"Well, I too am only a spectator here," he laughed. "I'm neither fish, flesh nor fowl, nor good red herring." "You were going into the law, weren't you?" I asked. "I remember you said something about it that day we met at Beverly Farms." "Yes, I managed it, after all. Then I went back home to Elkington to try to make a living." "But somehow I have never thought of you as being likely to develop political aspirations, Krebs," I said. "I should say not! he exclaimed. "Yet here you are, launched upon a political career! How did it happen?" "Oh, I'm not worrying about the career," he assured me. "I got here by accident, and I'm afraid it won't happen again in a hurry. You see, the hands in those big mills we have in Elkington sprang a surprise on the machine, and the first thing I knew I was nominated for the legislature. A committee came to my boarding-house and told me, and there was the deuce to pay, right off. The Railroad politicians turned in and worked for the Democratic candidate, of course, and the Hutchinses, who own the mills, tried through emissaries to intimidate their operatives." "And then?" I asked. "Well,--I'm here," he said. "Wouldn't you be accomplishing more," I inquired, "if you hadn't antagonized the Hutchinses?" "It depends upon what you mean by accomplishment," he answered, so mildly that I felt more rued than ever. "Well, from what you say, I suppose you're going in for reform, that these workmen up at Elkington are not satisfied with their conditions and imagine you can help to better them. Now, provided the conditions are not as good as they might be, how are you going to improve them if you find yourself isolated here, as you say?" "In other words, I should cooperate with Colonel Varney and other disinterested philanthropists," he supplied, and I realized that I was losing my temper. "Well, what can you do?" I inquired defiantly. "I can find out what's going on," he said. "I have already learned something, by the way." "And then?" I asked, wondering whether the implication were personal. "Then I can help--disseminate the knowledge. I may be wrong, but I have an idea that when the people of this country learn how their legislatures are conducted they will want to change things." "That's right!" echoed the waiter, who had come up with my griddle-cakes. "And you're the man to tell 'em, Mr. Krebs." "It will need several thousand of us to do that, I'm afraid," said Krebs, returning his smile. My distaste for the situation became more acute, but I felt that I was thrown on the defensive. I could not retreat, now.