great personal felicity. Men howled their real convictions and Tom Van
Dorn's universe tottered. He tried to speak, but was howled down.

"Vote--vote, vote," they cried. The Fourth ward balloted again and the
vote stood "Yes, fifteen, no, twelve," and the proud face of the suave
Judge Van Dorn turned white with rage, and the red scar flickered like
lightning across his forehead. The voting could not proceed. For men
were running about the room, and Joseph Calvin was hovering over the
South Harvey delegation like a buzzard. Morty Sands suspected Calvin's
mission. The young man rose and ran to Dr. Nesbit and whispered:
"Doctor, Nate's got seven hundred dollars in the bank--see what Calvin
is doing? I can get it up here in three minutes. Can you use it to
help?"

The Doctor ran his hand over his graying pompadour and smiled and shook
his head. In the din he leaned over and piped. "Touch not, taste not,
handle not, Morty--I've sworn off. Teetotler," he laughed excitedly.
Young Sands saw a bill flash in Mr. Calvin's hands and disappear in Dick
Bowman's pockets.

"No law against it," chirped the Doctor, "except God Almighty's, and He
has no jurisdiction in Judge Tom's district."

As they stood watching Calvin peddle his bills the convention saw what
he was doing. A fear seized the decent men in the convention that all
who voted for Van Dorn would be suspected of receiving bribes. The
balloting proceeded. In five minutes the roll call was finished. Then
before the result was announced George Brotherton was on his feet
saying, "The Fourth ward desires to change her vote," and while
Brotherton was announcing the complete desertion of the Fourth ward
delegation, Judge Van Dorn left the hall. Men in mob are cruel and mad,
and the pack howled at the vain man as he slunk through the crowd to the
door.

After that, delegation after delegation changed its vote and before the
result was announced Mr. Calvin withdrew his motion, and the spent
convention only grunted its approval. Then it was that Mugs Bowman
crowded into the room and handed Nathan Perry this note scrawled on
brown butcher's paper in a hand he knew. "I have this moment learned
that you are a delegate and must take a public stand. Don't let a word I
have said influence you. I stand by you whatever you do. Use your own
judgment; follow your conscience and 'with God be the rest.'" "A. S."

Nathan Perry folded the note, and as he put it in his vest pocket he
felt the