loyees of the Roma Ice Company, he
did not find it so easy to disburse that money as he had expected.

"No," said one man, "I can't forget that Miss Van Deusen's been good to
me and mine."

"O, she is the Roma Ice Company, of course," returned Watts. "That is
one of her assets; but you people are being ground down to hard labor
every day to keep her in luxury--don't you see that?"

"I see," answered the man, "that she is almost the only employer I know
who takes a personal interest in us."

"Yes, when votes are to be counted," sneered Watts.

"Listen," said the man. "Two years ago, when the strike was on, and
there was a good deal of hard times around, she came right down among us
and helped. She didn't sit down at home and let us take the consequences
of the strike (no, I never was in favor of it. I only went out with the
rest because I had to.) And she didn't send us a check as if we were
just objects of charity. She came right down into the tenements and
talked with our women-folks. She found out what they needed and provided
it when it was necessary. She sat up all night with the sick baby of one
of the strike leaders. My! but he was a shamed man the next day! And my
own woman, why, man alive! when she had her baby and we'd no money at
all, Gertrude Van Deusen sent a nurse and a doctor and paid for 'em; but
more than that, she came down and stood by my wife (who was once a maid
of hers), all through it. Do you suppose we are going back on a woman
like that? No sirree! The votes of the Roma Ice Company are hers--to a
man."

So it was that while the politicians were declaiming against her as a
cold-blooded aristocrat, there were poor people all over the city who
had some tale to tell of kindness done in secret, either by her or her
father.

Towards the last of the campaign, a demand grew for a joint debate. Miss
Van Deusen had appeared on the platform many times, and defined her
attitude on public issues in Roma quite clearly. John Allingham had done
the same, for he had a good following of the business men of the city,
while the demagogues made a formidable showing for their candidate,
Barnaby Burke. There was a growing feeling that there must be a fusion
of the woman's ticket with the Allingham forces, but the former would
not withdraw their candidate, and Allingham having put his hand to the
municipal plough would not take it away.

Consequently, both sides agreed to a joint debate to be held at a great
m