least, in an ugly
temper. If he had not met her when he left the house, if he had waited
to grow cool, to reflect, he would probably never have taken her into
his confidence. Chance again, she thought, not without bitterness. How
much of the happiness or unhappiness of life depended upon chance!

"I don't believe it," she returned emphatically. "He always stands by
people."

"He used to," he replied sullenly, "but that was in the old days when he
needed 'em. The truth is he's got his head turned by his election. He
thinks he's so strong that he can go on alone and keep the crowd at his
back; but he'll find he's mistaken, and that the crowd, when it ain't
worked right from the inside, is a poor thing to depend on. The crowd
does the shouting, but it's a man's friends that start the tune."

"Are you talking about the strike?" she asked. "I thought he was in
sympathy with the strikers."

"Oh, he says he is, but he won't prove it."

She faced him squarely, with her head held high and her eyes cold and
determined. "What do you want me to do? Please don't beat about the bush
any longer."

He hesitated a moment, and she inferred that he was trying to decide how
far he might venture with safety. "Well, I thought you might speak a
word to him," he said. "He sets such store by what you would like. I
thought you might drop a hint that he ought to stand by his friends."

"To stand by his friends--that means you," she rejoined.

"Oh, he'll know quick enough what it means! You must be smart about it,
of course, but I don't mind his knowing that I've been speaking to you.
It's for his own good that I'm talking--for the very minute that the
fellows find out he ain't been on the square with 'em, it will be
'nothing doing' for the Governor."

"It is a threat, then?" she asked sharply.

"I'd call it something else if I were you. Look here," he continued
briskly. "You'd like to see the old man go to the Senate, and maybe
higher up, wouldn't you?"

"Oh, of course. What has that to do with it?"

He winked and laughed knowingly. "Well, you just take my advice and drop
a hint to him about this business. Then, perhaps, you'll see."

"If he doesn't take the hint, what will you do?"

"Ask me that in the sweet bye and bye, honey!" His tone had become
offensively familiar. "It's for his good, you know. If it's the last
word I ever speak I'm trying to save him from the biggest snag he ever
met in his life."

She had drawn disdain