's
voice in my ear.

"We had to give him a little rope to go through with his act," he
whispered confidentially. "But he'll sign it all right. And now, if
you'll excuse me, Mr. Paret, I'll lay a few mines. See you at the hotel,
sir."

Thus he indicated, delicately, that it would be better for me to keep
out of sight. On my way to the Potts House the bizarre elements in
the situation struck me again with considerable force. It seemed so
ridiculous, so puerile to have to go through with this political farce
in order that a natural economic evolution might be achieved. Without
doubt the development of certain industries had reached a stage
where the units in competition had become too small, when a greater
concentration of capital was necessary. Curiously enough, in this mental
argument of justification, I left out all consideration of the size of
the probable profits to Mr. Scherer and his friends. Profits and brains
went together. And, since the Almighty did not limit the latter, why
should man attempt to limit the former? We were playing for high but
justifiable stakes; and I resented the comedy which an hypocritical
insistence on the forms of democracy compelled us to go through. It
seemed unworthy of men who controlled the destinies of state and nation.
The point of view, however, was consoling. As the day wore on I sat
in the Colonel's room, admiring the skill with which he conducted the
campaign: a green country lawyer had been got to introduce the bill, it
had been expedited to the Committee on the Judiciary, which would have
an executive session immediately after dinner. I had ventured to inquire
about the hearings.

"There won't be any hearings, sir," the Colonel assured me. "We own that
committee from top to bottom."

Indeed, by four o'clock in the afternoon the message came that the
committee had agreed to recommend the bill.

Shortly after that the first flurry occurred. There came a knock at the
door, followed by the entrance of a stocky Irish American of about forty
years of age, whose black hair was plastered over his forehead. His
sea-blue eyes had a stormy look.

"Hello, Jim," said the Colonel. "I was just wondering where you were."

"Sure, you must have been!" replied the gentleman sarcastically.

But the Colonel's geniality was unruffled.

"Mr. Maker," he said, "you ought to know Mr. Paret. Mr. Maker is the
representative from Ward Five of your city, and we can always count on
him to do the