t mess of nasty confederacy 'Our
Party,'" declared General Waymouth, passionately. "When honesty kills a
party, let it die--let its men get out and organize another one. But I
tell you, you can't kill it by being honest, Thelismer. The trouble is
you're sitting here and building for to-night--for to-morrow. I'm a
Republican--you can't take that name away from me. But the badge doesn't
belong on men who are using that name to cover up a rum-selling
business."

Chairman Presson was livid. He leaped from his chair and drove his fist
down on the table,

"Now you're insulting me personally!" he shouted.

"I deal in no personalities, sir. So long as I hide myself under the
name of Republican and allow this thing to go on as it's going, I'm in
the traffic myself; and I don't propose to continue in it--not when I
have power placed in my hands."

"By the eternal gods, you won't have the power placed there!" roared the
chairman of the State Committee.

Now some one called to them from outside the door, repeating the
rapping.

"When you say that, you're confessing that the Republican party is a
sneak, Presson," declared the General.

The Duke came along to the table. He ticked his forefinger against the
paper that Waymouth was holding.

"Vard, you're pledging yourself in advance of election to the most rabid
of the prohibition fanatics."

"I'm pledging myself to obey the one State law that occupies the most
space in public attention, causes the most discussion, makes the most
row. It's a damnable bloodsucker to be hitched on to any political
party! But it's on ours, and I'm going to grab it with both hands!"

"Hold a proxy from the ramrodders, eh?" sneered the State chairman,
thoroughly a rebel.

"No, nor from the State rumsellers. If the people of his State want to
have rum sold, let 'em vote to have it sold. But as it now stands, they
can't enlist me to head the lawbreakers and shield the lawbreaking. I'm
through playing the hypocrite!"

"We've got to set ourselves above petty bickerings and personal
differences," interposed the Senator, cracking the party whip. "I'm a
Republican, first of all!"

"Talk sense, Pownal!" snapped the General, impatiently. "This isn't a
political rally. We're grown men and friends that can talk plain. His
principles make a Republican--or ought to--not his protestations! And
establishing a system of low license and sheriff-made local option under
a prohibitory law is unprincipled, an