"And how are you going to do it?" "By men. We've come to a time when the country is going to need stronger men than it ever had, and more of them." I suppose it is because I am a woman that I have to bring all questions to the personal. "And is your Stacy Grainger going to be one?" He walked on a few paces without replying, his head in the air. "No," he said, at last, "I don't think so. He's got a weakness." "What kind of weakness?" "I'm not going to tell you," he laughed. "It's enough to say that it's one which I think will put him out of commission for the job." He gave me some inkling, however, of what he meant when he added: "The country's coming to a place where it will need disinterested men, and whole-hearted men, and clean-hearted men, if it's going to pull through. It's extraordinary how deficient we've been in leaders who've had any of these characteristics, to say nothing of all three." "Is the United States singular in that?" He spoke in a half-jesting tone probably to hide the fact that he was so much in earnest. "No; perhaps not. But it's got to have them if it's going to be saved. Moreover," he went on, "it must find them among the young men. The older men are all steeped and branded and tarred and feathered with the materialism of the nineteenth century. They're perfectly sodden. They see no patriotism except in loyalty to a political machine; and no loyalty to a political machine except for what they can get out of it. From our Presidents down most of them will sacrifice any law of right to the good of a party. They don't realize that nine times out of ten the good of a party is the evil of the common weal; and our older men will never learn the fact. If we can't wake the younger men, we're done for." "And are you going to wake them?" "I'm going to be awake myself. That's all I can be responsible for. If I can find another fellow who's awake I'll follow him." "Why not lead him? I should think you could." He turned around on me. I shall never forget the gleam in his eye. "No one is ever going to get away with this thing who thinks of leadership. There are times in the history of countries when men are called on to give up everything and be true to an ideal. I believe that time is approaching. It may come into Europe in one way and to America in another; but it's coming to us all. There'll be a call for--for--" he hesitated at the word, uttering it only with an apologetic laugh--"for consecration." I was curious. "And what do you mean by that--by consecration?" He reflected before answering.