lowing, and what
they want. Our crowd stands in with the better element. McCorkle
can't hold more than half his own church, and we're as strong as
horseradish with the other gospel plants. The A. O. C. M. gang
Edgington won't try to split, but will leave to us, and through them
we'll get the liberal element in line--the saloons, and the seamy side
generally, I mean, of course. The labor vote we need help with, and
I've brought in Sheehan and Zalinsky to sort of arrange a line of
policy that'll round 'em up. With their help we'll control the
caucuses. After the caucuses, it's plain sailing."

Brassfield made a few figures on a card, and handed it to Alvord, who
looked at it attentively and nodded approvingly.

"That ought to be an elegant sufficiency," said he.

"All right," said Brassfield, "you handle that end of it, and I'll
discuss the interests of labor. We'll show Colonel McCorkle what a
fight without interests means in this town. Are the wine and cigars
here? Then go down and bring the patriots up, Jim."

XVII

THE HONOR NEARS ITS QUARRY

And every man, and woman, too, was forged at Birmingham,
And mounted all in batteries, each on a separate cam;
And when one showed, in love or war or politics or fever,
A sign of maladjustment, why you just pulled on his lever,
And upside down and inside out and front side back he stood;
And the Inspector saw which one was evil, which was good.

Chorus:

On the other side!
On the other side!
Oh, you must somehow see the other side!
If you'd repair or clean
This delicate old machine,
You must have a way to see the other side!
--_The Inventor's Song in, "Bedlam."_

Messrs. Sheehan and Zalinsky, before being ushered into the Turkish
room where Mr. Brassfield sat awaiting them, were told by Mr. Alvord
that, should Mr. Brassfield's position on the labor question be found
satisfactory to them, he would like to have their good offices in the
matter of getting a fair attendance at the caucuses the next evening.
As this is always an expensive thing for the patriot who engages to do
it, he, Mr. Alvord, would beg to place at their disposal funds in an
amount named by him, for use in the transportation of distant and
enfeebled voters and for such refreshment as might be thought necessary.

"Weh-ull," said Sheehan, "Fr th' carkuses only it may do. What say,
Zalinsky?"

Mr. Zalinsky, his eyes gleaming