And immediately O'Hara was telephoned for to come up to Mr. Perkins's, and the fair conspirators were not aware of, and probably will never realize, the importance politically of that act. Mr. O'Hara refused to come, but it was hinted about that Perkins had summoned him, and there was great joy among the rank and file, and woe among the better elements, for O'Hara was a boss, and a boss whose power was one of the things Thaddeus was trying to break, and the cohorts fancied that the apostle of purity had realized that without O'Hara reform was fallen into the pit. Furthermore, as cities of the third class, like Dumfries Corners, live conversationally on rumors and gossipings, it was not an hour before almost all Dumfries Corners, except Thaddeus Perkins himself and his manager, knew that the idol had bowed before the boss's hat, and that the boss had returned the grand message that he'd see Perkins in the Hudson River before he'd go to his damned mugwump temple; and in two hours they also knew it, for they heard in no uncertain terms from the secretary of the Municipal Club, a reform organization, which had been instrumental in securing Perkins's nomination, who demanded to know in an explicit yes or no as to whether any such message had been sent. The denial was made, and then the lie was given; and many to this day wonder exactly where the truth lay. At any rate, votes were lost and few gained, and many a worthy friend of good government lost heart and bemoaned the degeneration of the gentleman into the politician. Perkins, worn out, irritated by, if not angry at, what he termed the underhanded lying of the opposition, drove home for luncheon, and found his wife and her mother in a state of high dudgeon. They had been insulted. "It was frightful the language that man used, Thaddeus," said Mrs. Perkins. "He wouldn't have dared do it except by telephone," put in the mother-in-law, whose notions were somewhat old-fashioned. "I've always hated that machine. People can lie to you and you can't look 'em in the eye over it, and they can say things to your face with absolute opportunity." The dear old lady meant impunity, but it must be remembered that she was excited. "Well, I think he ought to be chastised," said Mrs. Perkins. "Who? What are you talking about?" demanded Thaddeus. "That nasty O'Hara man," said Mrs. Perkins. "He said 'he'd be damned' over the wire." Thaddeus immediately became energetic. "He didn't blackguard you, did he?" he demanded. "Yes, he did," said Mrs. Perkins, the water in her eyes affecting her voice so that it became mellifluous instead of merely melodious. "But how?" persisted Perkins. "Well--we--we--rang him up--it was only as a surprise, you know, dear--we rang him up--" "You--you rang up--O'Hara?" cried Perkins, aghast. "It must have been a surprise." "Yes, Teddy. We were going to settle the lamp question; we thought you were bothered enough with--well, with affairs of state--"