At the same time Simeon Wright had bestirred himself.  There seems to be no good and valid reason for owning a senator if you don’t use him.  Wright was too shrewd to think it worth while to own a senator from California.  That was too obvious.  Few knew how closely affiliated were the Wright and the Barrow interests.  Wright dropped a hint to the dignified senator; the senator paid a casual call to an official high up in the Land Office.  Senators would by their votes ultimately decide the question of transfer.  The official agreed to keep an eye on the recommendations in this case.

Thus somebody submerged beneath the Gay interests saw obscurely somebody equally submerged beneath the Wright and Barrow interests.  In due course all Thorne’s careful work was pigeonholed.  An epitome of the charges was typed and submitted to the High Official.  On the back of them had been written: 

“I find the charges not proved.”

This was signed by the very obscure clerk who had filed away the Thorne affidavits and who happened to be a friend of the man to whom in devious ways and through many mouths had come an expression of the Gay wishes.  It was O.K.’d by a dozen others.  The High Official added his O.K. to the others.  Then he promptly forgot about it, as did every one else concerned, save the men most vitally interested.

In due time Thorne, then in Los Angeles, received a brief communication from Stafford, the obscure clerk.

“In regard to your charges against Supervisor H.M.  Plant, the Department begs to advise you that, after examining carefully the evidence for the defence, it finds the charges not proven.”

Thorne stared at the paper incredulously, then he did something he had never permitted himself before; he wrote in expostulation to the Higher Official.

“I cannot imagine what the man’s defence could be,” he wrote, in part, “but my evidence a mere denial could hardly controvert.  The whole countryside knows the man is crooked; they know he was investigated; they are now awaiting with full confidence the punishment for well-understood peculation.  I can hardly exaggerate the body blow to the Service such a decision would give.  Nobody will believe in it again.”

On reading this the Higher Official called in one of his subordinates.

“I have this from Thorne,” said he.  “What do you think of it?”

The subordinate read it through.

“I’ll look it up,” said he.

“Do so and bring me the papers,” advised the Higher Official.

The Higher Official knew Thorne’s work and approved it.  The inspector was efficient, and throughout all his reforming of conditions in the West, the Department had upheld him.  The Department liked efficiency, and where the private interests of its own grafters were not concerned, it gave good government.

In due time the subordinate came back, but without the papers.