e experience, you have
any suggestions to make, I shall be glad to hear 'em. Before putting the
bills in their final shape I've taken the trouble to go over them with my
friend, Mr. Flint--our mutual friend, let us say."

"I've had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Flint," said Mr. Gray. "I--ahem
--can't say that I know him intimately."

Mr. Crewe looked at Mr. Gray in a manner which plainly indicated that he
was not an infant.

"My relations with Mr. Flint and the Northeastern have been very
pleasant," said Mr. Crewe. "I may say that I am somewhat of a practical
railroad and business man myself."

"We need such men," said Mr. Gray. "Why, how do you do, Cary? How are the
boys up in Wheeler?"

"Well, good-by, Governor. See you day after to-morrow at five precisely,"
said Mr. Crewe.

The next official call of Mr. Crewe was on the Speaker-to-be, Mr. Doby of
Hale (for such matters are cut and dried), but any amount of pounding on
Mr. Doby's door (number seventy-five) brought no response. Other rural
members besides Mr. Crewe came and pounded on that door, and went away
again; but Mr. Job Braden suddenly appeared from another part of the
corridor, smiling benignly, and apparently not resenting the refusal of
his previous offers of help.

"W--want the Speaker?" he inquired.

Mr. Crewe acknowledged that he did.

"Ed only sleeps there," said Mr. Braden. "Guess you'll find him in the
Railroad-Room."

"Railroad Room?"

"Hilary Vane's, Number Seven." Mr. Braden took hold of the lapel of his
fellow-townsman's coat. "Callated you didn't know it all," he said;
"that's the reason I come down--so's to help you some."

Mr. Crewe, although he was not wont to take a second place, followed Mr.
Braden down the stairs to the door next to the governor's, where he
pushed ahead of his guide, through the group about the doorway,--none of
whom, however, were attempting to enter. They stared in some surprise at
Mr. Crewe as he flung open the door without knocking, and slammed it
behind him in Mr. Braden's face. But the bewilderment caused by this act
of those without was as nothing to the astonishment of those within--had
Mr. Crewe but known it. An oil painting of the prominent men gathered
about the marble-topped table in the centre of the room, with an outline
key beneath it, would have been an appropriate work of art to hang in the
state-house, as emblematic of the statesmanship of the past twenty years.
The Honourable Hilary Vane sat