to see a suffrage meeting. He's trying to reconcile himself
to the idea of woman's emancipation."

"He'll find a sympathizer in me," put in Cargill.

Bradley studied Birdsell with round-eyed steady stare. He was a superb
type of man. It gave Bradley a feeling of awkwardness to stand beside
him and a consciousness of stupidity to listen to their banter, but Ida
dismissed Cargill and Birdsell summarily and walked home with Bradley.
He was not keenly perceptive enough to see that Ida put Birdsell off
with a brusqueness that argued a perfect understanding.

They walked home by the risen moon side by side. He had not the courage
to take her arm and she did not offer it. He referred again to
Washington and she asked him to remember the women in his legislation.

"I don't know what I'm going to do next, but I must reach the farmer's
wives again as I did in the days of the grange. I feel for them. They
are to-day the most terrible proofs of man's inhumanity. My heart aches
for them. There is a new farmer's movement struggling forward, the
Alliance. I'm thinking of going into that as a lecturer. Do you know
anything about it?"

"No, not much."

They had reached the gate, and they stood there like lovers in the
cold, clear moonlight just an instant, but in that lingering action of
the woman there was something tender which Bradley seized upon. He
asked again--

"You'll let me write to you again, won't you?"

"Certainly. I shall follow your career with the deepest interest. I
wish you'd think of this alliance movement and advise me what to do.
Good-by." She extended her hand.

"Good-by," he said, and his voice choked. When he turned and walked
away Washington was very far away indeed and political honors cheap as
dust.

XXVI.

CONGRESSIONAL LIFE.

He found Washington less lonely for him on his return. There were many
new members, and they sought each other socially and soon managed to
have a good deal of talk among themselves, notwithstanding the studied
slights of the old members. One member, Clancy, who grew profane at
times, said, "These old seeds think they're hell's captains, but I
guess we can live if they don't shake hands."

Most of the members were married and lived with their families in
rented houses, but others, who were too poor to bring their families or
who were bachelors like Bradley, lived in boarding houses. Bradley
secured a room and board in a house near the capitol, because he seemed