is adversary, asked:

"Will you tell this convention in the interest of fairness, what, if
any, personal and private motives you have in helping Dr. Nesbit inject
a family quarrel into public matters in this county?"

A moment's silence greeted the lawyer's insolently framed question.
Mortimer Sands saw Dr. Nesbit go white, start to rise, and sit down, and
saw dawning on the face of Grant Adams the realization of what the
question meant. But before he could speak the mob broke loose; hisses,
cheers and the roar of partisan and opposition filled the room. Grant
Adams tried to speak; but no one would hear him. He started down the
aisle toward Van Dorn, his red hair flashing like a banner of wrath,
menacing the Judge with the steel claw upraised. Dr. Nesbit stopped
Grant. The insult had been so covert, so cowardly, that only in
resenting its implication would there be scandal.

Mortimer Sands closed his book. He saw Judge Van Dorn laugh, and heard
him say to George Brotherton who sat beside young Sands:

"I plugged that damn pie-face!"

Nathan Perry, the practical young man sitting in the Fourth ward
delegation, heard the Judge and nudged Morty Sands. Morty Sands's
sporting blood rose in him. "The pup," he whispered to Nate. "He's
taking a shot at Laura."

The crowd gradually grew calm. There being no further discussion,
Captain Morton put the motion of Joseph Calvin to let the majority of
the convention name all delegates to the superior conventions. The roar
of ayes overwhelmed the blat of noes. It was clear that the Calvin
motion had carried. The Doctor was defeated. But before the chair
announced the vote the pompadour of the little man rose quickly as he
stood in the middle aisle and asked in his piping treble for a vote by
wards and precincts.

In the moment of silence that followed the Doctor's suggestion, Nathan
Perry's face, which gradually had been growing stony and hard, cracked
in a mean smile as he leaned over to Morty and whispered:

"Morty, can you stand for that--that damned hound's snap at Laura Van?
By grabby I can't--I won't!"

"Well, let's raise hell, Nate--I'm with you. I owe him nothing," said
the guileless and amiable Morty.

Judge Van Dorn rose grandly and with great elegance of diction agreed
with the Doctor's "excellent suggestion." So tickets were passed about
containing the words yes and no, and hats were passed down delegation
lines and the delegates put the ballots in the hats and