too deeply.

Jennie enjoyed it all innocently. Elements of fancy and novelty
entered into her life. She was an unsophisticated creature, emotional,
totally inexperienced in the matter of the affections, and yet mature
enough mentally to enjoy the attentions of this great man who had thus
bowed from his high position to make friends with her.

One evening she pushed his hair back from his forehead as she stood
by his chair, and, finding nothing else to do, took out his watch. The
great man thrilled as he looked at her pretty innocence.

"Would you like to have a watch, too?" he asked.

"Yes, indeed, I would," said Jennie, with a deep breath.

The next day he stopped as he was passing a jewelry store and
bought one. It was gold, and had pretty ornamented hands.

"Jennie," he said, when she came the next time, "I want to show you
something. See what time it is by my watch."

Jennie drew out the watch from his waistcoat pocket and started in
surprise.

"This isn't your watch!" she exclaimed, her face full of innocent
wonder.

"No," he said, delighted with his little deception. "It's
yours."

"Mine!" exclaimed Jennie. "Mine! Oh, isn't it lovely!"

"Do you think so?" he said.

Her delight touched and pleased him immensely. Her face shone with
light and her eyes fairly danced.

"That's yours," he said. "See that you wear it now, and don't lose
it."

"You're so good!" she exclaimed.

"No," he said, but he held her at arm's length by the waist, to
make up his mind what his reward should be. Slowly he drew her toward
him until, when very close, she put her arms about his neck, and laid
her cheek in gratitude against his own. This was the quintessence of
pleasure for him. He felt as he had been longing to feel for
years.

The progress of his idyl suffered a check when the great senatorial
fight came on in the Legislature. Attacked by a combination of rivals,
Brander was given the fight of his life. To his amazement he
discovered that a great railroad corporation, which had always been
friendly, was secretly throwing its strength in behalf of an already
too powerful candidate. Shocked by this defection, he was thrown
alternately into the deepest gloom and into paroxysms of wrath. These
slings of fortune, however lightly he pretended to receive them, never
failed to lacerate him. It had been long since he had suffered a
defeat--too long.

During this period Jennie received her earliest lesson in the
vagarie