nia Poorhouse."
Now its plums would be apportioned to the politicians of the North.

Everywhere one heard the praise of Broderick's astuteness. He had a way
of making loyal friends. A train of them had followed him through years
of more or less continuous defeat and now they were rejoicing in the
prospect of reward.

He was explaining this to Alice. Trying to at least. "One has to pay his
debts," he told her. "These men have worked for me as hard as any
factory slaves. And without any definite certainty of compensation. Do
you remember young Waters who came here last December to congratulate
me? Yes, of course, he was Benito's clerk. I'd forgotten that. Well,
what did that young rascal do but grow a beard and hire out as a waiter
in the Magnolia Hotel. He overheard some plots against me in a corner of
the dining room. And thus we were prepared to checkmate all the
movements of the enemy.... I call that smart. I'll see that he gets a
good berth. A senate clerkship. Something of the sort."

"When do you leave?" asked Alice quickly.

"Tomorrow.... Gwin is going also. I'll stop over in New York." He smiled
at her. "When I left there I told my friends I'd not return until I was
a senator. Eight years ago that was.... And now I'm making good my
promise." He laughed boyishly.

"You're very happy over it, aren't you, Dave?" she said with a shadow of
wistfulness.

"Why, yes, to be sure," he answered. His eyes held hers. "I'll miss
you, of course.... All of you." He spoke with a touch of restraint.

"And we'll miss YOU." She said more brightly, "I know you will do us
much honor ... there in the nation's capital." Her hand went half way
out toward him and drew back. "You'll fight always ... for the right
alone ... Dave Broderick."

He took a step toward her. "By God! I will promise you that. I'm through
with ward politics, with tricks and intriguing. I'm going to fight for
Freedom ... against Slavery. They're trying to fasten Slavery onto
Kansas. President Buchanan is a Pennsylvanian but he's dominated by the
Southern men. Washington is dominated by them. There aren't more than
half a dozen who are not afraid of them." He drew himself up. "But I'm
one. Douglas of Illinois is another. And Seward of New York. I've heard
from them. We stand together."

He laughed a shade bitterly. "It's difficult to fancy, isn't it? Dave
Broderick, the son of a stone mason, a former fireman, bartender,
ward-boss--fighting for an ideal? Aga