"I'm not surprised," answered Gertrude. "Did you not perceive how uncomfortable he was when he discovered who our candidate was--after all his talk about the influence of women in public affairs? He began to crawl and hedge even then." "I know it," Mrs. Bateman replied, "but I didn't think he would go against us. He's always been such a nice boy. But now,--" "Moreover," interrupted Gertrude, "I've just heard that the League will combine with the Burke forces, if it comes to a choice between us." "Oh--not so bad as that," said Mrs. Bateman. "What are you going to do? It doesn't frighten you?" "My dear," and Gertrude's gentle tone had a ring that was familiar to those who had known the Senator, "did you ever know a Van Deusen to scare easily? They may defeat me, but they will not frighten me. I've sent for Bailey and after I've had a good long confab with him, I'll run over to talk with you." "That's good. You're true blue," was the response. As Gertrude turned from the telephone, Bailey Armstrong was entering. "Well, well, what's this I hear?" he exclaimed, coming forward with outstretched hand. "You'll have Roma shaken to its foundations if you keep on.--And I suppose you'll keep on?" he added, with a keen look into her eyes. "I am my father's daughter," she replied, and led the way into the library, where she told him her latest news. "I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't been there last night myself," said Bailey. "There was a pretty hot discussion. Some of us want to help you, but the majority want a precedent back of them. And there's no precedent for a woman-mayor, you know. Say, Gertie, are you fully determined to run?--because the Augean stables aren't exactly what you've been accustomed to,--and that's what you will find." "I'm fully determined," answered the other quietly. "That settles it, then," said the young man. "Now let's plan out the work." "Then you're going to help, Bailey." "Sure thing. Want me?" "Of course we do." "Not 'we,' Gertie,--I," he answered in a voice as quiet and as determined as hers. "Now, I've been through several campaigns and am not only a good fighter, but I'm conceited enough to believe I'm a pretty good organizer,--and that's a hundred times better." "Well, tell me just how to go to work to enlist the multitude, to win the populace;--in short, to get votes," said Gertrude. "How do I begin?" "Well, there are two ways," answered the young man. "If you were a man I would say, you can break in by sheer force of audacity, without definite purpose; or, you can enter quietly, with a fixed principle in mind which you wish to see worked out in public life. The first is the old idea, the latter is the new." "And the old way?" said Gertrude.