He then goes to his bed.  It is daylight before his mind has exhausted itself.  He sleeps until midday.  On awakening he renews the consideration of Nevins’ proposal.  At eight o’clock in the evening Nevins arrives.

Where Nevins had been the one to speak the night before, Trueman now enters upon an exhaustive interrogatory.  He asks for the most minute particulars of the events that have brought him to the notice of Nevins.  To all his questions there is an instant reply.  At the conclusion of three hours Trueman definitely makes up his mind to try for the candidacy.

“You may work for my nomination,” he says, “and be assured if I am nominated I shall strive to be elected.

“If it is the will of the people to elect me I shall be faithful to the high duties of the office.”

Nevins bids his protege good night, assuring him that they will keep in constant communication.

The Committee of Forty, which is in session in a hall on the outskirts of the city in the vicinity of the stock yards, is surprised when, at midnight, Nevins appears before them to announce that he has selected Harvey Trueman to be the candidate for the Presidency on the Independence ticket.

CHAPTER XII.

Taking the secret oath.

Eternal vigilance is the policy of the Magnates in keeping their sleuths ever on the alert for the unearthing of the plans of the anti-trust advocates.  In every city detectives are untiring in their efforts to discover the work of the Committee of Forty.  It is suspected that the committee is to obtain damaging evidence against some of the most oppressive of the monopolies and bring the full story of the wholesale robbery of the people out as a climax in the coming campaign.

By diligent investigation the detectives learn the names of the thirty-seven men who have been added to the committee by the appointive power of the chairman.  It is also ascertained that the forty men are still in the city of Chicago.

This fact is open to several interpretations.  It may indicate that the committee has determined to work from a central office; or that the committee is a blind, intended to mislead the detectives into watching it while another agency is at work.  The importance of discovering the true mission of the committee is therefore most urgent.

To inspire the detectives to solve the question, the Plutocratic National Committee secretly offers a reward of $5000 to the man who will obtain the desired information.

In holding their daily meetings the Forty observe the greatest caution.  Each member goes to the appointed place alone, avoiding as much as possible attracting the attention of the detectives whom they know are on the lookout.  It is not their intention to have any mystery connected with their existence, yet they wish to work unhampered by the servants of the Magnates.