m afraid, Hendrik," she stammered, turning pale. Women love to
gamble--in their minds, when alone.

"You? Afraid? Of anything?" He looked at her in pained amazement. "Look
at me!"

She did.

"I--I'll marry you any--anyway," she said, to show it was not cowardice,
but the reverse.

"Play the game!" he said, sternly.

Before she knew it she obeyed. She sat down limply and said:

"Ethel, I w-want a s-s-sandwich!"

"You poor thing! You're actually faint with hunger. Don't you want some
bouillon? Waiter!"

"No; I want a sandwich!" said Grace, loudly. You would have thought she
had said, "_Jacta est alea!_"

Ethel and Reggie heard Grace use that word. People all about them knew
who she was and had proudly told their out-of-town companions all about
H. R. and Grace Goodchild. They, too, heard Grace say she wanted a
sandwich.

Not a soul smiled! Not having seen anything about it in the newspapers
for a month, New York had forgotten that H. R. had wooed Grace with
sandwiches. H. R. was as famous as ever, but his fellow-citizens no
longer knew why or how.

The waiter took the order with unsmiling respect. Grace looked at H. R.
almost with awe. He smiled reassuringly and asked her:

"Aren't you going to ask Ethel?"

"Ask me what?" said Ethel.

Grace was silent, because she was blushing like a silly thing in public.

"On the eighth of June," said H. R. "I suppose you won't mind being a--"

Ethel naturally interrupted him by saying to Grace:

"I'm so glad! Is it announced?"

"You're the first one we've told, dear girl," H. R. declared, solemnly.
"Reggie, you will give me courage at the altar?"

"Will I?" chuckled Reggie, proudly, and insisted on shaking hands.

H. R. rewarded him. He said:

"Reggie, I'm going to let you help me in my campaign. I'm going to the
Assembly in the autumn."

"Albany!" said Reggie, enthusiastically. "First stop on the way to
Washington! There was Cleveland--and Roosevelt; and now--"

"Oh, Hendrik!" gasped Grace. She would help him all she could--at the
receptions.

Then she looked at Ethel to see whether she, also, understood national
politics. Ethel did. She said, with conviction:

"And we'll all vote for him, too!"

The waiter laid a plate of sandwiches before Grace.

H. R. stared at them--a long time, as though he were crystal-gazing. He
saw the labor-unions, the churches, the aristocracy, the bankers, the
newspapers, the thoughtless, and the hungry; and all were with