"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.
"Stafford says he'll look them up, sir," said he. "He told me to tell
you that the case was the one you were asking Senator Barrow about."
"Ah!" said the Higher Official.
He sat for some time in deep thought. Then he called through the open
door to his stenographer.
"_In re_ your's 21st," he dictated, "I repose every confidence in Mr.
Stafford's judgment; and unless I should care to supersede him, it would
hardly be proper for me to carry any matter over his head."
Thorne immediately resigned, and shortly went into landlooking for a
lumbering firm in Oregon.
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