ne by one on
the polished surface of the table rudely, as though they were reform
votes he was counting. His thick lips were tightly closed, his big hands
hovered with unaccustomed uncertainty over the pasteboards.

"Quit your kidding," he replied. "I don't believe cards was invented in
Nap's day. Was they? It's a shame a fellow can't have a little
admiration for a great leader like Nap without all you funny boys
jollying him about it. That boy sure knew how to handle the voters. I've
read a lot about him, and I like his style."

"You let history alone," snarled Mr. Max, across the aisle, "or it'll
repeat itself and another guy I know'll go to the island."

"If you mean me," returned Cargan, "forget it. There ain't no St. Helena
in my future." He winked at Magee. "Lou's a little peevish this
morning," he said. "Had a bad night."

He busied himself with the cards. Mr. Magee looked on, only half
interested. Then, suddenly, his interest grew. He watched the mayor
build, in two piles; he saw that the deck from which he built was thick.
A weird suspicion shot across his mind.

"Tell me," he asked, "is this the admiral's game of solitaire?"

"Exactly what I was going to ask," said a voice. Magee looked up.
Kendrick had come in, and stood now above the table. His tired eyes were
upon it, fascinated; his lips twitched strangely.

"Yes," answered the mayor, "this is the admiral's game. You'd hardly
expect me to know it, would you? I don't hang out at the swell clubs
where the admiral does. They won't have me there. But once I took the
admiral on a public service board with me--one time when I wanted a lot
of dignity and no brains pretty bad--and he sort of come back by
teaching me his game in the long dull hours when we had nothing to do
but serve the public. The thing gets a hold on you, somehow. Let's
see--now the spade--now the heart."

Kendrick leaned closer. His breath came with a noisy quickness that
brought the fact of his breathing insistently to Magee's mind.

"I never knew--how it was played," he said.

Something told Mr. Magee that he ought to rise and drag Kendrick away
from that table. Why? He did not know. Still, it ought to be done. But
the look in Kendrick's eyes showed clearly that the proverbial wild
horses could not do it then.

"Tell me how it's played," went on Kendrick, trying to be calm.

"You must be getting old," replied the mayor. "The admiral told me the
young men at his club never took a