re intimate with him, in the course of Gardener's progress toward his
coveted nomination by the party.

That progress was so rapid and easy that it surprised us. We knew, of
course, that we had attracted some public attention and much newspaper
notice by our legal battles with "the corporation heavyweights" in our
three big cases against the surgeon, the tramway company, and the
factory owner. But this did not account to us for the ease with which
Gardener penetrated to the inner circles of the Boss's court. It did
not explain why Graham should come to see us in our office, and call us
by our first names. The explanation that we tacitly accepted was one
more personal and flattering to us. And when Gardener would come back
from a chat with Graham, full of "inside information" about the party's
plans--about who was to be nominated for this office at the coming
convention, and what chance So-and-so had for that one--the sure proofs
(to us) that he was being admitted to the intimate secrets of the party
and found worthy of the confidence of those in power--I was as proud of
Gardener as only a young man can be of a friend who has all the
brilliant qualities that he himself lacks. Gardener was a handsome
fellow, well built, always well dressed, self-assured and ambitious; I
did not wonder that the politicians admired him and made much of him.
I accepted his success as a tribute to those qualities in him that had
already attached me to him with an affection rather more than brotherly.

We said nothing to the politicians about our projected bills. Indeed,
from the first, my interest in our measures of reform was greater than
Gardener's. His desire to be in the Legislature Was due to a natural
ambition to "get on" in life, to acquire power in the community as well
as the wealth and distinction that come with power. Such ambitions
were, of course, beyond me; I had none of the qualities that would make
them possible; and I could only enjoy them, as it were, by proxy, in
Gardener's person. I enjoyed, in the same way, his gradual penetration
behind the scenes in politics. I saw, with him, that the party
convention, to which we had at first looked as the source of honours,
was really only a sort of puppet show of which the Boss held the wires.
All the candidates for nomination were selected by Graham in
advance--in secret caucus with his ward leaders, executive
committeemen, and such other "practical" politicians as "Big