ial pillar of comic opera, tend to change or hide the leopard's
spots in a community where the Ten Commandments haven't yet been
declared unconstitutional, save by plumbers and paperhangers. Women who
had never in their lives seen Mrs. Thatcher admired her for remaining in
exile; they knew she must be (delectable phrase!) a good woman.

"You know dad has had an awful lonely time of it, Dan, and if he has
done things that haven't sounded nice, he's as sorry as anybody could
ask. You know dad never made a cent in his life at poker, and his horses
have come near busting him lots of times. And sentiment against
breweries over here would astonish people abroad. It's that old Puritan
strain, you know. You understand all that, Dan."

Dan grinned in spite of himself. It was hardly less than funny to
attempt a defense of Ed Thatcher by invoking the shades of the Puritans.
But Thatcher did love his boy, and Dan had always given him full credit
for that.

"Never mind the breweries; tell me the rest of it."

"Well," Allen continued, "dad always tells me everything, and when I
spoke of Marian he told me a lot of things. He wants to put Bassett out
of business and go to the Senate. Dad's set his heart on that. I didn't
know that any man could hate another as he hates Bassett. That business
in the state convention cut him deep;--no, don't you say a word! Dad
hasn't any feeling against you; he thinks you're a fine fellow, and he
likes to feel that when you quit Bassett you put yourself on his side.
Maybe he's wrong, but just for my sake I want you to let him think so.
But he's got it in for Bassett; he's got his guns all loaded and primed.
Dad's deeper than you think. They used to say that dad was only second
fiddle to Bassett, but you'll see that dad knows a thing or two."

Dan drummed his desk. This reference to Thatcher's ambitions only
kindled his anger and he wished that Allen would end his confidences and
take himself off. But he pricked up his ears as Allen went on.

"I'm telling you this just to show you how it mixes up things for Marian
and me. I came to you for help, old man; and I want you to see how hard
it is for me to go to Mr. Bassett and tell him I want to marry Marian."

"Just a minute, Allen. Are you quite sure that Marian has made up her
mind to marry you; that she really wants to marry anybody?"

"I tell you it's all fixed! You don't imply that Marian is merely
amusing herself at my expense! It wouldn't be li