed to deliver those votes, and ne'l! have to make trood or go back on that chicken's-blocd business, but some- i