ramount to your obligation to Elton. Whom will
this gas bill benefit but the promoters? Your view, James, is the
old-fashioned view. Just as I said to you the other day that Dr. Page is
old-fashioned in his views of medicine, so it seems to me, if you will
forgive my saying so, you are, in this instance, behind the times. And
you are not usually behind the times. It has been one of the joyous
features of my marriage with you that you have not lacked American
initiative and independence of conventions. I wish you had confided in
me. You were forced to give that promise by your financial distress.
Will you let an old-fashioned theory of private honor make you a traitor
to our party cause and to the sovereign people of our country?"

Lyons bowed his head between his hands. "You make me see that there are
two sides to the question, Selma. It is true that I was not myself when
Elton got my promise to sign the bill. My mind had been on the rack for
weeks, and I was unfit to form a correct estimate of a complicated
public measure. But a promise is a promise."

"What can he do if you break it? He will not kill you."

"He will not kill me, no; but he will despise me." Lyons reflected, as
he spoke, that Elton would be unable to injure him financially. He
would, be able to pay his notes when they became due, thanks to the
improvement in business affairs which had set in since the beginning of
the year.

"And your party--the American people will despise you if you sign the
bill. Whose contempt do you fear the most?"

"I see--I see," he murmured. "I cannot deny there is much force in your
argument, dear. I fear there can be no doubt that if I let the bill
become law, public clamor will oblige the party to throw me over and
take up Stringer or some dark horse. That means a serious setback to my
political progress; means perhaps my political ruin."

"Your political suicide, James. And there is another side to it,"
continued Selma, pathetically. "My side. I wish you to think of that. I
wish you to realize that, if you yield to this false notion of honor,
you will interfere with the development of my life no less than your
own. As you know, I think, I became your wife because I felt that as a
public woman working, at your side in behalf of the high purposes in
which we had a common sympathy, I should be a greater power for good
than if I pursued alone my career as a writer and on the lecture
platform. Until to-day I have felt sure