“Or, to look at it another way,” continued Helm, untwisting his legs, immediately to re-knot them in an even more intricate tangle, “a State Senator gets six dollars a day while the Legislature’s in session. It meets for sixty days every two years. His term’s four years. So, my money value as the State sees it is one hundred and eighty dollars a year--about fifty cents a day.” “Well, I hope you’ve shrunk yourself back to normal human size,” said his friend. “I suppose that’s what you’re doing this for.” “No, Bill. To locate myself. I want to see just where I stand. The slave of a slave of a slave of a slave of a slave of a slave of a slave--I think that’s the right degree--and at fifty cents a day.” “Branagan gives you some pretty good law cases,” suggested Bill. Helm eyed him somberly. “You know you don’t want to be too _damn_ independent, old man,” continued Bill. “To locate myself,” pursued Helm, as if Bill had not spoken. “I want to see just how far I’ve got to go before----” He paused here. Said Bill--not altogether in jest, “Before you’re President of the U. S. A.?” “No,” said George gravely. “Before I’m a man. Before I belong to myself.” He laughed with his peculiar illumination of the whole face apparently from the light of the eyes. “You see, Bill, I’m aiming to go further than most Presidents--especially these latter-day chaps.” “Further than most plutocrats,” said Desbrough. “As you said, _they_ belong to their boodle bags.... You haven’t broken with Branagan?” “Not yet,” said Helm. “I’ll have to, soon after the Legislature opens. You see, we’re the minority, and nowadays the majority-boss always uses the minority votes to put through whatever dirty business a lot of his men have to be let off from voting for.” “Well--don’t break with good old Pat till you have to.” “I’ll get all I can first, you may be sure,” said Helm. “I’m a practical man--that is, I’m a practical politician, with a dangerous, incurable hankering for being a man--self-owned and self-bossed.” “You give Branagan good legal service for what he pays you.” “And he hasn’t yet asked me to do any law work that I’ve not been able to stand for.” “Pat’s a little afraid of you,” declared Desbrough. “He knows how strong you are with the people.” Helm slowly shook his head. “I don’t deceive myself. He’s saving me till he really needs me.” He straightened out his long figure deliberately, rose and began to pace up and down the office. “It’s all a question of money, Bill. In this day a man has got to have an independence--or do what some other man says.”