The Devil in the White City

Prendergast

IT WAS EXCITING, THIS PROSPECT of becoming one of the city’s most important officials. At last Prendergast could leave behind the cold mornings and filthy streets and the angry newsboys who disobeyed and taunted him. He was growing impatient, however. His appointment as corporation counsel should have occurred by now.

One afternoon in the first week of October Prendergast took a grip-car to City Hall to see his future office. He found a clerk and introduced himself.

Incredibly, the clerk did not recognize his name. When Prendergast explained that Mayor Harrison planned to make him the city’s new corporation counsel, the clerk laughed.

Prendergast insisted on seeing the current counsel, a man named Kraus. Certainly Kraus would recognize his name.

The clerk went to get him.

Kraus emerged from his office and extended his hand. He introduced Prendergast to the other men on his staff as his “successor.” Suddenly everyone was smiling.

At first Prendergast thought the smiling was an acknowledgment that soon he would be in charge, but now he saw it as something else.

Kraus asked if he’d like the position immediately.

“No,” Prendergast said. “I am in no hurry about it.”

Which was not true, but the question had thrown Prendergast. He did not like the way Kraus asked it. Not at all.