and politics in his state
he expects to be pointed out.

When he stepped from his car he carried in his arms, with great
tenderness, a long parcel which was carefully wrapped in tissue-paper.
He always carried a similar parcel when he came to his office. Each
morning the gardener of the Dodd estate laid choice flowers on the seat
of that vehicle which had been chosen to convey the master to the city.

Colonel Dodd coddled the long parcel with the care a nurse would have
bestowed on an infant--but he kicked his fat leg clumsily at an urchin
who got in his way on the sidewalk. A college professor of Marion
happened to be passing at the moment and saw the act and knew what the
colonel was carrying in his arms. The professor made a mental note of
fresh material for his lecture on "The Psychological Phenomena of the
Bizarre in the Emotions." The professor had just met a woman wheeling a
cat out in a baby-carriage.

The doctor had advised exercise for the colonel--a small amount. The
colonel toilsomely climbed the one flight of stairs to his office. That
was his daily quota of exercise.

A little man with a beak of a nose was waiting in the corridor and
hastened to unlock a door marked "Private," and the colonel went in,
and the little man locked the door and tiptoed down the corridor to the
general offices.

Before he removed his hat Colonel Dodd carefully stripped the
tissue-paper from the damp flowers. There were two huge bouquets. He
set these into vases of ornate bronze, one on each end of his desk. He
patted and stroked the flowers until they appeared to best advantage. He
stood back and bestowed affectionate regard on them. No human being had
ever reported the receipt of such a look from Colonel Symonds Dodd. It
was rather astonishing to find softness in him in respect to flowers. He
seemed as hard as a block of wood. He had a squat, square body and his
legs seemed to be set on the corners of that body. His square face was
smooth except for a wisp of whisker, minute as a water-color brush,
jutting from under his pendulous lower lip.

He hung up his hat and stood for a moment before a massive mirror. The
report in Marion was that he stood before that mirror and made up his
expression to suit the character of a day's business.

Then he sat down at his desk and stuck a pudgy finger on one button of a
battery of buttons.

A girl entered with a promptitude which showed that she had been waiting
for the summons.