l come as soon as I answer this," Paul said, and Louis
hurried up stairs as if he wanted to get there some time before his
father.

The man at the other end of the telephone wire was an angry committeeman
at the State House.

"I say," he exclaimed in a strident voice that clanged into the receiver
like a personal insult. "When are you coming down? We've been waiting
here over an hour."

Paul made a lightning decision and answered. "I can't come down
to-night. I have a very important engagement elsewhere."

"Elsewhere!" snorted the irate committeeman. "Why, you made this a
personal meeting. You've got to come down. I can't hold Rogers to our
plan if you don't come. And Alvard is on the fence. We lack just enough
to make a majority. This is your pet measure. Are you going back on it?"

"I can't come down to-night. Put it through among you. If you really
mean business you don't need me. Stand by the bill at all costs."

The committeeman broke in with an oath: "All costs! It's your bill. If
you desert it now at this pinch, it is down and out. I can't look after
your fences."

The receiver at the other end went up with a bang and Paul realised that
another one of his cherished measures had received its _coup de grace_.
Partly, he said to himself as he started up to Louis's room, on account
of the half hearted action of those who called themselves friends. What
friends! Rabbits! Cowards! Self seekers! Real friends could have managed
that bill without his presence and there was a show for it owing to its
popular character, if anyone would push matters with energy and
intelligent enthusiasm. "But was it his duty always to neglect his own
children even for service to the state?" He said "No" as he went along
up and into Louis's room.

He had seldom been into the boy's sanctum, and as he came in now he was
curious, and interested in what he saw. Louis had employed the interval
of his father's presence to pick a number of things up off the floor and
what he did not have time to throw on top of the bed he had kicked under
it, so the room presented a fairly respectable outward appearance.

He had pulled the writing desk out into the middle of the room and as
his father stopped in front of it he said suddenly: "There it is, now
laugh."

Paul was simply astonished when he examined the article. To be sure, all
the joints on it were not perfect by any means and one of the legs
looked a little out of plumb. But as a whole the