Hamlin Garland's Books. Uniform edition. Each, 12mo, cloth, $1.25. Wayside Courtships. Jason Edwards. A Spoil of Office. A Member of the Third House. A Little Norsk. 16mo. 50 cents. D. APPLETON & COMPANY, NEW YORK. A SPOIL OF OFFICE A STORY OF THE MODERN WEST BY HAMLIN GARLAND AUTHOR OF JASON EDWARDS, A MEMBER OF THE THIRD HOUSE, A LITTLE NORSK, ETC. NEW AND REVISED EDITION NEW YORK D. APPLETON AND COMPANY M DCCC XCVII Copyright, 1897, by D. APPLETON AND COMPANY Copyright, 1892, by Hamlin Garland TO WILLIAM DEAN HOWELLS, THE FOREMOST HISTORIAN OF OUR COMMON LIVES AND THE MOST VITAL FIGURE IN OUR LITERATURE, I DEDICATE THIS STUDY OF THE GREAT MIDDLE WEST, ITS CONTEMPORARY LIFE AND LANDSCAPE. PREFACE TO THE NEW EDITION. In this story of "A Spoil of Office" it was my intention to treat life as it would present itself to a young Western man of humble condition, who should set himself to the task of winning a political success. I have therefore maintained with considerable care the point of view of Bradley Talcott. Such a design loses in variety but gains, it seems to me, in unity and continuity of movement. It has one marked disadvantage, however: it is apt to be misunderstood by the reader who may take the characters, events, and theories, judged by the central figure, to be the author's estimate. To illustrate: Ida Wilbur is presented as she appeared to Bradley Talcott, and not as the reader would see her, and not as the author would have delineated her had she been taken as the central figure of the book. This explanatory word seemed needed; being given, I leave its working out to the reader. The three great movements of the American farmer, herein used as background--the Grange, the Alliance, and the People's party--seem to me to be as legitimate subjects for fiction as any war or crusade. They came in impulses with mightiest enthusiasms, they died out like waves upon the beach; but the power which originated them did not die; it will return in different forms again and again, so long as the love of liberty and the hatred of injustice live in the hearts of men and women. What the next movement will be I do not know; but when it comes, Bradley Talcott and Ida his wife will be foremost among its leaders. HAMLIN GARLAND. CHICAGO, _May, 1897._ CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAGE