nourable Adam got to his feet.
"You can tell Flint," he said, "that if he will sign a bond of one
hundred thousand dollars to elect me next time, I'll get out. That's my
last word."
"All right, Adam," replied Mr. Vane, rising also.
Mr. Hunt stared at the Honourable Hilary thoughtfully; and although the
gubernatorial candidate was not an observant man, he was suddenly struck
by the fact that the chief counsel was growing old.
"I won't hold this against you, Hilary," he said.
"Politics," said the Honourable Hilary, "are business matters."
"I'll show Flint that it would have been good business to stick to me,"
said the Honourable Adam. "When he gets panicky, and spends all his money
on new equipment and service, it's time for me to drop him. You can tell
him so from me."
"Hadn't you better write him?" said the Honourable Hilary.
The rumour of the entry of Mr. Giles Henderson of Kingston into the
gubernatorial contest preceded, by ten days or so, the actual event. It
is difficult for the historian to unravel the precise circumstances which
led to this candidacy. Conservative citizens throughout the State, it was
understood, had become greatly concerned over the trend political affairs
were taking; the radical doctrines of one candidate--propounded for very
obvious reasons--they turned from in disgust; on the other hand, it was
evident that an underlying feeling existed in certain sections that any
candidate who was said to have had more or less connection with the
Northeastern Railroads was undesirable at the present time. This was not
to be taken as a reflection on the Northeastern, which had been the chief
source of the State's prosperity, but merely as an acknowledgment that a
public opinion undoubtedly existed, and ought to be taken into
consideration by the men who controlled the Republican party.
This was the gist of leading articles which appeared simultaneously in
several newspapers, apparently before the happy thought of bringing
forward Mr. Giles Henderson had occurred to anybody. He was mentioned
first, and most properly, by the editor of the "Kingston Pilot;" and the
article, with comments upon it, ran like wildfire through the press of
the State,--appearing even in those sheets which maintained editorially
that they were for the Honourable Adam B. Hunt first and last and, all
the time. Whereupon Mr. Giles Henderson began to receive visits from the
solid men--not politicians of the various citi
|