ol of the same kind. I don't believe he ever wrote that letter.
As I understand it, he's a coal-heaving sort who ought to have gone into
the prize-ring and not politics; but, whether he wrote it or not, we
will have to humor him because of the senator, who is of course the
boss"--he shot a glance round the table--"the boss now. We'll give this
fellow a little rope. A couple of the boys up where he comes from tipped
me off about him--and we'll let the senator see him for what he is. I've
seen these wonders before."

"And I guess you don't have to see too much of a man to be able to size
him up either!" This from a faithful one on the chairman's right.

The chairman's lips kneaded shut. "Well, in political life--I don't say
this in a boasting spirit, you understand, gentlemen--if a man in my
position can't size a man up fairly well at a glance he might as well
get out. His letter alone would tell me that he knows it all, and the
word I get from the county chairman up his way is that he is one of the
turbulent, fighting kind. However, we'll have him in here and look him
over. Show him in, George."

And Riley stepped into the room. From the moment of his entrance not a
soul there had a doubt of the chairman's prejudgment; but, that his
less acute associates might judge for themselves, the chairman allowed
the man by his own words to portray himself, which, after all, was the
most convincing proof of all. It was the senior senator's own way of
doing it.

The new man--an agile, powerful figure--had bowed with a conventional
show of pleasure to each in turn as he was introduced; but, that over
with, he had faced squarely toward the chairman, waiting. And the
chairman began:

"I take it, Mr. Riley, that you are not the kind of man who would stand
up on a platform and dodge an argument with the most excitable of
opponents?"

"Dodge? What from?"

"Not from the hoots and the jeers, or vegetables--or even the
half-bricks--eh?"

Riley waved a contemptuous arm. "I'd rather see half bricks coming my
way than be looking down on staring empty benches, or benches emptying
swiftly when a man's at the height of his speech." Riley paused by way
of emphasis. "It is to try a man's soul--a frosty greeting; but, a
warm-blooded opposition--that's only to stir a man up."

The state chairman waited for the new man to leap into the air, knock
his heels together and yell:

"Hurroo!" The new man did not do that. He gazed steadily into th