es and
wheel-barrows and lazily plodded to and fro upon the beautiful seamless
green of the lawns, or spaded about the flowers beds in the countless
little parks of the city.

A few days later and the old white mule and darkey driver came out upon
the springing grass with the purring mower, and it made Bradley's blood
leap with recollections of the haying field. The air began to grow
sweet with the odor of flowers. The sky took on a warm look. The
building took on a deeper blue in its shadows and the north windows
became violet at noon. Bradley longed for the country, but the
orange-colored mud of the suburbs kept him confined to the sidewalks.

On Easter Sunday the girls came out in their delicious dresses, looking
dainty and sweet as the lilies each church displayed. New hats, new
grasses and springing plants announced that spring had come. The
"leaves of absence" indicated spring in the House.

As June came on, the question of re-election began to trouble some of
the members. They began to get "leave of absence on important
business," and to go home to fix up their political fences. There was
no sign of adjournment. It was the policy of the Republicans to keep
the Democrats out of the field.

The profane Clancy was one of the first to go. He came to Bradley one
day, "Say, Talcott, I wish you'd ask for indefinite leave for me, my
fences are in a hell of a fix and besides I want to see my wife. I'm no
earthly use here--though you needn't state that in your request."

"What'll I say?"

"Oh, important business--or sickness--the baby's cutting a tooth--just
as you like. It all goes."

"I guess I'll try important business. The other is too much worn."

"All right. It does beat hell the amount of sickness there is on
pension bill nights and on convention week."

Clancy was a type of legislator whose idea of legislation was to have a
good time and look out for re-election. Bradley, however, did not worry
particularly about his re-election until he received a letter from the
Judge asking him to come home and attend the convention.

"It's just as well to be on the ground," the Judge wrote; "there is a
good deal of opposition developing in the north-west part of the
district. Larson wants the nomination for the Legislature, and he is
trying to swing the Scandinavians for Fishbein. They are making a good
deal of your attitude on the pension bill, and that interview on the
oleo business where you go back on your legis