e didn't take part in
the discussion was we wanted to avoid hard feelings."

The other two crossed their legs the other way, and said they
"concurred."

Their immovable phlegm, their long, expressionless faces, the dull,
monotonous twang of their voices, the oscillation of the three large
feet hung over the bony knees had now, as often before, a singular
effect upon Farnham's irritation. He felt he could not irritate them in
return; they could not appreciate his motives, and thought too little
of his opinion to be angry at his contempt. He was thrown back upon
himself now as before. It was purely a matter of conscience whether he
should stay and do what good he could, or resign and shake the dust of
the city hall from his feet. Whatever he recommended in regard to the
administration of the library was always adopted without comment; but,
whenever a question of the sort which the three politicians called
"practical" arose, involving personal patronage in any form, they
always arranged it for themselves, without even pretending to ask his
or Buchlieber's opinion.

The very fact of his holding the position of chairman of the board was
wounding to his self-love, as soon as he began to appreciate the
purpose with which the place had been given him. He and some of his
friends had attempted a movement the year before, to rescue the city
from the control of what they considered a corrupt combination of
politicians. They had begun, as such men always do, too late, and
without any adequate organization, and the regular workers had beaten
them with ridiculous ease. In Farnham's own ward, where he possessed
two thirds of the real estate, the candidates favored by him and his
friends received not quite one tenth of the votes cast. The loader of
the opposing forces was a butcher, one Jacob Metzger, who had managed
the politics of the ward for years. He was not a bad man so far as his
lights extended. He sold meat on business principles, so as to get the
most out of a carcass; and he conducted his political operations in the
same way. He made his bargains with aspirants and office-holders, and
kept them religiously. He had been a little alarmed at the sudden
irruption of such men as Farnham and his associates into the field of
ward politics; he dreaded the combined effect of their money and their
influence. But he soon found he had nothing to fear--they would not use
their money, and they did not know how to use their influence. Th