The Honorable Senator Sage-Brush

ment offices in the second story of the station building, where all the other offices of the company were located. Instead, he was directed to fit up a suite of rooms in T

y be, and arrange matters with Ackerton so that your office will not be burdened with too much of the routine legal work. A successful legal representative will be a good mixer-as I am sure you are-and will extend the circle of his acquaint

icated field. Ackerton, a technical expert with a needle-like mind and the State code at his fingers'-ends, was left in charg

, the list of acquaintances grew with amazing rapidity. For the three or four weeks after Mrs. Blount had whisked the Annerses away to Wartrace Hall and the habitat of the Megalosaurid?, the newly appointed "social secretary" for the

the private dining-room suite at the Inter-Mountain. Part of the time, as he knew, the Honorable Sen

ccasionally there was a dinner à deux in the hotel café, with a

Like it, as far as you've gone?" said the ex-cattle-king one evening when Evan had come down in even

younger man. "I shall need all the 'pull

on you're doing pretty good work, too, mixing and mingling the way you do. Was

ial splasher, still smiling. "We are out to make friends this time; good, solid,

tor, "so publicity's

going to show us up; there won't be anything to show up when

put down his coffee-cup; he was still old-fashioned enough

remarked gravely. "If you're really going to put the saddle and bridle on the publicity nag

not affecting to misunderstand. "We neither buy vo

y a railroad social centre where the disinterested voter could come and have the facts ladled out to him without fear or favor on the part of the ladler. They had come to be also a rallying-point for a heterogeneous crowd of ward-workers, wire-pullers, and small politicians, most of whom

nds more emphatic. A dozen times a day Blount had the worn phrase, "nothing for nothing," dinned into his ears, and

of cornering the traffic manager in one of the otherwise deserted smoking-dens, and whe

and for it. Garrigan, that saloon-keeper in the second ward, came up to-day to ask for a free tic

se have we got a post-graduate, double-certi

hair and felt in his po

and now, Dick," he said coolly. "I'm not chief vote buyer for

re?" retorted th

out pieces of it to these grub-stakers that you and Carson

behind it there was a shrewd flash of the

mall pies for really hungry people, if you think you need them

ke it in disreputable earnest. Let us understand each other; we are fighting squarely in the open in this campaign; publicity is the word-I have Mr. McVickar for my authority. Anybody who wants to know anything about the railroad company's business

and. On the other hand, he very carefully refra

at you say goes as it lies, of course; but just the same, I should

eaters, I'm going to fire them out, neck and c

fell away from him l

des in every political contest, and while they can't do any cause any great amount of go

do when you were managing the State campaig

said the traffi

ckmail you and, incidentally, put a big bl

se little fellows ask for money, or expect it. A free ride no

asses under the interstate

urse. But inside of the State bo

vious to the passage of the State rate

rt, Evan, the very men who argued the loudest and voted the most spitefully for it came to me for their return tickets home at the end of the session. Of course, we kept

the corporations-an expedient that wouldn't deceive the most ignorant voter that ever cast a ballot-it's that very

ugged his

-like the majority of them," was the colorless r

mustn't spoil that argument by becoming law-breakers ourselves and descending to the methods of the grafters and the machine politicians the country over. If you have been sending these pie-eaters t

dly, and he was still saying the same thing in diversified fo

was not altogether reassuring. The first few rebuffs he administered left him with the feeling that he was winning Pyrrhic victories; it was as if he were trying to handle a complicated mechanism with t

d of what he had before only suspected-that they were merely nominal employees given a pay-roll standing so tha

anded free transportation across the State for eight members of his "family." Questioned closely, he admitted that the "family" was his only by a figure of speech; that the relationship w

nage some way to get him transportation for his Jonesbor

retorted. "Why don't you recommend the passes yourself, on acc

passes to employees travelling on company business only. We can stretch it

Mr. Bentley, that I am not the scape-goat for all the other departmen

care of Tom Gryson! He's the boss of his ward, and he has

ous circle; you put into his hands the club with which he proceeds to knock you down. Let me tell you what I'm telling everybody; i

h, and who in reality was a post-graduate of the hard school of violence and ruffianage obtaining in the lawless mining-camps of

d no thanks to you, neither. I just blew in to tell you that I'm goin' to hit you ag'in abou

his chair and for

orrow, or any other time," he raged. "I'm

ous waste of time and energy to traffic and chaffer with these petty scoundrels. Thus far, every phase of the actual politica

ection of the law, must, of necessity, be a law-abiding entity. It was manifestly unfair to hold it responsible for the disreputable political methods of those whom

he wider field. A letter from a local party chairman in a distant mining town brought an invitation of the kind for which he had been waiting and hoping. He was

r, he found his father dining alone and joined him.

ment. "Gives you a right nice little chance to shine the way you can shine best." Then: "T

here might be some public spea

re, son?" asked the veteran quizzically. "Going to offer 'em all free passes an

ng reply. "As I told you a whil

a good many people in the old Sage-brush State-mighty sorry

; I am in a position t

told you it

tical manager tried to

talk he gave me to understand that my recommendations would be gi

was not derisive; it

nt way, and I reckon we've got to keep the family ball rolling-you and I. Don't forget that, when you're making your appeal to those horny-handed sons of toil

wait for the morning train." Then, dismissing the politica

mit, and scraped him up a bunch of pick-and-shovel men, and

rs?" pursued P

ttle four-seated car to call her own while she is out here, and she and Honoria go car

"I wish I could get a chance to chase around a little with them. I have seen almost nothing of them s

enator. "You told me you hadn't got her tag, son, and I'm beginning to b

orld, save that I don't fit int

ting a few tips on that 'career' business along about now, son," he remarked, and Evan was silent-had to be silent. For, you see, he

s announcement, that the senator said quite casually: "It's too bad you're going out of town to-night, son. Honoria 'phoned me a little spell

in west, and the joint-debater got up and thrust his

nted. Then: "Give them my love, and tell th

ater. "Shall I say that to both of 'em?" he asked, with

nt will hold it against me. Good-night and good-by. I'll be

a dust-covered touring-car drew up at the curb in front of the Inter-Mountain, and the same porter who had put

while the three were waiting for an elevator a rapid fire of

t of the way?" w

uchfield, and he helped out on that-invited Evan to come to

way? Will

about in the air, trying to get a fresh hold. I bluffed him; told him he'd have to m

nal glow as the car descended, and the wi

Weatherfords'?" s

to be; I told him

lotter nodd

dy," she directed; and then the senator put the two