“Not me! Withdraw, and be laughed at by my own crowd as well as the society click? It’d smash me forever. It’s human nature to love a criminal and to hate a four-flusher. And cold feet ain’t good for the circulation of the body politic. It’s apt to end by freezing its possessor out. No, sir! I’m in it, and I got to swim strong. The nomination and the election’s easy enough. But just a ‘won handily’ won’t fill the bill. I’ve got to sweep the State with the all-firedest landslide ever slidden since U. S. Grant ran around the track twice before Horace Greeley got on speaking terms with his own stride. It’s got to be a case of ‘the all-popular Governor Conover.’ I’ve got to go in on the shoulders of that rampant steed they call ‘The Hoorah!’ That’ll settle forever any doubts of my fitness, and it’ll stop all laughs at what I said last night. When a man’s the people’s unanimous choice, the few stray knocks that happen at intervals do him more good than harm. But if it was just touch-and-go, everybody’d be screeching about fraud and boss rule winning over honest effort. These Civic Leaguers are too noisy, as it is. I’ve got to start in right away.” “Any orders?” “Yes. When you go down stairs, please send for Shevlin and Bourke and Raynor and the rest on this list, and telephone the editors I’d like to see ’em this afternoon. I’ll have the ball rolling by night. Say, Miss Lanier, the campaign’ll mean extra work for you. I want to make it worth your while. Come now, don’t be silly. Let me make your salary——” “I beg you won’t speak of that any more. I cannot accept a raise of salary from you.” “But why not? You earn more and——” “I earn all I get. And, as I’ve told you before, my reasons for accepting no larger stipend than you offered publicly for a governess for Blanche three years ago, are my own. I consider them good. I am glad to get the money I do. I believe I more than earn it. But I can accept no more, and I can take no presents nor favors of any sort from you. I can’t explain to you my reasons. But I believe they are good.” “But it’s so absurd! I——” “Have you ever found me shirking my work or disloyal in any way to your interests, on account of the smallness of my salary? I have handled business and political secrets of yours that would have involved millions in loss to you if I had betrayed you. I have been loyal to those interests. I have done your work satisfactorily. I could have done no more on three times my pay. There let the matter rest, please.” “Just as you like!” grumbled Conover. “Lord! how the crowd’d stare if it heard Caleb Conover teasing anyone to take more of his money!” “Money won’t buy everything.” “No? Well, it gives a pretty big assortment to choose from. And——”