icate perfume came from
her dress, and reached him across the carriage.

"It takes about an hour to go down," she said, as they alighted and
stood waiting on the platform, "and then the 'college' is some distance
away from the station."

It was an unspeakable pleasure to sit beside her in the train and
listen to her talk. It was one of the things he had dreamed of so many
times, but had really never dared to expect.

"The reason I want you to attend this meeting is because the
schoolhouse, after all, is the place where a real reform among the
farmers must have its base. I'd like to see you working with us," she
said, turning suddenly towards him.

"I would if I felt as you do about it, but I can't."

"Why not? You're really one of us. Your letters showed me that. Why
can't you work with us?"

"Well, I'll tell you: because it looks like a last resort. It would
look as though, after having been kicked out of both parties, I had
gone into the third party out of revenge."

"Well, I see some force in that. But you can't be idle. You are too
strong and fine to be beaten so. Do you know, I think it was
providential that you were defeated." She turned to him now, and there
was something in the nearness of her face that awed him. "Your letters
to me told me more than you knew. I read beneath the lines; I saw how
nearly the atmosphere of Congress had ruined you. The greed of office
had got hold of you--now hadn't it?"

He dropped his eyes. "Something got hold of me," he said at length.

She went on in a voice which moved him so deeply he could not reply.
"I've wanted to see you. I believed in you, and it made my heart ache
to hear your despondent words yesterday. Life is a battle at best. You
can't afford to surrender so early. The way of the thinker is always
hard. Take up your sword again. Oh, it's glorious to be in such a
revolution! I never was so happy in my life. Happy and sad too! I never
was so sad. Now _that's_ like a woman, isn't it? What I really mean is
that I never saw so clearly the poverty and helplessness of the people
before, and it makes me happy to think I can do something for them."

Bradley sat silently looking at her with his big brown eyes. He was
thrilling with the vibration of her voice and the touch of her hand on
his arm.

She colored a little, and dropped her eyes suddenly. "There I go again!
I _must_ keep the oratorical tone out of my voice. Don't mind my
preaching at you, will you?"