CAPITAL 272
XXV.--IDA COMES INTO HIS LIFE AGAIN 289
XXVI.--CONGRESSIONAL LIFE 296
XXVII.--BRADLEY'S LONG-CHERISHED HOPE VANISHES 306
XXVIII.--SPRING CONVENTIONS 314
XXIX.--BRADLEY DISCOURAGED 327
XXX.--THE GREAT ROUND-UP AT CHIQUITA 334
XXXI.--IDA SHOWS BRADLEY THE WAY OUT 350
XXXII.--CONCLUSION. WASHINGTON AGAIN 367

A SPOIL OF OFFICE.

I.

THE GRANGE PICNIC.

Early in the cool hush of a June morning in the seventies, a curious
vehicle left Farmer Councill's door, loaded with a merry group of young
people. It was a huge omnibus, constructed out of a heavy farm wagon
and a hay rack, and was drawn by six horses. The driver was Councill's
hired man, Bradley Talcott. Councill himself held between his vast
knees the staff of a mighty flag in which they all took immense pride.
The girls of the grange had made it for the day.

Laughter and scraps of song and rude witticisms made the huge wagon a
bouquet of smiling faces. Everybody laughed, except Bradley, who sat
with intent eyes and steady lips, his sinewy brown hand holding the
excited horses in place. This intentness and self-mastery lent a sort
of majesty to his rough-hewn face.

"Let 'em out a little, Brad," said Councill. "We're a little late."

Behind them came teams, before them were teams, along every lane of the
beautiful upland prairie, teams were rolling rapidly, all toward the
south. The day was perfect summer; it made the heart of reticent
Bradley Talcott ache with the beauty of it every time his thoughts went
up to the blue sky. The larks, and bobolinks, and red-wings made every
meadow riotous with song, and the ever-alert king-birds and flickers
flew along from post to post as if to have a part in the celebration.

On every side stretched fields of wheat, green as emerald and soft as
velvet. Some of it was high enough already to ripple in the soft winds.
The corn fields showed their yellow-green rows of timid shoots, and
cattle on the pastures luxuriated in the fullness of the June grass;
the whole land was at its fairest and liberalest, and it seemed
peculiarly fitting that the farmers should go on a picnic this day of
all days.

At the four corners below stood scores of