te against the present disgraceful
political conditions, speaks for itself. The standing and character of
its signers give it a status which Republican voters cannot ignore."

The letter followed. It prayed Mr. Crewe, in the name of decency and
good government, to carry the standard of honest men to victory. Too
long had a proud and sovereign State writhed under the heel of an
all-devouring corporation! Too long had the Northeastern Railroads
elected, for their own selfish ends, governors and legislatures and
controlled railroad commissions The spirit of 1776 was abroad in the
land. It was eminently fitting that the Honourable Humphrey Crewe
of Leith, who had dared to fling down the gauntlet in the face of an
arrogant power, should be the leader of the plain people, to recover the
rights which had been wrested from them. Had he not given the highest
proof that he had the people's interests at heart? He was clearly a man
who "did things."

At this point Austen looked up and smiled.

"Tom," he asked, "has it struck you that this is written in the same
inimitable style as a part of the message of the Honourable Asa Gray?"

Tom slapped his knee.

"That's exactly what I said I!" he cried. "Tooting wrote it. I'll swear
to it."

"And the twenty prominent citizens--do you know any of 'em, Tom?"

"Well," said Tom, in delighted appreciation, "I've heard of three of
'em, and that's more than any man I've met can boast of. Ed Dubois cuts
my hair when I go to Kingston. He certainly is a prominent citizen in
the fourth ward. Jim Kendall runs the weekly newspaper in Grantley--I
understood it was for sale. Bill Clements is prominent enough up at
Groveton. He wanted a trolley franchise some years ago, you remember."

"And didn't get it."

Mr. Crewe's answer was characteristically terse and businesslike. The
overwhelming compliment of a request from such gentlemen must be treated
in the nature of a command--and yet he had hesitated for several weeks,
during which period he had cast about for another more worthy of the
honour. Then followed a somewhat technical and (to the lay mind) obscure
recapitulation of the iniquities the Northeastern was committing, which
proved beyond peradventure that Mr. Crewe knew what he was talking
about; such phrases as "rolling stock," "milking the road"--an imposing
array of facts and figures. Mr. Crewe made it plain that he was a man
who "did things." And if it were the will of Heaven that he bec