"You, too, honey," he said. "Frank fixed it all up. You and Ray will
be admitted to the Fraternities, this afternoon. And that will remove
any objection to our being married."

"But ... how about the Senator?" she asked.

Prestonby shrugged. "It's all over the state now that you can read;
there's nothing that you can do about it. And Frank has a lot of
influence with him; he'll talk him around to where he'll be willing to
make the best of it, in a week or so."

* * * * *

Russell Latterman noticed that Major Slater was looking at him in a
respectfully inquiring manner. He said nothing, and, at length, the
Literates' guards officer broke the silence.

"You didn't go out with the others."

Latterman shook his head. "No, major; I'm an executive of Pelton's
Purchasers' Paradise, however unlike its name it may look at the
moment. My job's here. I'm afraid I'll have to lean pretty heavily on
you, until Mr. Cardon can get help to us. I'm not particularly used to
combat."

"You've been doing all right with that rifle," Slater told him.

"I can hit what I aim at, yes. But I'm not used to commanding men in
combat, and I'm not much of a tactician."

Slater thrust out his hand impulsively. "I took a sort of poor view
of you, at first. I'm sorry," he said. "Want me to take command?"

"If you please, major."

"What are you going to do, after this thing's over?" Slater asked.

"Stay on with Pelton's, provided Mr. P. doesn't find out that I
organized that trick with his medicine and the safe," Latterman said.
"Since Lancedale seems to have gotten on top at the Hall, I am, as of
now, a Lancedale partisan. That's partly opportunism, and it's partly
because, since a single policy has been adopted, I feel obliged to go
along with it. I'll have to get the store back in operation, as soon
as possible. Pelton's going to need money, badly, if he's going to try
for the presidency in '44." He looked around him. "You know, I've
always wanted to run a fire sale; this'll be even better--a battle
sale!"

* * * * *

Cardon watched Chester Pelton apprehensively as the bald-headed
merchant and senatorial candidate sipped from the tall glass in his
hand and then set it on the table beside him. His face was pale, and
he had the look of a man who has just been hit with a blackjack.

"That's an awful load of bricks to dump on a man, all at once,
Frank," he said reproachfully.