ife. Up to two years ago he was a red-hot
Democrat, and no one down in their hearts, Republican or Democrat, has
any use for a turncoat. I take it all in all, he is the most onpopular
man in Illinoy to-day. His conduct is as hard to swaller as a dose of
them old Greek twins, Castor Oil and Politics, we use to wrastle with at
school. Of course in political life, like in ordinary life, you have to
eat a peck o' dirt before you die, but you don't have to eat it all at
oncst like he's a doin'! Why, old war-horses, Republicans all their
lives, were turned down for this here upstart! It's done the party a
deal of harm. And then, as I said before, Sam Thorne's confounded airs
is making everybody sick. No one ever thought anything of the Thornes
when I fust grew up. They wasn't no better'n any one else. Sam Thorne's
father was the clerk of the court at Liberty, and a darned poor one at
that, as I have often heard my father say. I went to school with Sam,
and many's the thrashin' I have given him, but that's neither here nor
there.

"'Oh, we've got 'em this time, sure! Yes, they're going to run Thorne
again. He's got hold of a wad there in Washington, and can buy up the
whole convention if need be. I wouldn't trust any of them Republicans.
The Democratic party is above sech doin's. We stand for purity,
patriotism--the whole bag o' tricks! Ha, ha! And politics, I guess, is
like everything else. So long as you stick to the Thirteenth
Commandment, you'll get there without any trouble.'

"'The Thirteenth Commandment'?

[Illustration: "--Stick to the Thirteenth Commandment!"]

"'Yes, the Thirteenth--"Thou shalt not be found out," you know. Oh,
we'll fix the Thorne gang as sure's you're born to die! My luck'll carry
you through. It sure will! A chiropodist in Chicago once told me that
there was a terribul commotion in the heavens when I was born. Venus was
bit by the Dog Star--or some sech foolishness--all of which went to show
that I come on the earth at jest the right diabolical moment. And I
guess the fellow knew what he was a talkin' about, with his maps, and
charts, and things. Anyway, I've got no kick comin'. I have always had
the best o' good luck, and I'll pass it on to you.'

"Sale was a good talker, and carried everything before him. Now and then
I managed to slip in a word or two in feeble protest, but he swept away
all my objections with the same easy movement that he chased off the
flies from his face.

"When I loo