ould I not best telephone?'"

"'Step right into the booth,' said the Judge, quite indulgently." Miss
Wynn leaned back, and Bles felt his heart sinking; but he said nothing.
"And then," she continued, "I telephoned the Judge's wife that he was
anxious to see her on a matter of urgent business; namely, my
appointment." She gazed reflectively out of the window. "You should have
seen his face when I told him," she concluded. "I was appointed."

But Bles asked coldly:

"Why didn't you have him arrested?"

"For what? And suppose I had?"

Bles threw out his arms helplessly.

"Oh! it isn't as bad as that all over the world, is it?"

"It's worse," affirmed Miss Wynn, quietly positive.

"And you are still friendly with him?"

"What would you have? I use the world; I did not make it; I did not
choose it. He is the world. Through him I earn my bread and butter. I
have shown him his place. Shall I try in addition to reform? Shall I
make him an enemy? I have neither time nor inclination. Shall I resign
and beg, or go tilting at windmills? If he were the only one it would be
different; but they're all alike." Her face grew hard. "Have I shocked
you?" she said as they went toward the door.

"No," he answered slowly. "But I still--believe in the world."

"You are young yet, my friend," she lightly replied. "And besides, that
good Miss Smith has gone and grafted a New England conscience on a
tropical heart, and--dear me!--but it's a gorgeous misfit.
Good-bye--come again." She bowed him graciously out, and paused to take
the mail from the box. There was, among many others, a letter from
Senator Smith.

_Twenty-five_

THE CAMPAIGN

Mr. Easterly sat in Mrs. Vanderpool's apartments in the New Willard,
Washington, drinking tea. His hostess was saying rather carelessly:

"Do you know, Mr. Vanderpool has developed a quite unaccountable liking
for the idea of being Ambassador to France?"

"Dear me!" mildly exclaimed Mr. Easterly, helping himself liberally to
cakes. "I do hope the thing can be managed, but--"

"What are the difficulties?" Mrs. Vanderpool interrupted.

"Well, first and foremost, the difficulty of electing our man."

"I thought that a foregone conclusion."

"It was. But do you know that we're encountering opposition from the
most unexpected source?"

The lady was receptive, and the speaker concluded:

"The Negroes."

"The Negroes!"

"Yes. There are five hundred thousand or more black voters in