el Gid Ward
to deal with!"

"But you said you were out of politics, Aaron!" Dismay and grief were
in her tones. "I want you for myself, husband. You promised me. I
don't want you to go back into politics."

"I hain't ever been out of politics yet," he retorted. "And if there
are any men in this town that think I'm down and out they'll have
another guess comin'."

He marched out of the house, leaving his visiting friend in most
cavalier fashion.

Hiram stared after him, meditatively stroking his long mustache.

"Mis' Sproul," he said at last, "you take muddy roads, wet grounds,
balky animils, fool rubes, drunken performers, and the high price
of lemons, and the circus business is some raspy on the general
disposition. But since I've known your husband I've come to the
conclusion that it's an angel-maker compared with goin' to sea."

"You had no business tellin' him what you did," complained the wife.
"You ought to understand his disposition by this time."

"I ought to, but I see I don't," acknowledged the friend. He scrubbed
his plug hat against his elbow and started for the door. "I'd been
thinkin' that if ever I'd run up against a man that really wanted
to shuck office that man was your husband. I reckoned he really knew
what he wanted part of the time."

"Can't you go after him and make him change his mind back?" she
pleaded.

"The voters of this town will attend to that. I was tellin' him the
straight truth. If he don't get it passed to him hot off the bat when
he tackles 'em, then I'm a sucker. You needn't worry, marm. He'll
have plenty of time to 'tend to his garden sass this summer."

It was midnight when Cap'n Sproul returned to an anxious and waiting
wife. He was flushed and hot and hoarse, but the gleam in his eye
was no longer that of offended pride and ireful resolve. There was
triumph in his glance.

"If there's a bunch of yaller dogs think they can put me out of office
in this town they'll find they're tryin' to gnaw the wrong bone,"
he declared hotly.

"But you had told them you wouldn't take the office--you insisted
that you were going to resign--you said--"

"It didn't make any diff'runce what I said--when I said it things
was headed into the wind and all sails was drawin' and I was on my
course. But you let some one try to plunk acrost my bows when I'm
on the starboard tack, and have got right of way, well, more or less
tophamper is goin' to be carried away--and it won't be mine."

"