his wife, in surprise, "you haven't been down long
enough to read a column."

"It was full of trash," said Mr. Merrill, lightly, and began on his usual
jokes with the girls. But Mrs. Merrill was troubled. She thought his
jokes not as hearty as they were wont to be, and disquieting surmises of
business worries filled her mind. The fact that he beckoned her into his
writing room as soon as breakfast was over did not tend to allay her
suspicions. He closed and locked the door after her, and taking the paper
from a drawer in his desk bade her read a certain article in it.

The article was an arraignment of Jethro Bass--and a terrible arraignment
indeed. Step by step it traced his career from the beginning, showing
first of all how he had debauched his own town of Coniston; how,
enlarging on the same methods, he had gradually extended his grip over
the county and finally over the state; how he had bought and sold men for
his own power and profit, deceived those who had trusted in him,
corrupted governors and legislators, congressmen and senators, and even
justices of the courts: how he had trafficked ruthlessly in the
enterprises of the people. Instance upon instance was given, and men of
high prominence from whom he had received bribes were named, not the
least important of these being the Honorable Alva Hopkins of Gosport.

Mrs. Merrill looked up from the paper in dismay.

"It's copied from the Newcastle Guardian," she said, for lack of
immediate power to comment. "Isn't the Guardian the chief paper in that
state?"

"Yes, Worthington's bought it, and he instigated the article, of course.
I've been afraid of this for a long time, Carry," said Mr. Merrill,
pacing up and down. "There's a bigger fight than they've ever had coming
on up there, and this is the first gun. Worthington, with Duncan behind
him, is trying to get possession of and consolidate all the railroads in
the western part of that state. If he succeeds, it will mean the end of
Jethro's power. But he won't succeed."

"Stephen," said his wife, "do you mean to say that Jethro Bass will try
to defeat this consolidation simply to keep his power?"

"Well, my dear," answered Mr. Merrill, still pacing, "two wrongs don't
make a right, I admit. I've known these things a long time, and I've
thought about them a good deal. But I've had to run along with the tide,
or give place to another man who would; and--and starve."

Mrs. Merrill's eyes slowly filled with tears