wn. Get out of here and pass that
word."

But a yelp from the candidate halted the departing Orne at the
door. "Seeing that you have my ten dollars and are full of political
information, perhaps you'll throw in free of charge who it is this town
is going to send to the legislature!"

"Only one thing has been decided on so far," returned the politician.
"And, having no desire to rub it in, I'll let you draw your own
conclusions." Mr. Orne had the door open; he dodged out and slammed the
door shut.

It was promptly opened--so promptly that Mr. Britt was fairly caught at
what he was about. He was standing up, shaking both fists at the door
and cursing roundly. Vona was gazing at him in alarm.

"I was waiting in the corridor, sir, till you--till your business--till
Mr. Orne went away," she stammered.

"Come in!" muttered Britt, even more disconcerted than the girl.

Then he wished that he had told her to go away. He realized that he was
in no mood or condition to woo; the cabbage had tortured him, but this
new sort of indigestion in the very soul of him had left him without
poise or courage.

He slumped down in his chair and waved a limp hand in invitation for her
to take a seat near him. But she merely came and stood in the middle of
the room and surveyed him with an uncompromising air of business. From
the velvet toque, with just a suggestion of a coquettish cant on her
brown curls, down her healthily round cheeks, a bit flushed, above the
fur neckpiece that clasped her throat, Britt's fervent eyes strayed. And
some of the words of the Prophet's singsong monotone echoed in the empty
chambers of Britt's consciousness, "'Thou hast dove's eyes within thy
locks--thy lips are like a thread of scarlet.'"

But she was aloof. She held herself rigidly erect. Her eyes were coldly
inquiring. Those lips were set tightly. Mr. Britt had just been reaching
out for honors, and his knuckles had been rapped cruelly. He wanted to
reach out for love--and he dared not. The girl, as she stood there, was
so patently among the things he was not able to possess!

She had come into his presence with expectation keenly alert, with her
fears putting her into a mental posture of defense. She felt that she
knew just what was going to happen, and she was assuring herself that
she would be able to meet the situation. But she was not prepared for
what did happen. She did not understand Britt's mental state of that
moment. Mr. Britt, himself, d