said Amidon.

They wondered in the next room what could have excited so much hilarity.

"What a beginning!" said Elizabeth. "To start out in our life with
such a mutual deception! But I wanted to have a part in your life,
whatever it might be; and I could organize Primrose Leagues, and
succeed in them, if it were necessary to help in any ambition of yours.
So there! Oh, it was silly to write in that way--but you really seemed
at that time----"

"I never did, my dear! It was that Brassfield; and when I was caught
and restored by Madame le Claire, I should have declined if it hadn't
been for the--the Washington career, you know----"

"Oh, please don't say any more----"

"And I had Blodgett get up a letter of withdrawal----"

"Do you suppose he has it yet?" she cried.

"'Letter of withdrawal!' It sounds so sort of parliamentary and
correct and comforting!"

"It does," agreed Amidon, "especially in view of the fact that I
believe I'm beaten anyhow. Judge Blodgett thinks I am, and Mr.
Alvord----"

"Poor Jim Alvord!" interposed Elizabeth. "His wife says he would
desert his family for you."

"For Brassfield, she means," said Amidon. "It is really not the same
thing, dear. But I was saying that even he half confesses defeat.
I've made an awful mess of this thing, Elizabeth, on account of not
really knowing anything of the people or their opinions or desires.
Even that platform of ours couldn't pull us through. No wisdom--and I
haven't much--could keep a man from making blunders when he went out to
do things for himself, knowing nothing of the situation except what he
got from his inner consciousness, and from what he was told. A
political situation is too delicately balanced for that. If I had done
nothing, I should have remained undeservedly popular and reaped the
reward of Brassfield's cunning and hypocrisy--don't stop me, please!
But you and I tried to impose righteousness on the people from the
outside and above. It never comes in that way, but always from the
inside and below, like lilies from the mud. I'm really a most
unpopular man, opposed by most of the 'good citizens' and all of the
bad except a few who still believe me dishonest, and will desert me as
soon as their fellows can convince them that I'm sincere--isn't it a
pretty plot! Facing defeat because of my advocacy of principles
everybody concedes to be right, because I'm suspected of an actual
intention to act according to my platform