ssion
with some friends.

"Watch him, Stubby," said one of the young assemblyman's enemies. "Don't
let him get away from you to-night."

"I have me eye on him," answered Stubby.

Roosevelt was on the way to the buffet of the hotel when the crowd, with
Stubby in front, pushed against him rudely. The young assemblyman
stepped back and viewed those before him fearlessly.

"Say, what do yer mean, running into me that way?" demanded Stubby,
insolently.

As he spoke he aimed a savage blow at Theodore Roosevelt. But the young
assemblyman had not forgotten how to box, and he dodged with an agility
that was astonishing.

"This fellow needs to be taught a lesson," Theodore Roosevelt told
himself, and then and there he proceeded to administer the lesson in a
manner that Stubby never forgot. He went down flat on his back, and
when he got up, he went down again, with a bleeding nose and one eye all
but closed. Seeing this, several leaped in to his assistance, but it was
an ill-fated move, for Roosevelt turned on them also, and down they
went, too; and then the encounter came to an end, with Theodore
Roosevelt the victor.

"And that wasn't the end of it," said one, who witnessed the affair.
"After it was over young Roosevelt was as smiling as ever. He walked
straight over to some of his enemies who had been watching the mix-up
from a distance and told them very plainly that he knew how the attack
had originated, and he was much obliged to them, for he hadn't enjoyed
himself so much for a year. Phew! but weren't those fellows mad! And
wasn't Stubby mad when he learned that they had set him against one of
the best boxers Harvard ever turned out? But after that you can make
sure they treated Roosevelt with respect and gave him a wide berth."

CHAPTER IV

THEODORE ROOSEVELT AND GOVERNOR CLEVELAND--GOOD WORK AS AN
ASSEMBLYMAN--SOME MEASURES PUSHED THROUGH--BIRTH OF ALICE
ROOSEVELT--DEATH OF MR. ROOSEVELT'S MOTHER

The career of an assemblyman is not generally an interesting one, but
Mr. Roosevelt managed to extract not a little pleasure and also some
profit from it. The experience was just what he needed to fit himself
for the larger positions he was, later on, to occupy.

One happening is of peculiar interest to note. While Theodore Roosevelt
was a member of the Assembly, Grover Cleveland became governor of the
state. Mr. Cleveland was a Democrat, while Mr. Roosevelt was a
Republican, yet the two future Presidents