"Raised twelve hundred and odd dollars for the widow Nolan. That was surely well done! Two hundred and fifty votes pledged to him before he left the hall. He surely has the touch! And Malone says he's going to stick to his contracting hereafter. Good idea!" The senator read on: "And Malone also says--also says--H-m!" The chairman was startled out of his silence. "I set Malone on to Riley--to fool him." "You did!" The senator scratched his beard with his finger-nails, drew his chin in to his neck and looked over his pince-nez at the chairman. "Too bad he misunderstood you--wasn't it? It would be so nice if we could give you the credit; but I'm afraid we'll have to hand it to Riley." It was not said loudly; but the tone and the glint of the eyes--and the cultured boss stirred into using slang! The chairman knew that he might as well pick up his hat and go. And he did; after he wrote out his resignation with the big boss dictating it over his shoulder. IN THE ANCHOR WATCH The battle-fleet, home from foreign waters, now lay, within a mile-square, emblazoned quadrangle, to placid moorings in the bay. From the after bridge of his own ship Lieutenant Wickett had been observing in silence the night life of the fleet, but when from some happy quarter-deck to windward there floated down the opening strains of a mellow folk-song, he lifted his chin from arms crossed on the bridge top-rail to say to his shore-going friend beside him: "Were you ever able to listen to a ship's band over water, Carlin, and not get to feeling homesick?" "Still the kid, aren't you? How can you be homesick and you home?" "I'm not home--not yet." Just below them the officer of the deck was roaming the quarter-deck. A ship's messenger stepped up to him, saluted and said smartly: "Two bells, sir." "Strike 'em," came the sharp order; and as the two bells were striking, from other ships, from windward and leeward, came also the quick, sharp-toned double stroke. "Why," asked Carlin, "couldn't they strike those two bells without bothering that deck officer?" "Regulations." "They're the devil, those regulations, Wickett." "Worse--sometimes. You can steer clear of the devil if you want to." He paused. "And yet it would soon be a devil of a service without 'em." A sailor stepped up to the officer of the deck, and, saluting, said: "Anchor lights burning bright, sir." A man in a chief petty officer's uniform stepped up to the officer of the deck, whereupon Wickett, sitting up, said: "That's our wireless operator." "A message for Mr. Wickett, sir," came the operator's voice. "You'll find Mr. Wickett on the after bridge," the officer of the deck said; and the wireless man came up the bridge ladder and saluted: "You raised the _Clermont_, Wesson?" Wickett's voice was eagerly anticipatory. "No, sir, I could not. She has no wireless." "Oh-h!" "But I raised the Cape station, and they reported she passed there on schedule time."