-two high-minded
speeches. Always thought you was a high-minded man, Heth."

"How did you like those speeches, Jethro?" asked Mr. Sutton, striving as
best he might to make some show of dignity.

"Th-thought they was high-minded," said Jethro.

Then there was a silence, for Mr. Sutton could think of nothing more to
say. And he yearned to depart with a great yearning, but something held
him there.

"Heth," said Jethro after a while, "you was always very friendly and
obliging. You've done a great many favors for me in your life."

"I've always tried to be neighborly, Jethro," said Mr. Sutton, but his
voice sounded a little husky even to himself.

"And I may have done one or two little things for you, Heth," Jethro
continued, "but I can't remember exactly. Er--can you remember, Heth."

Mr. Sutton was trying with becoming nonchalance to light the stump of his
cigar. He did not succeed this time. He pulled himself together with a
supreme effort.

"I think we've both been mutually helpful, Jethro," he said, "mutually
helpful."

"Well," said Jethro, reflectively, "I don't know as I could have put it
as well as that--there's somethin' in being an orator."

There was another silence, a much longer one. The Honorable Heth threw
his butt away, and lighted another cigar. Suddenly, as if by magic, his
aplomb returned, and in a flash of understanding he perceived the
situation. He saw himself once more as the successful congressman, the
trusted friend of the railroad interests, and he saw Jethro as a
discredited boss. He did not stop to reflect that Jethro did not act like
a discredited boss, as a keener man might have done. But if the Honorable
Heth had been a keener man, he would not have been at that time a
congressman. Mr. Sutton accused himself of having been stupid in not
grasping at once that the tables were turned, and that now he was the one
to dispense the gifts.

"K-kind of fortunate you stopped to speak to me, Heth. N-now I come to
think of it, I hev a little favor to ask of you."

"Ah!" exclaimed Mr. Sutton, blowing out the smoke; "of course anything I
can do, Jethro--anything in reason."

"W-wouldn't ask a high-minded man to do anything he hadn't ought to,"
said Jethro; "the fact is, I'd like to git Eph Prescott appointed at the
Brampton post-office. You can fix that, Heth--can't you--you can fix
that?"

Mr. Sutton stuck his thumb into his vest pocket and cleared his throat.

"I can't tell you how sorr