chine responsible for such infamies. When
Woodruff's election was announced it came as a complete surprise. Such
of the newspapers as dared, and they were few, denounced it as infamy's
crown of infamy; and the rank and file of the party was shocked,--as I
had known it would be. He made not a murmur, but I knew what must be in
his mind. I said nothing until six weeks or two months had passed; then
I went straight at him.

"You are feeling bitter against me," said I. "You think I dropped out
when there was danger of heavy firing, and put you up to take it."

"No, indeed, Senator," he protested, "nothing like that. Honestly, I
have not had a bitter thought against you. I'm depressed simply because,
just as I had a chance to get on my feet again, they won't let me."

"But," I rejoined, "I did resign and put you in my place because I
didn't want to take the fire and thought you could."

"And so I can," said he. "I haven't any reputation to lose. I'm no worse
off than I was before. Let 'em do their damnedest."

"Your first campaign will probably be a failure," I went on, "and, the
day after election, there'll be a shout for your head."

He shrugged his shoulders. "I'm enlisted for the war," said he. "You're
my general. I go where you order."

I hope the feelings that surged up in me showed in my face, as I
stretched out my hand. "Thank you, Doc," said I. "And--there's another
side to it. It isn't all black."

"It isn't black at all," he replied stoutly.

I explained: "I've wanted you to have the place from the outset. But I
shouldn't dare give it to you except at a time like this, when our party
has done so many unpopular things that one more won't count; and there's
so much to be said against us, so much worse things than they can
possibly make out your election to be, that it'll soon be almost
neglected."

"They're beginning to drop me already and go back to harrying those poor
devils of ours in the legislature," said Woodruff.

"A few weeks more," I went on, "and you'll be safe and you are to stay
chairman, no matter what happens. When they have leisure to attack you,
there'll be nothing to attack. The people will have dismissed the matter
from their minds. They don't care to watch the threshing of old straw."

I saw that I had lifted a weight from him, though he said nothing.

So much for my first move toward the chastening of my clients. Further
and even more effective in the same direction, I cut down our