hass been frown into de society of people of--vat you
gall?--sporty tendencies, he vould gradually yield to te suchestion of
dese tendencies. He vould----"

"I am glad I heard that," said Elizabeth. "We must not allow you to
return to this abnormal state!"

"Mr. Cox," said Judge Blodgett, "do we need a detective to run this
sporty influence down? or shall we look among the Christian Martyrs?"

"It will relieve me," said Miss Scarlett, hugging Mr. Cox's arm, "if
you won't look. I'm afraid to be searched!"

Elizabeth and Florian appeared in the archway. Her eyes were shining
with the soft radiance which, like the flush of dawn, comes only once
in the day's journey, and never returns. His sought her face in a
worship that she would never have seen had Eugene Brassfield looked out
from them.

"I am taking Miss Waldron home," said Mr. Amidon. "Matters have just
taken such a turn that I shall leave soon for my former home in
Wisconsin, where I have large interests, and I may not be able to
return. Such being the case, we do not feel that it would be just to
the people of this city to continue in the position of a candidate for
public office, and--pshaw! why not be honest? We're beaten, and we
don't want the office, anyhow. Judge, have you that letter of
withdrawal convenient?"

[Illustration: "I am taking Miss Waldron home," said Mr. Amidon.]

"I have," said the judge. "I figured all the time that you'd need it."

"Thanks!" said Amidon. "Take it, Mr. Alvord, and give it to the world
at large. You understand, do you not, the peculiar change of
personality which makes it improper----?"

"Sure," said Alvord. "The man who put out that platform of ours can't
afford to be caught short-changing the public by switching candidates
on them on the eve of election. And right here let me say, that be it
Amidon or Brassfield, the ties of brotherhood still hold with Jim
Alvord, in F. D. and B., and I hate to use this letter. I believe
still we could pull through, with proper management from now on, and,
confound it! I'd rather be licked with you than to win with any other
man on earth!"

"In all phases of my life," said Amidon, grasping the little man's hand
warmly, "I'm going to take the liberty of holding you as my friend. I
know faithfulness and unselfishness when I see it, no matter if I don't
quite fall in with its methods."

Alvord's eyes filled, as his emotions rose with the parting. Yet he
could not a