present sapping her vitals, and all the elements for
success were within her gates.

I had long had an eye open for the discernment of such an embryo
statesman, and looked forward with interest to the study of the
present crop of political candidates.

As soon as Leslie Walker--Ernest Breslaw's step-brother--had been
elected as the Opposition candidate for Noonoon, canvassing,
"spouting," war-whooping, and all manner of "barracking" began with
such intense enthusiasm that fortunately Miss Flipp's sad fate was
speedily driven out of our thoughts.

Dawn and Mrs Bray were on Walker's committee, and nearly every night
there was an advocate of one party or the other gasconading in
Citizens' Hall.

To Noonoon residents it became what the theatre is to city patrons of
the drama, and more, for this was invested with the dignity of a
certain amount of reality. To women being in the fray many attributed
the unusual interest distinguishing this campaign, but the real cause
was that public affairs had come to such a deadlock that legislature,
as the medium through which they might be moved, had become a vital
question to the veriest numskull, and all were mustering to ascertain
who put forth the most favourable policy.

With politics and her newly started singing lessons, Dawn was too
thoroughly engrossed for thought of any knight to pierce her armour of
indifference, which was the outcome of full mental occupation. I
invested in a nice little piano, that was carried upstairs to our big
room, and had undertaken to superintend her practising, but she was a
more enthusiastic politician than a vocal student, as I pointed out to
her grandmother's satisfaction. These happenings had eventuated during
the first fortnight of May, and in the third week of this month Leslie
Walker imported a couple of experienced ranters to renew the attack
and denounce the villainy of the present government in loud and
blustering vote-catching war-whoops.

In the town itself, nearly every third person was employed on the
railway, and their only care in casting their vote was to secure a
representative who would not in any way reduce the expenditure of the
railways. Thus a parliamentary candidate in Noonoon had to trim his
sails to catch this large vote or be defeated. It was the same with
other factions: any man with a common-sense platform, impartially for
the good of the State at large, might as well have sat down at home
and have saved himself t