diana has one to dispose of. I'm
not so good myself, but when I found that Thatcher had begun to build up
a little machine for himself, I resolved to show him that I can't be
used by any man so long as he thinks he needs me and then kicked out
when I'm in the way. And I've got some state pride, too, and with all
the scandals going around in other states over the sale of seats at
Washington I'm not going to have my party in the state where I was born
and where I have lived all my life lend itself to the ambitions of an Ed
Thatcher. I think you share that feeling?"

"The people of the whole state will commend that," replied Dan warmly.
"And if you want to go to the Senate--"

"I don't want anything from my party that it doesn't want me to have,"
interrupted Bassett.

He rose and paced the floor. An unusual color had come into his face,
but otherwise he betrayed no agitation. He crossed from the door to the
window and resumed his seat.

"They've said of me that I fight in the dark; that I'm a man of secret
and malign methods. The 'Advertiser' said only this morning that I have
no courage; that I never make an attack where it costs me anything. I've
already proved that to be a lie. My attack on Thatcher is likely to cost
me a good deal. You may be sure he won't scruple to make the bill as
heavy as he can. I'm talking to you freely, and I'll say to you that I
expect the better element of the party to rally to my support. You see,
I'm going to give you idealists a chance to do something that will
count. Thatcher is not a foe to be despised. Here's his reply to my
'Stop, Look, Listen,' editorial. The sheriff served it on me just as I
stepped into the elevator to come up here."

The paper Harwood took wonderingly was a writ citing Bassett to appear
as defendant in a suit brought in the circuit court by Edward G.
Thatcher against the Courier Publishing Company, Morton Bassett, and
Sarah Owen.

Bassett stretched himself at ease in his chair and explained.

"I wanted a newspaper and he was indifferent about it at the time; but
we went in together, and he consented that I should have a controlling
interest. As I was tied up tight right then I had to get Mrs. Owen to
help me out. It wasn't the kind of deal you want to hawk about town, and
neither Thatcher nor I cared to have it known for a while that we had
bought the paper. But it's hardly a secret now, of course. Mrs. Owen and
I together own one hundred and fifty-one share