ased its
power a myriad per cent with her gift of imagination, and sent him forth
into the ephemera to thrill and melt and mate. His hand sought Ruth's
hand beside him hidden by the table, and a warm pressure was given and
received. She looked at him a swift instant, and her eyes were radiant
and melting. So were his in the thrill that pervaded him; nor did he
realize how much that was radiant and melting in her eyes had been
aroused by what she had seen in his.

Across the table from him, cater-cornered, at Mr. Morse's right, sat
Judge Blount, a local superior court judge. Martin had met him a number
of times and had failed to like him. He and Ruth's father were
discussing labor union politics, the local situation, and socialism, and
Mr. Morse was endeavoring to twit Martin on the latter topic. At last
Judge Blount looked across the table with benignant and fatherly pity.
Martin smiled to himself.

"You'll grow out of it, young man," he said soothingly. "Time is the
best cure for such youthful distempers." He turned to Mr. Morse. "I do
not believe discussion is good in such cases. It makes the patient
obstinate."

"That is true," the other assented gravely. "But it is well to warn the
patient occasionally of his condition."

Martin laughed merrily, but it was with an effort. The day had been too
long, the day's effort too intense, and he was deep in the throes of the
reaction.

"Undoubtedly you are both excellent doctors," he said; "but if you care a
whit for the opinion of the patient, let him tell you that you are poor
diagnosticians. In fact, you are both suffering from the disease you
think you find in me. As for me, I am immune. The socialist philosophy
that riots half-baked in your veins has passed me by."

"Clever, clever," murmured the judge. "An excellent ruse in controversy,
to reverse positions."

"Out of your mouth." Martin's eyes were sparkling, but he kept control
of himself. "You see, Judge, I've heard your campaign speeches. By some
henidical process--henidical, by the way is a favorite word of mine which
nobody understands--by some henidical process you persuade yourself that
you believe in the competitive system and the survival of the strong, and
at the same time you indorse with might and main all sorts of measures to
shear the strength from the strong."

"My young man--"

"Remember, I've heard your campaign speeches," Martin warned. "It's on
record, your position on