eople starve. The time has come for rebellion."

Bradley was silent. He sympathized with her feeling, but he could not
see very much hope in a revolt.

Her eyes glowed with the fire of prophecy. Bradley gazed at her with
apprehensive eyes. She seemed unwholesomely excited. But she broke into
a hearty laugh, and said: "You stare. Well, I won't lecture you any
more. What did you do in Washington?"

"Nothing," he replied; and there was something silencing in his voice.

She glanced at his face sharply. She hesitated an instant, then asked:

"Do you go back?"

"No, my political career is ended. I was knifed in the convention."

"You are young."

"I'm not young enough to outgrow such a defeat as that. I'm done."

This mood seemed singularly unlike him, as she had known him before.
She seized upon the situation.

"Come with us. 'There is more wool and flax in the fields,'" she
quoted.

"I can't. I don't see things as you do--I mean I don't see any cure."

She laid her hand on his arm. "I'm going to convert you. Will you
attend one more meeting with me?"

"I'll go wherever you say," he answered, with an attempt at gallantry.

"I want to take you with me to show you what the people are doing, and
what my work is. You're to ask no questions, but just make yourself
ready to go."

Bradley's mind was in a whirl. Ida seemed so different--not at all like
that last letter she had written to him. He felt rather than perceived
the change in her. She left him at the hotel door and her parting
hand-clasp quickened his breath. An indefinite and unreasonable
exultation filled his eyes with light. In the privacy of his room he
croaked a few notes before he realized that he could not sing. His
gloomy sky had let fall a sudden ray of dazzling sunshine.

XXXI.

IDA SHOWS BRADLEY THE WAY OUT.

He did not see her again till the next afternoon. She came out into the
ante-room in the hotel looking so lovely he could hardly believe his
good fortune.

"Now you are in my hands, Mr. Talcott."

He noticed that she did not call him "Brother" Talcott. He was as
boyish and timid as ever, quite subdued by her presence, and followed
her out to the omnibus in a daze of delight. He had forgotten all he
knew, but he was very content to listen.

She, however, did not seem at all self-conscious. She wore a large
cloak and warm gloves, and under the wide rim of her black hat her face
was like silver and her eyes like stars. A del