ides she yearned to return to Benham, and
take up again the thread of active life there. Benham would vindicate
her, and some day Benham would send her back to Washington to claim
recognition and her rightful place.

Lyons himself was in a cheerful mood and found congenial occupation in
visiting with his wife the many historical objects of interest, and in
chatting in various hotel corridors with the public men of the country,
his associates in Congress. His solicitude in regard to the account
which Williams was carrying for him had been relieved temporarily by an
upward turn in the stock market, and the impending prompt adjournment of
Congress had saved him from the necessity of taking action in regard to
the railroad bill which Williams had solicited him to support. Moreover
Selma had repeated to him Horace Elton's prophecy that it was not
unlikely that some day he would become Senator. To be sure he recognized
that a remark like this uttered to a pretty woman by an astute man of
affairs such as Elton was not to be taken too seriously. There was no
vacancy in the office of Senator from his state, and none was likely to
occur. At the present time, if one should occur, his party in the state
legislature was in a minority. Hence prophecy was obviously a random
proceeding. Nevertheless he was greatly pleased, for, after all, Elton
would scarcely have made the speech had he not been genuinely well
disposed. A senatorship was one of the great prizes of political life,
and one of the noblest positions in the world. It would afford him a
golden opportunity to leave the impress of his convictions on national
legislation, and defend the liberties of the people by force of the
oratorical gifts which he possessed. Elton had referred to these gifts
in complimentary terms. Was it not reasonable to infer that Elton would
be inclined to promote his political fortunes? Such an ally would be
invaluable, for Elton was a growing power in the industrial development
of the section of the country where they both lived. He had continued to
find him friendly in spite of his own antagonism on the public platform
to corporate power. A favorite and conscientious hope in his political
outlook was that he might be able to make capital as well as labor
believe him to be a friend without alienating either; that he might
obtain support at the polls from both factions, and thus be left free
after election to work out for their mutual advantage appropri