ed him books, and am quite bent upon seeing his education
result in making him mayor."

"Good work!" he cried. "I should like to lend a hand myself."

"Why don't you?" she asked.

"How can I?" he retorted. "Shall I go out and stump the town?"

"I 'll tell you," she said, bending forward and fixing him with a look
of discovery. "What Mr. Emmet needs more than anything else is a
friend out of his own class, some one like yourself, who could correct
his perspective a little. How shall I explain it? He seems in danger
of becoming a demagogue, and of resting his case on an appeal to
class-hatred."

Leigh had not supposed that his semi-jocular wish would be taken so
literally, but he soon discovered that she gave it its face value. She
went on with growing earnestness.

"There is to be a joint debate between him and Judge Swigart in about a
fortnight, and I 'm afraid that Mr. Emmet will injure his cause by
overstatement, by that very bitterness I mentioned. If he could
confine himself to the facts, he might win the support of many who are
ready to follow a safe leader, but would be antagonized by a hint of
socialism."

"Do you mean that I could accomplish all this in such a short time?" he
asked. "To be perfectly frank, the prospect of the task dismays me.
He 'd be sure to resent the attempt."

"Not he," she answered with conviction. "He 'd be grateful for such
support as yours. He 's really an awfully nice fellow, and I think you
'd find him rather interesting."

"I don't doubt it for a minute," he assured her. "But how am I to make
his acquaintance in the first place?"

She considered the question awhile. "Just tell him I thought you would
like to know each other. That would make it perfectly easy and
natural."

Leigh could not fail to see that this method was the best, if the thing
were to be done at all. She could not bring them together socially,
and a note of introduction would be too formal. Doubtless the man
looked up to her as his patroness, and would accept anything from her
with something of feudal loyalty.

"I might meet him casually,--on purpose,--and if we happened to like
each other and began to talk about politics"-- The sentence dwindled
into a dubious smile.

"Do," she urged. "I really think you could influence him for good."

Leigh was less sure of it, and the other two men returned before he had
committed himself to a plan that seemed, even when seen under her
influence,