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to the boy。 〃Hello； Charley。 Ready for the job running the cement…mixer yet？〃
The boy grinned bashfully and said： 〃How do you do； Mr。 Madvig？〃
Madvig's smile came around to Ned Beaumont。 〃Going places？〃
Ned Beaumont smiled politely。 〃Yes；〃 he said。
The blond man looked around the room； at the bags and trunk again； at the clothes piled on chairs and the drawers standing open。 The woman and the boy went back to their work。 Ned Beaumont found two somewhat faded shirts in a pile on a chair and put them aside。
Madvig asked： 〃Got half an hour to spare； Ned？〃
〃I've got plenty of time。〃
Madvig said： 〃Get your hat。〃
Ned Beaumont got his hat and overcoat。 〃Get as much of it in as you can；〃 he told the woman as he and Madvig moved towards the door； 〃and what's left over can be sent on with the other stuff。〃
He and Madvig went downstairs to the street。 They walked south a block。 Then Madvig asked： 〃Where're you going； Ned？〃
〃New York。〃
They turned into an alley。
Madvig asked： 〃For good？〃
Ned Beaumont shrugged。 〃I'm leaving here for good。〃
They opened a green wooden door set in the red brick rear wall of a building and went down a passageway and through another door into a bar…room where half a dozen men were drinking。 They exchanged greetings with the bar…tender and three of the drinkers as they passed through to a small room where there were four tables。 Nobody else was there。 They sat at one of the tables。
The bar…tender put his head in and asked： 〃Beer as per usual； gents？〃
Madvig said； 〃Yes；〃 and then； when the bar…tender had withdrawn： 〃Why？〃
Ned Beaumont said： 〃I'm tired of hick…town stuff。〃
〃Meaning me？〃
Ned Beaumont did not say anything。
Madvig did not say anything for a while。 Then he sighed and said： 〃This is a hell of a time to be throwing me down。〃
The bar…tender came in with two seidels of pale beer and a bowl of pretzels。 When he had gone out again； shutting the door behind him； Madvig exclaimed： 〃Christ； you're hard to get along with； Ned！〃
Ned Beaumont moved his shoulders。 〃I never said I wasn't。〃 He lifted his seidel and drank。
Madvig w…as breaking a pretzel into small bits。 〃Do you really want to go； Ned？〃 he asked。
〃I'm going。〃
Madvig dropped the fragments of pretzel on the table and took a check…book from his pocket。 He tore out a check； took a fountain…pen from another pocket； and filled in the check。 Then he fanned it dry and dropped it on the table in front of Ned Beaumont。
Ned Beaumont； looking down at the check； shook his head and said： 〃I don't need money and you don't owe me anything。〃
〃I do。 I owe you more than that； Ned。 I wish you'd take it。〃
Ned Beaumont said； 〃All right； thanks；〃 and put the check in his pocket。
Madvig drank beer； ate a pretzel； started to drink again； set his seidel down on the table； and asked： 〃Was there anything on your mindany kickbesides that back in the Club this afternoon？〃
Ned Beaumont shook his head。 〃You don't talk to me like that。 Nobody does。〃
〃Hell； Ned； I didn't say anything。〃
Ned Beaumont did not say anything。
Madvig drank again。 〃Mind telling me why you think I handled O'Rory wrong？〃
〃It wouldn't do any good。〃
〃Try。〃
Ned Beaumont said： 〃All right； but it won't do any good。〃 He tilted his chair back； holding his seidel in one hand； some pretzels in the other。 〃Shad'll fight。 He's got to； You've got him in a corner。 You've told him he's through here for good。 There's nothing he can do now but play the long shot。 If he can upset you this election he'll be fixed to square anything he has to do to win。 If you win the election he's got to drift anyhow。 You're using the police on him。 He'll have to fight back at the police and he will。 That means you're going to have something that can be made to look like a crime…wave。 You're trying to re…elect the whole city administration。 Well； giving them a crime…waveand one it's an even bet they're not going to be able to handlejust before election isn't going to make them look any too efficient。 They〃
〃You think I ought to've laid down to him？〃 Madvig demanded； scowling。
〃I don't think that。 I think you should have left him an out； a line of retreat。 You shouldn't have got him with his back to the wall。〃
Madvig's scow…I deepened。 〃I don't know anything about your kind of fighting。 He started it； All I know is when you got somebody cornered you go in and finish them。 That system's worked all right for me so far。〃 He blushed a little。 〃I don't mean I think I'm Napoleon or something； Ned； but I came up from running errands for Packy Flood in the old Fifth to where I'm sitting kind of pretty today。〃
Ned Beaumont emptied his seidel and let the front legs of his chair e down on the floor。 〃I told you it wouldn't do any good；〃 he said。 〃Have it your own way。 Keep on thinking that what was good enough for the old Fifth is good enough anywhere。〃
In Madvig's voice there was something of resentment and something of humility when he asked： 〃You don't think much of me as a big…time politician； do you； Ned？〃
Now Ned Beaumont's face flushed。 He said： 〃I didn't say that； Paul。〃
〃But that's what it amounts to； isn't it？〃 Madvig insisted。
〃No； but I do think you've let yourself be outsmarted this time。 First you let the Henrys wheedle you into backing the Senator。 There was your chance to go in and finish an enemy who was cornered； but that enemy happened to have a daughter and social position and what not； so you'；
〃Cut it out； Ned；〃 Madvig grumbled。
Ned Beaumont's face became empty of expression。 He stood up saying； 〃Well； I must be running along；〃 and turned to the door。
Madvig was up behind him immediately； with a hand on his shoulder； saying： 〃Wait； Ned。〃
Ned Beaumont said： 〃Take your hand off me。〃 He did not look around。
Madvig put his other hand on Ned Beaumont's arm and turned him around。 〃Look here； Ned；〃 he began。
Ned Beaumont said： 〃Let go。〃 His lips were pale and stiff。
Madvig shook him。 He said： 〃Don't be a God…damned fool。 You and I〃
Ned Beaumont struck Madvig's mouth with his left fist。
Madvig took his hands away from Ned Beaumont and fell back two steps。 While his pulse had time to beat perhaps three times his mouth hung open and astonishment was in his face。 Then his face darkened with anger and he shut his mouth tight； so his jaw was hard and lumpy。 He made fists of his hands； hunched his shoulders； and swayed forward。
Ned Beaumont's hand swept out to the side to grasp one of the heavy glass seidels on the table； though he did not lift it from the table。 His body leaned a little to that side as he had leaned to get the seidel。 Otherwise he stood squarely confronting the blond man。 His face was drawn thin and rigid； with white lines of strain around the mouth。 His dark eyes glared fiercely into Madvig's blue ones。
They stood thus； less than a yard apartone blond； tall and powerfully built； leaning far forward； big shoulders hunched； big fists ready； the other dark of hair and eye； tall and lean； body bent a little to one side with an arm slanting down from that side to hold a heavy glass seidel by its handleand except for their breathing there was no sound in the room。 No sound came