man, and this was followed by a pang
at the thought of the disappointment my refusal would give him.
Complications I did not wish to examine were then in the back of my
mind; and while I still sat holding the letter in my hand the telephone
rang, and a message came from Leonard Dickinson begging me to call at
the bank at once.

Miller Gorse was there, and Tallant, waving a palm-leaf while sitting
under the electric fan. They were all very grave, and they began to talk
about the suddenness of Mr. Watling's illness and to speculate upon its
nature. Leonard Dickinson was the most moved of the three; but they were
all distressed, and showed it--even Tallant, whom I had never credited
with any feelings; they spoke about the loss to the state. At length
Gorse took a cigar from his pocket and lighted it; the smoke, impelled
by the fan, drifted over the panelled partition into the bank.

"I suppose Mr. Watling mentioned to you what he wrote to us," he said.

"Yes," I admitted.

"Well," he asked, "what do you think of it?"

"I attribute it to Mr. Watling's friendship," I replied.

"No," said Gorse, in his businesslike manner, "Watling's right, there's
no one else." Considering the number of inhabitants of our state, this
remark had its humorous aspect.

"That's true," Dickinson put in, "there's no one else available who
understands the situation as you do, Hugh, no one else we can trust as
we trust you. I had a wire from Mr. Barbour this morning--he agrees.
We'll miss you here, but now that Watling will be gone we'll need you
there. And he's right--it's something we've got to decide on right away,
and get started on soon, we can't afford to wobble and run any chances
of a revolt."

"It isn't everybody the senatorship comes to on a platter--especially at
your age," said Tallant.

"To tell you the truth," I answered, addressing Dickinson, "I'm not
prepared to talk about it now. I appreciate the honour, but I'm not at
all sure I'm the right man. And I've been considerably upset by this
news of Mr. Watling."

"Naturally you would be," said the banker, sympathetically, "and we
share your feelings. I don't know of any man for whom I have a greater
affection than I have for Theodore Wading. We shouldn't have mentioned
it now, Hugh, if Watling hadn't started the thing himself, if it weren't
important to know where we stand right away. We can't afford to lose the
seat. Take your time, but remember you're the man we depend up