he heart to see him. He made
a fine figure of an orator, the handsomest man in the Senate; and he
was not afraid to raise his voice and look as independent and
determined as his words. He had given the senators to understand that
any one who opposed his bill would have him as an obstinate opponent on
every other measure; and the Senate evidently realized that it would be
wise to let him have his way. The bill was passed. But it had to go
through the Lower House, too, and it was sent there, to be taken care
of by its opponents--with the tongue in the cheek, no doubt.

I met Boss Graham in the corridor. "Hello, Ben," he greeted me.
"What's the matter with that partner of yours?" I laughed; he looked
worried. "Come in here," he said. "I'd like to have a talk with you."
He led me into a quiet side room and shut the door. "Now look here,"
he said. "Did you boys ever stop to think what a boat you'll be in
with this law that you're trying to get, if you ever have to defend a
corporation in a jury suit? Now they tell me down at the tramway
offices"--the offices of the Denver City Tramway Company--"that they're
going to need a lot more legal help. There's every prospect that
they'll appoint you boys assistant counsel. But they can't expect to
do much, even with you bright boys as counsel, if they have this law
against them. You know that all the money there is in law is in
corporation business. I don't see what you're fighting for."

I explained, as well as I could, that we were fighting for the bill
because we thought it was right--that it was needed. He did not seem
to believe me; he objected that this sort of talk was not "practical."

"Well," I ended, "we've made up our minds to put it through. And we're
going to try."

"You'll find you're making a mistake, boy," he warned me. "You'll find
you're making a mistake."

We laughed over it together--Gardener and I. It was another proof to
us that we had our opponents on their knees. We thought we understood
Graham's position in the matter; he had made no disguise of the fact
that he was intimate and friendly with Mr. William G. Evans--the great
"Bill" Evans--head of the tramway company and an acknowledged power in
politics. And it was natural to us that Graham should do what he could
to induce us to spare his friends. That was all very well, but we had
made no pledges; we were under no obligations to any one except the
public whom we served. Gardener wa