"Well," he at length replied, annoyed at thus being put into a position where he must make his proposition in the form of a request, "are you going to stand for that sort of thing?" "I dunno." "_I_ wouldn't stand for it," said Dyker. "If you had my job you might have to." There was another pause. The long fingers of O'Malley tapped gently on the table. Dyker shifted uneasily in his seat. "I wouldn't stand for it a minute!" he at last broke forth. "And what's more, you can have her up for something worse than the disorderly-house charge. She has one kidnapped girl in her house now, and I've got another that escaped from her, and who's ready to testify." An instant later he was sorry that he had spoken so readily. O'Malley tilted back against the wall until the front legs of his chair rose six inches from the floor. He blew an easy ring of smoke. "You seem to have come here with your case all prepared," he remarked. Wesley flushed and stammered. "You see," he began, "I mean that I got hot at this, and I said to myself that it was only right to let you know this woman wasn't to be depended upon." The forward legs of O'Malley's chair came down with a loud thump. Wesley started, but the boss only impaled him with another cold glance. "See here," said he, "before we can do business we'd better altogether understand each other. Just what is it you want?" "I--I think I've made that clear." "_I_ think not." "I want this Légère woman pinched for running a white-slave place. I want to see her taught a lesson that the other women down her way will profit by." "Of course you do. But what do you want for yourself?" The issue was too conclusively joined to permit of further evasion. Wesley took his courage in his hands. "Why, I've not made any secret of that," he said, "and neither has headquarters. I want the next election for magistrate. I told you that long ago." He launched his declaration with the bravado of weakness at bay, and then breathlessly awaited the answer. Michael O'Malley leaned back again in his chair, clasped his hands behind his head, and closed his keen eyes, reflecting.