virtues of civic life, that the Republican party
is founded."

Harlan, at the door, younger than the rest, found a suggestion of humor
in what the orator was saying compared with what the party managers had
met to hear. But there were no smiles on the faces of the group. The
demeanor of the stricken Spinney, anger fairly distilling in his
sweat-drops, hinted the truth to Presson. Thelismer Thornton tried to
get near Spinney, understanding it all even better than the State
chairman, but the plain and stolid men flanked their captive with
determination.

"I have here five affidavits from eye-witnesses, swearing that Arba
Spinney was bribed to sell out his faction at the last moment to-day,
leaving only David Everett in the field. I have no time to waste in
giving the details of that transaction to men who know them just as well
as I do. And I want no interruption, sir!" He brandished the papers
under the nose of Presson, who attempted to speak. "I do not propose to
have my intelligence insulted by denials from you or any one else. If
you don't believe I have full proof of what I charge, you walk out of
that door and put the matter to the test! And I hasten to assure you,
sir, that you'll be eternally disgraced!"

He waited a moment, because a roar of applause that greeted one of
Senator Pownal's utterances resounded even in the remote anteroom.

"It all means, gentlemen, that I'm to be the nominee of this convention
to-day. It's time for a clean-up, and I'm going to start one. The men
who are running our party are not fit to be in charge of it. The voters
deserve a better show. I've called you here to give you an opportunity
to save yourselves, personally. I'm willing to submit to a little
by-play for that purpose. You are to allow Spinney's name to go before
the convention, according to the regular programme. That's to divert the
attention of the convention and the State-at-large from what otherwise
would seem a split in the recognized management of the party. Spinney
has been only a rank outsider, politically considered. We have to
consider the campaign, gentlemen, and the material we may furnish our
friends, the enemy. Then, you gentlemen of the State Committee, each in
his county delegation, are to start a demonstration in my behalf. This
is no time for me to be mock-modest. On the heels of that demonstration
Everett's name is to be withdrawn with the explanation that such an
apparently spontaneous demand from th