convention to get up a devil of
a breeze. They'll blow her over."

The State chairman had started to leave, after his declaration. His
automobile was purring at the foot of the steps. But he turned his back
on the expectant chauffeur, and tramped onto the porch.

"You don't mean to tell me that 'Fog-horn' Spinney is a dangerous
candidate, do you?"

"No, but Everett _is_! It happens once in so often, Luke--a situation
like this. Everett is lugging too much. Last fire we had in the village
here Ed Stilson tried to lug an old-fashioned bureau on his back and a
feather tick in his teeth, but he couldn't get through the door."

"Thelismer, why have you waited till now before saying this? I'd rather
have your judgment in political futures than that of any other man in
this State. But this is a damnation poor time to be getting around to me
with it."

"We had a caucus here yesterday, Luke, I'd only been suspecting till
then. In politics I'm quite a fellow to judge the whole piece in the web
by a sample. And I tell you Everett is going to make a dangerous
proposition for us!"

Presson stared at him for a full minute, blinking, thinking, knotting
his brows, and chewing fiercely on a piece of gum.

"Pull him out--that what you mean? Well, it can be done. There are
plenty of men in the party that are all safe and right, but haven't been
identified with the machine."

"And what will you say to Dave Everett and his friends, all of whom
you'll need at the polls?"

"It's a party exigency, isn't it?"

"It can be called that--and you can call a skunk 'Kitty' on your way
home from the club, but that fact won't change your wife's opinion of
you when you come in. You walk up to Dave Everett now with your
political exigency in your hand, Luke, and it would turn to a political
_ax_egency, and you'd have a pack of rebels on your back that would down
you sure! No, sir! You can't afford to smash a man that way."

"Then we'll ram him through the convention, reformers or no reformers!"

"You haven't got your crowd."

"Thelismer, you're right! I wouldn't have admitted it yesterday, but
after seeing how they came roaring up against you, I'm scared. I'm going
to pull Everett out of the fight and set up another man--one of the
young and liberal fellows. I'll do it within twenty-four hours!"

The Duke replaced his clippings and shoved the big wallet into his
pocket.

"Sudden remedies are sometimes good in extreme cases, Luke," he dr