Robert had not returned from court, but was momentarily expected.  His amanuensis ushered Francisco into the private office.  He sat down and picked up a newspaper, glancing idly over the news.

A bell tinkled somewhere close at hand.  It must be the telephone.  Rather gingerly, for he had never handled one before, Francisco picked up the receiver, put it to his ear.  It was a man’s voice insisting that a probate case be settled.  Francisco tried to make him understand that Robert was out.  But the voice went on.  Apparently the transmitting apparatus was defective.  Francisco could not interrupt the flow of words.

“See Buckley....  He has all the judges under his thumb.  Pay him what he asks.  We must have a settlement at once.”

Francisco put back the receiver.  So Buckley controlled the courts as well.  He would be difficult to expose.  The little plan for getting evidence with Robert’s aid did not appear so simple now.

Francisco waited half an hour longer, fidgeting about the office.  Then he decided that Robert had gone for the day and went out.  At the corner of Powell street he bumped rather unceremoniously into a tall figure, top-hatted, long-coated, carrying a stick.

“I beg your pardon,” he apologized.  “Oh—­why it’s Mr. Pickering.”

“Where are you bound so—­impetuously?”

“Home,” smiled Stanley.  “Jeanne and I are going to the show tonight.”  He was about to pass on when a thought struck him.  “Got a minute to spare, Mr. Pickering?”

“Always to you, my boy,” returned the editor of the Bulletin, with his old-fashioned courtesy.

[Illustration:  “My boy ... you’re wasting your time as a reporter.  Listen,” he laid a hand upon Francisco’s knee.  “I’ve a job for you....  The new Mayor will need a secretary.”]

“Then, come into the Baldwin Cafe....  I want to tell you something.”

In an unoccupied corner, over a couple of glasses, Francisco unfolded his plan.  He was somewhat abashed by Pickering’s expression.  “Very clever, Stanley ... but quite useless.  It’s been tried before.  You’d better have taken the job, accumulated evidence; then turned it over to us.  That would be the way to trap him ... but it’s probably too late.  Ten to one his sleuth has seen us together.  Buckley’s very—­bright, you know.”

He put a hand kindly on the crestfallen young man’s shoulder....  “Go back tomorrow and see if he’ll make you secretary to the Mayor.  Then get all the ‘extras’ you can.  Label each and bring it to me.  I’ll see that you’re not misunderstood.”  He rose.  “But I fear Buckley will withdraw his offer ... if so, we’ll print the story of his Platt’s Hall gambling house.”

CHAPTER LXXII

FATE TAKES A HAND

Francisco found that Pickering’s prophecy had been a true one.  On a subsequent visit to the Bush street saloon he found the Blind Boss unapproachable.  After waiting almost an hour and seeing several men who had come after him, led to the rear room for a conference, word was brought him by the little, keen-eyed man that the position of Mayor’s secretary was already filled.  He was exceedingly polite, expressing “Mr. Buckley’s deep regret,” about the matter.  But there was in his eye a furtive mockery, in his tight-lipped mouth a covert sneer.