st of your piece. You win!"

* * * * *

Back at headquarters the state chairman had been for an hour trying to
extract a little comfort from the newspaper story of the New Ireland
upheaval when the tall boss came in. To the boss, of course, he had to
make some comment, and he made it.

"This man Riley," he began cautiously, "I've been trying to discover
whether he's a Republican or a Democrat by what he says here."

"How's that?"

"He says: 'Take your leaders: and if they don't carry out your will fire
'em out! If the men you have set on high betray you,' he puts it, 'lasso
'em off their pedestals and set 'em on the street level again!' If that
isn't----"

"--government by the people?"

"I wasn't going to say that, sir."

"Why not? Isn't that what it amounts to? Let me see your paper, please.
H-m! I don't see what there is here to object to. He is not against a
party government; in fact, he's all for party. Only make sure the party
leaders are honest, he says, in politics, religion, business--in
everything; and if they do not live up to their promises read them their
lesson. Well, why not? I think he's right. The people know more than
they did and we might as well reckon with that new knowledge. The men
who don't do that might as well give up the leadership!"

There was a whole page of it in the New Ireland _Record_ about Tim. The
senator read it all. When he at last looked up he murmured:

"Raised twelve hundred and odd dollars for the widow Nolan. That was
surely well done! Two hundred and fifty votes pledged to him before he
left the hall. He surely has the touch! And Malone says he's going to
stick to his contracting hereafter. Good idea!"

The senator read on: "And Malone also says--also says--H-m!"

The chairman was startled out of his silence.

"I set Malone on to Riley--to fool him."

"You did!" The senator scratched his beard with his finger-nails, drew
his chin in to his neck and looked over his pince-nez at the chairman.
"Too bad he misunderstood you--wasn't it? It would be so nice if we
could give you the credit; but I'm afraid we'll have to hand it to
Riley."

It was not said loudly; but the tone and the glint of the eyes--and the
cultured boss stirred into using slang! The chairman knew that he might
as well pick up his hat and go.

And he did; after he wrote out his resignation with the big boss
dictating it over his shoulder.

IN THE ANCHOR WATCH