d instantly
just what effect this would have on the situation.

"I don't know anything about it," snapped Presson. "I don't care
anything about it. It isn't important enough. The man's strength was
overrated. It was mostly mouth. Just as soon as the delegates got
together last night and shook themselves down it was plain enough where
Spinney stood."

"But you yourself and grandfather have been saying all along that
he--" began Harlan.

"We say a lot of things in politics," broke in the chairman, testily.
"But it's only the final round-up that counts. And be prepared for
sudden changes, as the almanac says! I tell you, I don't know anything
about this Spinney rumor--nor I don't care. But it's probably true.
Everett has got pledged delegates enough to nominate him by
acclamation."

"But last night--" persisted Harlan.

His grandfather interrupted this time.

"Don't you remember that old Brad Dunham wrote to New York one spring
and asked a commission man if he would take a million frogs' legs?
Commission man wrote that he'd take a hundred pairs; and the best old
Brad could do, after wading in the swamp back of his house all day, was
to get a dozen. Wrote to the commission man that he'd been estimating
his frogs by sound and thought he had a million. That's been the way
with Spinney and his delegates, Harlan."

Mrs. Presson took advantage of the merriment to change the subject from
politics. It was a topic that did not interest her, and she had learned
from her husband's disgusted growlings that morning that there had been
trouble the night before.

Harlan did not join in the chatter that went about the table. Under
cover of it his grandfather gave him a few words of compassionate
counsel.

"You'll have to swing in with the new deal, bub. You can't cut party
sirloin too close to the horn, and that's what Vard did. He wants to sit
on the mountain and slam us flat under a rock with the new ten
commandments on it. We can't stand for it. I didn't dream that he had
grown to be so impractical in his old age. No one wants any such deal as
he's framing up for the State. As I told you, he's trying to build human
nature over, and he can't do it. I'm sorry it's turned as it has--he
could have been just a little diplomatic and made us a good Governor.
But Everett will make a good one--you needn't be afraid of him. We'll
put through a few measures that will smooth things down a little. Now
you've got to remember that you're