Patty had never written him a single line; whenever she had communicated to him her commands, it had been by telephone. Patty Bennington! The window was at his elbow. He looked out and followed the sky-line of the hills as they rolled away to the south. Patty! It was a very beautiful world, and this was a day of days. It all came to him in that moment of discovery. He had drifted along toward it quite unconsciously, as a river might idle toward the sea. Patty! The light of this knowledge was blinding for a space. So Warrington came into his own romance. It was not the grand passion, which is always meteoric; it was rather like a new star, radiant, peaceful, eternal. "Patty!" He smiled. Chapter X It was only when the whistle of the returning boat sounded close by that he realized he had been sitting there for nearly an hour. He roused himself, sealed and addressed his letter to the senator, and hurried down to the dock. Patty was alone, mending some tackle. "It must be a long letter," she remarked, standing up and shaking her skirts. "Why, this is only the beginning of it," he replied ambiguously. "It is never going to end." "Mercy! It must be a postscript." He had no retort handy, so he contented himself with watching the approach of the boat. "Some men are never satisfied," she said owlishly. "If I were a successful dramatist, such as you are, a public office would look rather tawdry." "But it's real, Patty; it's life and not mummery." "I don't know," doubtfully; "from what I have read, there are more puppets in and about a City Hall than ever dangled in the puppet booth. Did I give you permission to call me Patty?" demurely. "Not that I recollect." The boat came sweeping up to the dock, and he tossed the senator's letter to the boy. The boat went on with a musical gurgle. "But when I especially like anything, I usually appropriate it." "I can see that you will make a good politician." He laughed happily. "Evidently you like the name. You have applied it to me three times this morning." "Like it? Why, I think it is the most charming name I ever heard. It smells of primroses, garden-walls, soldiers in ragged regimentals, of the time when they built houses with big-columned porches." "My!" "May I not call you Patty?" "Oh, if you ask my permission, you may." "I do." "That is better." "Patty?" "Well." "Do you ever look in your mirror?" "The idea! Of course I do. I look in it every morning and every night. And as often as I find the time. Why?" "Nothing; only, I do not blame you." "What's all this leading to?" frowning. "Heaven knows! But I feel sentimental this morning. There is so much beauty surrounding me that I feel impelled to voice my appreciation of it." "There is no remedy, I suppose." "None, save the agony of extemporization." "I have never heard you talk like this before. What IS the matter?" "Perhaps it is the exhilaration I feel for the coming fight. Would you like to see me mayor?"